Room Two
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Five
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Proxy Wars and Conflicts
Curator’s
Offices
Lauryn Rutherford
Curator’s
Office
I specialize in the Proxy Wars and conflicts,
and I am quite intelligent.
Contact me at [coldwarfrreak3@gmail.com]
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Artifact 1
The Berlin Blockade 1948-1949
Berlin Blockade was the first serious crisis of the Cold
War. The United States and the Soviet Union had
clashed over Germany, and when the allies decided
to withdraw their forces and allow their occupation
zones to form one nation, the Soviets responded by
holding West Berlin hostage. Soon Berlin was split
into four zones. The Soviet Union cut off highway,
water, and rail traffic into West Berlin and the city
faced starvation. Instead of giving up the Allies soon
started the Berlin Airlift to deliver supplies into West
Berlin. The blockade ended up being ineffective to the
Soviets. It triggered fear in the west, accelerated
Allies plans to set up the state, and hastened the
creation of NATO. In 1949, it was clear that the
objectives Stalin had in mind were not going to be
met and had no choice but to lift the blockade.
Source Citation: PARRISH, THOMAS. "Berlin Blockade."
Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed. James R. Millar. Vol. 1. New
York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 142-143. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
Berlin Blockade. Digital image. The Berlin Airlift Crisis.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
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Exhibit
Artifact 2
The Berlin Airlift 1948-1949
When the Berlin Blockade reached the point
where Berlin’s people were on the brink of
starvation the Allies decided to deliver
necessary supplies by air, this was known as
the Berlin Airlift. From June 1948 to May 1949,
Allied planes took off and landed every three
minutes in West Berlin. The Berlin Airlift lasted
for about a year and delivered 2.3 million tons
of cargo during its time. It prevented the people
from dying from starvation, if only for a little
while.
Source Citation: LERNER, ADRIENNE WILMOTH. "Berlin Airlift."
Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security. Ed. K. Lee
Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 99101. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
"Children in West Berlin waiting for a U.S. supply plane to
land during the Berlin airlift of..." History in Dispute. Ed.
Benjamin Frankel. Vol. 1: The Cold War: First Series. Detroit:
St. James Press, 2000. World History in Context. Web. 22
Apr. 2014
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Exhibit
Artifact 3
Greek Civil War
The Greek civil war was two-stage encounter in which Greek
communists unsuccessfully tried to gain control of Greece.
With this political uncertainty in Greece, General Ioannis
Metaxas took power with a fascist-style dictatorship. Once
Metaxas died in 1941, Greece was left helpless and the
Communist Party took control and created the National
Liberation Front, also called the EAM. Another group was
against the EAM, called the National Republican Greek
League (EDES). In 1947, the United States agreed to help
so President Truman issued the Truman Doctrine to help
Greece fight the Communists. When the communists
decided to support Stalin instead of Yugoslavia, they were
soon defeated in 1949. The civil war left Greece in ruins.
However, in the 1950’s, Greece went through a growth of
development. From 1960 to1974, Greece was ruled by
Georgios Papandreou. Finally in 1974, Greece was restored
as a democracy by Konstantinos Karamanlis.
Source Citation: "Greece." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War
and Reconstruction. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 3. Detroit:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1266-1271. World History in Context. Web. 22
Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
Greek Civil War 1946-1949. Digital image. The Greek
Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
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Exhibit
Artifact 4
Iron Curtain
Popularized in a speech by Winston Churchill
(1874–1965), The term Iron Curtain refers to
the reduced contact and restricted travel
executed by the Soviet Union between the
communist countries of Eastern Europe and
the capitalist-democratic nations of Western
Europe during the Cold War (1945–1991). A
truly effective physical barrier between the two
Germanys and Czechoslovakia and between
Austria and Hungary did not exist until the early
1960s. For Western politicians and
commentators, the Iron Curtain dramatized the
isolation of the police states forced upon the
Eastern Europeans by the Soviet Union
Source Citation: "Iron Curtain." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of
War and Reconstruction. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 3. Detroit:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1455-1456. World History in Context. Web. 22
Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
The Iron Curtain. Digital image. Iron
Curtain. N.p., n.d. Web
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Exhibit
Artifact 5
Korean War 1950-1953
The Korean War began just as a war between Communist
and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to
July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided
at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S.
(South Korean) zones. In 1948 two different governments
were established: The Republic of Korea in the South and
the People's Democratic Republic of Korea in the North.
Relations became increasingly tense, and on June 25, 1950,
North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations
ended up helping the South. In the first few weeks the North
ended up advancing rapidly, but a counteroffensive soon
began on September 15th by the South and pushed them
back to the Chinese border. The Chinese felt threatened and
sent troops to aid North Korea. When the Chinese captured
the capital, Seoul, Doulas MacArthur wanted to launch a
nuclear attack on China but President Truman refused. In
July, 1953 the UN forces and North Korea signed a ceasefire agreement. After the war, Korea remained divided. A
demilitarized zone, separated the two countries.
