My luminous padlet by Abril Calixto

The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-19 22:40:50 UTC

The Cuban Missile Crisis, dated October 16th - 28th, was a very intense and panic filled moment when the United States discovered nuclear weapons deployed by the U.S.S.R. in the country of Cuba. These weapons so close to the United States posed the threat of nuclear war, which caused an eruption of panic and fear among the nation. It was solved when President John F. Kennedy agreed he would not invade Cuba in exchange for Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to remove the missiles. This miscommunication created what is known as the "Red Phone", which was a system between the Kremlin and the White House to communicate in situations like this.

The Civil Rights Movement (1950'2 - 1960's)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-19 22:50:49 UTC

During the battle of the United States and the Soviet Union, the pressure put onto the United States by the Soviet Union for equal rights was immense. America prided itself for being a free and equal land, yet treated a large demographic of their people as slaves. The Soviet Union used this fact to push propaganda and to bring down the U.S.'s global image to show that they're hypocrites that cannot be trusted. The United States pushed laws out that helped the minorities to maintain their perfect image. In conclusion, the Cold War helped the Civil Rights Movement progress further, giving the oppressed people one step further to freedom

The Space Race (1957–1969)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-19 23:03:50 UTC

The Space Race was a severely competitive race between the Soviet Union and the United States to make technological advancements in space. The first satellite, Sputnik, was the first object launched into space by the Soviet Union. This deeply scared the United States as they believed they would use this type of technology in war. This caused a large period of time where there were constant achievements. People orbiting, animals orbiting, and sending objects to planets were a few of these achievements, until an American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, became the first human to step on the moon. Eventually, the U.S.S.R. and the United States joined together for space exploration, making a dock that was connected in space.

NATO and U.S. International Military Presence (1949)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-21 22:38:57 UTC

Because of the growing threat of Communism and the rise of the Soviet Union, a band of 12 founding countries, (The United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom) formed together to create a defense alliance. The United States set up various military spaces in different parts in the country to combat Soviet aggression and to protect their partners. Americans live at ease now knowing they have countries to back them up. Since NATO formed in 1949, several more countries have joined the alliance, strengthening the power of this organization globally.

The Fall of the Soviet Union (1991)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-21 22:44:21 UTC

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, America became the strongest country at the time, In front of their allies. The United States was able to befriend Eastern European countries who overthrew the Communist ideology after the fall. The end of the Soviet Union also meant millions of Americans and Europeans could live in peace, focusing more on their people and economy rather than war since their main threat had fallen.

The Berlin Airlift (1948 - 1949)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-21 22:52:28 UTC

The Berlin Airlift was a year long blockade by the Soviet Union in order to keep Berlin weak and Soviet influenced. Though, the Allies felt a strong and free Germany would benefit better and prevent the spread of Communism. Berlin was heavily divided and kept weak by blocking food and medicine coming in. The United States sent planes out to airdrop Berlin supplies and food so they would not starve. This strengthened the bond between Germany and America, improving their trades and relations.

McCarthyism and the Red Scare (1947-1957)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-21 23:02:11 UTC

The Red Scare was a period after WWII that held long lasting effects on Americans. Millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs and reputation just for being suspected of being Communist. Every person in America was scared to be accused of Communism and went to drastic measure. This also really divided the United States into 2 sections, one who was really patriotic and the other who were accused.

The Invention and Testing of Nuclear Weapons (1949)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-21 23:11:00 UTC

With Soviet and American conflicts rising, America began to test new equipment and nuclear weapons. The secret organization that was called the Manhattan Project created hundreds of new nuclear weapons to use, which later created the bombs that dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The creation of several more bombs sent Americans into a state of paranoia, unsure when the war would start. The threat of Soviet bombs deeply impacted the people of America, until its fall in 1991.

The Korean War (1950-1953)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-24 05:25:21 UTC

The Korean War, dated in 1950 - 1953, was a proxy war supported by the United States (South Korea), and the Soviet Union (North Korea). The reason this is mentioned is because although the Cold War was never active, they fought through these countries. The United States supported and aided the South side, while the Soviet Union supported and aided the North Side. This proxy war strengthened the relationship between South Korea and the United States, improving trading and alliances.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

1078016_1 — 2025-02-24 05:33:46 UTC

Just like the Korean War, the Vietnam War was a proxy war fought between the divided North and South side of Vietnam. The United States supported the Southern side of Vietnam, while the U.S.S.R. and China supported the Northern side. The United States was deathly afraid of Communism so they used Southern Vietnam as a way to control Communism in South East Asia. The United States supported Southern Vietnam with military aid and resources. This later also strengthened and healed the relationship between the United States and Vietnam.