1. The Cold War
USA vs Soviet Union

2. Introduction USA- Democracy and Capitalism
Soviet Union- Totalitarian and Communist
Buffer Zone

3. Containment USA feared spread of Communism
Iron Curtain- Imaginary line between sides
Truman Doctrine- Aid to nations threatened by communism
Containment Policy- Keep communism from spreading
Marshall Plan- Economic aid to war-torn Europe

4. Berlin Crisis Divide up Germany USSR wants to punish Germany
Soviets create Blockade
Berlin Airlift
Berlin also divided

5. NATO and Warsaw Pact North Atlantic Treaty Organization Warsaw Pact
Western Allies
If one is attacked all are attacked
Warsaw Pact
Communist version of NATO

6. Nuclear Arms Race Soviets create nuclear weapons
40 year race to develop WMD

7. Korean War China becomes communist Containment tested in Korea
North Korea=Communist, South Korea=backed by USA
US troops defend against North invading
“Ends” in a stalemate
38th Parallel

8. Sputnik and Nuclear Arms
Soviets Test Nuclear Weapon
Sputnik Soviet satellite
Creation of NASA
Preparation for Nuclear War
Bomb shelters
School Drills (Bomb Proof Desks)
US U2 Spy plane shot down over Soviet Union
Nikita Khrushchev- Soviet Leader

9. Berlin Wall Flood of Germans from East to West Berlin
1961 start building Berlin Wall
Symbol of Iron Curtain

10. Bay of Pigs 1959 Fidel Castro takes over Cuba USA passes embargo
Cuba starts working with USSR
Eisenhower prepares Cuban refugees
1500 Cuban Refugees land
JFK cancels air support

11. Cuban Missile Crisis
Khrushchev starts working on missile bases in Cuba
USA starts blockade on Cuba
JFK threatens retaliation
USA Blockade
Secret treaties
Khrushchev looks bad
JFK Assassinated

12. Domino Theory If one country falls, another will.
Vietnam War- US wanted to prevent North Vietnam from taking over South

13. Detente Thawing of the Cold War. Ease of tensions.
Richard Nixon travels to China
Nixon to Moscow
SALT 1 (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)

14. Reagan Years Calls USSR “Evil Empire” Aids anti-communist movements
Sends money to the “Contras” in Nicaragua
Iran-Contra Affair
“Peace through strength”
1.5 Trillion on defense
Star Wars
USSR tries to match US
Mikhail Gorbechev signs INF w/Reagan

15. Collapse of Communism “Mr. Gorbechev, tear down this wall!”
Glasnost- Political openness
Perestroika- Restructuring of Soviet Economy
Berlin Wall is dismantled
Boris Yeltsin oversees the dissolution of Soviet Union