Source Citation: "Korean War." The Cold War--1945-1991. Gale, 1992. World
History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
“Korean War.” 2014. The History Channel website. Apr
22 2014, 11:23 http://www.history.com/photos/koreanwar.
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Exhibit
Artifact 6
Hungarian Revolution 1956
On October 23rd, 1956, students of Budapest took to
the streets and issued their thoughts on what should
be their rights, which included personal freedom,
more food, the removal of the secret police, the
removal of Russian control etc. Soon Imre Nagy was
appointed prime minister, and Janos Kadar as foreign
minister. On October 31st, he announced that
Hungary should withdraw itself form the Warsaw
Pact. This made the Soviets mad and they went
around Budapest to “restore order” by killing, even
the wounded. Nagy was then tried and executed and
Kadar was in charge. Soviet rule was now reestablished.
Source Citation: GRANVILLE, JOHANNA. "Hungarian Revolution."
Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed. James R. Millar. Vol. 2. New
York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 643-644. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
GRANVILLE, JOHANNA. "Hungarian Revolution." Encyclopedia
of Russian History. Ed. James R. Millar. Vol. 2. New York:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 643-644. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
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Exhibit
Artifact 7
Suez Crisis 1956
The Suez Crisis of October 1956, was a
coordinated attack by British, French, and
Israeli forces on Egyptian locations in the Sinai
Peninsula and along the Suez Canal. It was a
crucial moment for interstate relations within
the region, and also for interactions between
the superpowers within the larger part of the
cold war. Triggered by numerous factors and
settled by an uneasy cease-fire, the Suez
Crisis left a great deal of “unfinished business”
on the table between Israel and the Arab
States. It also saw the first full engagement of
the United States into the region.
Source citation: "Suez Crisis." International Encyclopedia of the Social
Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Macmillan
Reference USA, 2008. 213-214. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr.
2014
Image found at:
"Britains Empire Ken sails into Port Said, Egypt, carrying
reinforcements during the Suez Crisis of..." Cold War
Reference Library. Ed. Richard C. Hanes, Sharon M. Hanes,
and Lawrence W. Baker. Vol. 2: Almanac Volume 2. Detroit:
UXL, 2004. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
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Exhibit
Artifact 8
Vietnam War 1957–1975
In the early 1900s France controlled most of Southeast Asia.
Nationalist independence movements had soon started. During the
1930s, a man named Ho Chi Minh, started a communist party and led
revolts against the French. The French started killing Vietnamese
protesters and sentenced Minh to death but he fled to exile instead,
and ended coming back in 1941. In 1957, Vietnamese Nationalists and
Communists joined to fight the French armies. The Vietminh used hitand-run tactics to confine the French to the cities. In 1954, the French
suffered a major military defeat at Dien Bien Phu and they surrendered
to Ho. The U.S soon saw this as a threat and Dwight D. Eisenhower
soon called it the Domino Theory. After France’s defeat, an
international peace conference met in Geneva to discuss the future of
Indochina. Vietnam was divided at 17° north latitude. North was Ho Chi
Minh’s Communist forces and South was the United States and France
under the anti-communist leader, Ngo Dinh Diem. U.S. Troops Enter
the Fight In August 1964. Unable to win a decisive victory on the
ground, the United States turned to air power. During the late 1960s,
the war grew increasingly unpopular in the United States. Nixon had a
plan called Vietnamization. It allowed for U.S. troops to gradually pull
out. Two years later, the North Vietnamese overran South Vietnam and
the war ended.
Source Citation: "Vietnam War." International Encyclopedia of the
Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 612-617. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
Vietnam Flag. Digital image. Crossfire Wiki. N.p., n.d.
Web: crossfirewikia.com
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Exhibit
Artifact 9
The Cuban Revolution 1953-1959
In the 1950s, Cuba was ruled by an disliked dictator,
Fulgencio Batista, and had U.S. support. Cuban
hatred led to a revolution, and a young lawyer named
Fidel Castro started and led it. It ended up
overthrowing Batista in January 1959. At first people
loved and worshipped him for bringing social reforms
and improving the economy. But that was not the
case, he was a harsh and cruel dictator. When he
took over U.S.-owned sugar mills and refineries, and
Eisenhower ordered an embargo on all trade with
Cuba. This caused Cuba to turn the Soviets for all
military and economic aid. In August 1961, the CIA
invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs but did not have any
air support so they faced a humiliating defeat.
Source Citation: "Cuban Revolution." International Encyclopedia of
the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 2.
Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 185-187. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
The Cuban Revolution. Digital image. SlideShare. N.p.,
n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 10
Bay of Pigs Invasion 1961
On 17 April 1961, shortly after President John F. Kennedy
took office, and during the Cuban Revolution, fifteen hundred
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-trained Cuban exiles
landed in the Bay of Pigs, establishing the first phase of what
CIA planners hoped would be a campaign resulting in Cuban
leader Fidel Castro's removal. The invasion, planned during
the last years of Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration,
failed horribly: it was not greeted by a popular uprising
against the Castro regime, but by the Cuban military whose
intelligence had learned of the invasion in advance. With the
invaders pinned down on the beach, Kennedy decided to cut
U.S. losses and refused to allow the use of U.S. air cover on
their behalf. Several hundred of the invaders were killed; the
rest were taken prisoner. In December 1962, after prolonged
negotiations, the Cubans released the 1,113 prisoners in
return for $53 million worth of food and medicine.
Source Citation: "Bay of Pigs Invasion." The Cold War-1945-1991. Gale, 1992. World History in Context. Web. 22
Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
mBay of Pigs Invasion. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p.,
n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 11
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
The failed Bay of Pigs invasion convinced Soviet
leader Nikita Khrushchev that the United States
would not resist Soviet expansion in Latin America. In
July 1962, Khrushchev began to build 42 missile sites
in Cuba secretly. An American spy plane soon
discovered the sites. President John F. Kennedy
stated a naval blockade of Cuba to stop the Soviets
from installing more missiles because missiles so
close the U.S mainland were a threat. Soon the
United States and the Soviet Union on a collision
course. Soon people everywhere were fearing for
another nuclear war. Khrushchev agreed to remove
the missiles if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba.
The result of the Cuban Missile Crisis was that it left
Castro completely dependent on Soviet support.
Source Citation: "The Cuban Missile Crisis: October 16–28, 1962."
Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer
Stock. Vol. 3: Central and South America. Farmington Hills, MI:
Gale, 2013. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
Cuban Missile Crisis. Digital image. The World Post. N.p.,
n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 12
Six Day War 1967
SIX-DAY WAR, the war between Israel and Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, and Iraq that lasted from June 5 to
June 10, 1967, and in the course of which Israel
routed the threatening Arab armies and occupied the
Sinai Peninsula, the "West Bank" (Judea and
Samaria), and the Golan Heights. On June 5, 1967,
Israeli airplanes launched a surprise attack on the
Egyptian air force and destroyed the airfields within
Egypt. The cause was Egypt’s blockade of the Straits
of Tiran, which stopped all shipping to and from
Israel. Israel saw this as a threat and felt that they
had to strike first. The Arab nations were caught off
guard by Israeli forces and unfortunately had no air
cover to protect their ground troops. By the end,
Israel had seized the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the
Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank of the
Jordan River and East Jerusalem from Jordan,
tripling Israel’s territory.
Source Citation: "The 1967 Arab-Israeli War: June 5–10, 1967." Global Events:
Milestone Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 5: Middle East.
Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2013. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
Six Day War. Digital image. Wikipedia.
N.p., n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 13
Cambodian Civil War 1970-1975
In the 1960’s and 1970’s Cambodia was being pulled
in many different ways. They were in the middle of a
civil war and, at the same time they were being drawn
into the conflict in Vietnam. Cambodia is a small
country, made up of mostly Buddhists. Prince
Sihanouk was in the middle of a military coup, and
was being overthrown by General Lon Nol, the
president of the Khmer Republic. Prince Sihanouk
eventually joined forces with a communist
organization called the Khmer Rouge. Civil war
began causing chaos across the country. In 1975 the
Khmer Rouge won the civil war and gained power in
Cambodia. The organization was headed by a man
named Pol Pot. Ended up causing genocide in
Cambodia.
Source Citation: "Cambodia Falls to the Khmer Rouge, 1975."
Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale, 2012. World History in
Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
Cambodian Civil War. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d.
Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 14
Somalia vs. Ethiopia (The Ogaden War) 1977-1978
The Ogaden War was a conflict between
Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over
the Ogaden area of Ethiopia. Fighting started
when Somalia wanted to exploit a temporary
shift in the regional balance of power in their
favor to occupy the Ogaden region, and
claimed to be part of Greater Somalia. In a
notable illustration of the nature of Cold War
alliances, the Soviet Union switched from
supplying aid to Somalia to supporting
Ethiopia, which had previously been backed by
the United States, prompting the U.S. to start
supporting Somalia. The war ended when
Somali forces retreated back across the border
and a truce was declared.
Source Citation: "Ethiopia and Somalia Fight the Ogaden War: 1977–1978."
Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol.
