THE COLD WAR
LW HH RB BD
BERLIN BLOCKADE
•
The Berlin Blockade was an
attempt in 1948 by the Soviet Union
to limit the ability of France, Great
Britain and the United States to
travel to their sectors of Berlin,
which lay within Russian-occupied
East Germany. Eventually, the
western powers instituted an airlift
that lasted nearly a year and
delivered much-needed supplies
and relief to West Berlin. Coming
just three years after the end of
World War II, the blockade was the
first major clash of the Cold War
and foreshadowed future conflict
over the city of Berlin. This was
significant as it represented the
initial conflict and was the first
physical
division
between
ideologies.
THE KOREAN WAR
•
After world war one, Korea was
divided along the 38th parallel into
North and South Korea. On June
27th, 1950, Communist North Korea
invaded South Korea to reunite the
divided country. The invasion was
supported by the Soviet Union and
condemned
as
an
act
of
aggression by both the U.S and the
U.N. The Korean war was significant
to the timeline of the Cold War as it
was the first physical conflict
between the U.S and a communist
nation, and because the North
Korean mindset was shared with
and supported by The Soviet Union,
making it a proxy war between two
conflicting superpowers.
THE BERLIN WALL
•
The Berlin Wall was both the
physical division between West
Berlin and East Germany from
1961 to 1989 and the symbolic
boundary between democracy
and Communism during the Cold
War. The Berlin Wall was erected in
the dead of night and for 28 years
kept East Germans from fleeing to
the West. The Berlin Wall was
significant to the Cold War
because it was a symbol of the
distinct division and conflict
between competing ideologies.
The East side was controlled by
the Soviet Union, and the West
side was divided into areas
controlled by the U.S, France, and
the U.K. It created great tension
and hostility between the two
competing powers and greatly
upset the people of Germany.
BAY OF PIGS
•
The Bay of Pigs invasion was
an
unsuccessful
military
invasion of Cuba undertaken
by a CIA funded paramilitary
group on April 17 1961. The
invading force was defeated
by Cuban armed forces under
the command of Fidel Castro
in three days. The failed
invasion
strengthened
the
position
of
Castro’s
administration who continued
to openly proclaim their
intention to adopt socialism
and strengthen ties with the
Soviet Union, leading to the
events of the Cuban Missile
Crisis in 1961.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
•
The Cuban Missile crisis in 1962
brought the Soviet Union and the
U.S as close to nuclear war as
they’d ever come. The Soviets were
constructing missiles in Cuba. These
missiles, photographed by a U-2
plane flying over western Cuba,
brought the conflicting countries to
a
brinkmanship
–
the
U.S
quarantined Cuba and lined the
perimeter with ships. The Soviets did
little in response, their ships (even
those carrying questionable cargo)
continued on course, perhaps
slowing down a little. This particular
event is significant to the timeline of
the Cold War as it not only brought
the countries the closest to war, but
it also brought to them the
realization that nuclear war would
be catastrophic – leading to a
détente between enemies.
U.S MISSILES IN TURKEY
•
During the Cold War, American
intermediate
range
nuclear
missiles
and bombs were
constructed in Turkey to serve as
protection against the Soviet
Union, should they attack and
influence
Soviet
strategic
calculation. They were to be fired
as retaliation, but still contributed
greatly to the placement of
Soviet missiles in Cuba. It was
significant as it brought the two
Superpowers to a brinkmanship
after the missiles were discovered
in Turkey and Cuba.
RUSSIAN INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN
•
In 1979, Russia invaded Afghanistan.
Although
poorly
outfitted,
the
Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters)
proved to be a formidable opponent,
as they had knowledge of the terrain
and
weather
conditions.
The
Mujahideen were fighting one of the
most powerful military forces in the
world, yet still controlled 75% of
Afghanistan. Young Russian conscripts
were no match against men fueled by
their religion. The United Nations had
condemned the invasion as early as
January 1980 but a Security Council
motion, calling for the withdrawal of
Russian forces, had been vetoed by
Russia.
America
supported
the
Mujahideen and discontinued the
export of grain into Russia. It was
significant as it provided the States with
a preview of Soviet war tactics.
NORAD
•
NORAD is a bi-national organization charged
with the mission of aerospace warning and
aerospace control for North America. During
the 1950s, the United States aimed to deter
any attacks by the Soviet Union on North
American soil by threatening massive
retaliation. The main Soviet menace in this era
came in the form of long-range bombers that
would likely fly over Canadian territory to
reach American targets. Because any Soviet
attack upon the U.S. would involve Canada, it
was logical for the U.S. to form an official
military alliance with Canada. NORAD
formalized a cooperative air defense
agreement that existed between the
countries. It brought the two nations together
to develop continental air defense plans; to
maintain and operate the land-based radar
and communications systems that would warn
of an impending attack; and, in the event of
an attack, to employ air defense forces to
direct a retaliatory strike away from heavily
populated areas. This was significant because
it caused the Soviet Union to embark on a
mission to develop their own allies and
defense partners during the Cold War,
stiffening the relationship between Soviet
Russia and the United States.
COLLAPSE OF THE BERLIN WALL
The collapse of the Berlin Wall signified the deterioration of
the Iron Curtain, the end of the Cold War, and the final straw
in the Communist Reign by the Soviet Union. It has been
seen everywhere as a strong sign in support of Democracy,
the will, and the voice of the people.