Katie Mead: World History Semester 2 Final Project by Katherine Mead

Iron Curtain Speech: 1946

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 06:02:25 UTC

Prime Minister Winston Churchill giving the Iron Curtain Speech. The Iron Curtain Speech was about the divide between Capitalist and Communist countries creating a divide or an "Iron Curtain" across Europe, especially in Germany. It led to opposing alliances being created. Capitalist countries creating NATO and Communist countries creating the Warsaw Pact.

Berlin Blockade: 1948 - 1949

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 06:06:25 UTC

The Berlin Blockade occurred when the Soviet Union attempted to block West Berlin from getting land and water. It was made in an attempt to get the Americans out of Berlin entirely as the West's Capitalist system with its cities media was causing the people in East Berlin to want to move.

Berlin Airlift: 1948 - 1949

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 06:37:23 UTC

After the Soviets began the Berlin Blockade, the Allies responded by using their aircraft to fly over to West Berlin to provide the water the Soviets were attempting to deprive people of.

Yalta & Potsdam Conferences: 1945

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 06:44:51 UTC

Shortly after World War 2, the major leaders, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill held conferences in Yalta and Potsdam to decide what they should do about the world after the war. During the Yalta conference they agreed what nations would take what parts of Germany, the allies took the west and the USSR took the east. Stalin agreed to join the United Nations. During the Potsdam conference the leader's relationships decreased significantly. They agreed to remove all Nazi teaching and people.

Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 20:20:06 UTC

The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred when the Soviets provided Cuba with missiles to use against the US. It was the closest the world has ever gotten to a full nuclear war. A Soviet submarine going to the US mistakenly believed the nuclear war had started and almost sent a missile to the US before one officer in charge voted against it last minute. The Cuban Missile Crisis ended when the president, Kennedy, and Russian leader, Khrushchev, agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba, Turkey, and Italy. It was this situation that started Detente.

Prague Spring: 1968

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-22 20:57:34 UTC

The Prague Spring took place in Czechoslovakia when the people started demanding more freedoms against their communist government. It was successful for a while, there was a peaceful transition of power and the country was slowly becoming democratic. The economy was improving and the government was allowing civil rights and liberties. Unfortunately, the Soviets did not take kindly to this and later in the year they invaded Czechoslovakia. The Soviets kidnapped their leaders and the people, after many attempts of passive resistance, were forced to resign to the Soviet's demands. Czechoslovakia was forced to become Communist again.

Space Race: 1955-1975

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-25 02:35:15 UTC

Because the superpowers, Russia and the USA, did not want to fight each other due to the mutually assured destruction (MAD), they used many other ways to compete, including the Space Race. The USSR and the USA with technological advances. It was a tight race, with the USSR having the first man, dog, and satellite in space while the USA had the first man on the moon and the first space station launched. Many historians believe the space race ended with the first man on the moon while other believe it ended with the Apollo-Soyuz mission in which both an American and a Soviet went up to space and shook hands in 1975.

Warsaw Pact Forms: 1955

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 19:43:01 UTC

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance between 8 Eastern European countries, started by the Soviet Union. It was created to counteract NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which was created by the US to detain communist countries. The Soviet Union was the leader of the pact and it was used to control the other countries.

Nixon's Visit to Moscow: 1972

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:03:55 UTC

The president of the USA, Nixon, visited Moscow during the cold war. This was a significant moment in history because it symbolized the peace in the two superpowers forming. The Cuban Missile Crisis showed the need for the war to calm and this visit helped.

Vietnam War: 1955-1975

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:16:08 UTC

Communism in Asia was spreading rapidly thanks to the Soviets and eventually it took north Vietnam as well. The US, worried for the southern Asian countries, decided to join the war to prevent South Vietnam from becoming communist as well. Even after 20 years of US soldiers in Vietnam they were not getting anywhere in stopping communism. The Vietnam war was one of the larger proxy wars the US and Soviets participated in, resulting in many unfortunate casualties for the Vietnamese.

Berlin Wall Destruction: 1989

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:25:03 UTC

The Berlin wall was created in 1961 in order for the Soviets to forcefully keep the East Germans in East Germany. It separated families and isolated thousands, creating a huge divide between Europe. Luckily, the Soviet Union got a new leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, who decided to allow east Europe their freedoms back and the wall slowly started being demolished. Ending the divide across Europe.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: 1979

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:29:05 UTC

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan to keep control over the country and shift their Islamic views. This invasion ended Detente and led to another proxy war between the US and the USSR. The Afghani people protected their country well and eventually the Soviets had to withdraw from the country entirely. Leaving Afghanistan victorious in that war.

Moscow Olympics Boycott: 1979

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:44:39 UTC

The Olympics in 1979 took place in Moscow and due to the Soviets invading Afghanistan the US as well as 64 other countries protested and boycotted. Only 80 countries participated due to the Soviets not withdrawing from Afghanistan in time. In response the Soviets boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Collapse of the Soviet Union: 1991

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:48:36 UTC

The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the cold war. It happened for many reasons, the country was breaking as many people were opposed to Gorbachev's democratic way of leading. A coup was created against him. The coup collapsed, and with it, the Soviet Union itself.

Gorbachev’s Policies (Glasnost & Perestroika): 1985

meadkatherine4089 — 2025-05-27 20:53:09 UTC

A new leader of the Soviet Union took office, Mikhail Gorbachev. He was a kinder leader, and these policies, Glasnost and Perestroika are proof of that. Glasnost was a policy that changed Russia into more of a democracy. It allowed inclusion of Russia as a people and allowed the freedom of expression. Perestroika was a policy that developed more liberal economics and allowed market reforms.