1: Africa. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2013. World History in Context. Web. 22
Apr. 2014
Image found at:
The Ogaden War. Digital image. The World Post.
N.p., n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 15
Afghan War 1979-1989
Several years after World War II, Afghanistan kept its
independence from both the Soviet Union and the
United States. In the 1950s how ever soviet influence
began to increase. In the late 1970s, a Muslim
revolt endangered the Afghanistan’s Communist
Regime and led to a Soviet invasion in 1979. The
Soviets expected to pile up the Afghan Communists
and quickly withdraw but instead the Soviets found
themselves stuck. President Jimmy Carter warned
the Soviets against any attempt to gain the Persian
Gulf. To protest the invasion, he stopped U.S. grain
shipments to the Soviet Union and ordered a U.S.
boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In the 1980s,
a new Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev,
recognized the war’s devastating costs. He took out
all Soviet troops by 1989. Now, internal unrest and
economic problems were tearing apart the Soviet
Union.
Source Citation: "Afghanistan Invaded by Soviets, December 24, 1979 to
December 27, 1979." Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale, 2012. World History
in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Afghanistan-Soviet War. Digital image. The
World Post. N.p., n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 16
Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988
Throughout the Middle East, oil industry wealth powered a
growing conflict between traditional Islamic ideas and
modern Western materialism. The main country that this was
most dramatic is shown in Iran. Shah Mohammed Reza
Pahlavi, embraced Western governments and oil companies.
Iranian nationalists hated foreign alliances and united under
Prime Minister Muhammed Mossadeq. Thinking Iran might
turn to the Soviets for support, the United States helped get
the shah back to power. Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, leader
of religious opposition, spurred Iranian revolts and caused
the Shah to flee in 1979. Khomeini encouraged Muslim
radicals elsewhere to overthrow their secular
governments. Intended to unify Muslims, this policy
heightened tensions between Iran and its territorial rival,
Iraq. War broke out between Iran and Iraq in 1980. The
United States secretly gave aid to both sides because it did
not want the balance of power to change. The Soviet Union,,
had long been a supporter of Iraq. The UN negotiated a
ceasefire in 1988. But it still caused a million Iranian and
Iraqis deaths.
Source Citation: "Iraq Invades Iran: September 22, 1980." Global Events: Milestone
Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 5: Middle East. Farmington Hills,
MI: Gale, 2013. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Image found at:
"A map showing the cities where major battles occurred
during the Iran-Iraq War." Middle East Conflict. Sonia G.
Benson. 2nd ed. Vol. 1: Almanac. Detroit: U*X*L, 2012.
World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
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Exhibit
Artifact 17
Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989
The fall of the Berlin Wall happened very suddenly. There
had been signs that it was weakening, but the East German
Communist leaders kept denying and East German citizens
did not agree. Communism soon began to waver in Poland,
Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in 1988 and 1989, new exit
places were opened to East Germans who wanted to go to
the West. Then suddenly, on the evening of November 9,
1989, an announcement made by East German government
official stated, that the borders were no longer going to be
there. People were stunned. They wondered if the borders
were really opened. East Germans uncertainly came towards
the border and found out that the border guards were letting
people cross. The Berlin Wall was filled with people from
both sides. Some began breaking the Berlin Wall with
hammers and chisels. There were huge celebrations along
the Berlin Wall, with people hugging, kissing, singing,
cheering, and crying. The Berlin Wall was eventually chiseled
away, into smaller pieces. The pieces have become
collectibles and are stored in both homes and museums.
After the Berlin Wall came down, East and West Germany
reunified into a single German state on October 3, 1990.
Source Citation: "The Fall of the Berlin Wall: 1989." Global Events: Milestone Events
Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 4: Europe. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale,
2013. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014
Nicaraguan War. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p.,
n.d. Web.
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Exhibit
Artifact 18
Nicaraguan War 1979-1990
The United States had funded the Nicaraguan
dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. In 1979,
Communist Sandinista rebels toppled Somoza’s son.
The United States and the Soviet Union gave aid to
the Sandinistas and their leader, Daniel Ortega to
begin with. The Sandinistas, still, gave assistance to
other Marxist rebels in El Salvador. To help the El
Salvadoran government against the rebels, the
United States supported Nicaraguan anti-Communist
forces called the Contras or contrarevolucionarios.
The civil war in Nicaragua lasted more than a decade
and damaged the country’s economy. In 1990,
President Ortega agreed to have free elections, the
first time in the nation’s history. Violeta Chamorro,
defeated him. The Sandinistas were also defeated in
elections in 1996 and 2001.
Source Citation: "Alfonso Robelo." Newsmakers. Detroit:
Gale, 1988. World History in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Image found at:
Nicaraguan War. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p.,
n.d. Web.
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Exhibit