PRESENTATION OUTLINE
“IRON CURTAIN” THE “IRON CURTAIN” WAS A POLITICAL AND MILITARY BARRIER PUT UP BY THE SOVIET UNION AFTER WORLD WAR II. IT WAS PUT UP TO SEAL OFF ITSELF AND IT’S ALLIES FROM CONTACT FROM NONCOMMUNIST AREAS. IT WAS IN PLACE FOR 46 YEARS, FROM THE END OF WWII TUNTIL THE END OF THE COLD WAR.
TRUMAN DOCTRINE
THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE WAS AN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY THAT STATED THE PURPOSE TO COUNTER SOVIET GEOPOLITICAL EXPANSION. THIS DOCTRINE WAS IN PLACE DURING THE COLD WAR AMD WAS ANNOUNCED BY PRESIDENT TRUMAN, HENCE ITS NAME, ON MARCH 12, 1947. LATER, ON JULY 12, 1948 IT WAS FURTHER DEVELOPED WHEN HE PLEDGED TO COMPRISE THREATS IN TURKEY AND GREECE.
SPUTNIK
SPUTNIK WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL ARTIFICIAL EARTH SATELLITE. THE SOVIET UNION LAUNCHED THE SATELLITE INTO AN ELLIPTICAL LOW EARTH ORBIT ON OCTOBER 4, 1957. IT ORBITED FOR 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE BATTERIES EXPIRED AND IT FELL BACK TO THE ATMOSPHERE, BUT NOT BEFORE IT ORBITED FOR 2 MORE MONTHS SILENTLY. IT WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR AND IT BURNED UP ON JANUARY 4, 1958 WHILE REENTERING EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE. IT ALSO BEGAN THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE RACE.
CHIANG KAI-SHEK
HE WAS A CHINESE MILITARY LEADER AND POLITICIAN WHO SERVED AS THE LEADER OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA FROM 1928 UNTIL 1975. HE SERVED AS THE RULER IN MAINLAND CHINA FRIST UNTIL1949 AND THEN IN TAIWAN UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1975. HE WAS A VERY INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF THE CHINESE NATIONALIST PARTY, HE WAS ALSO A CLOSE ALLY OF SUN YAT-SEN.
VIETNAM WAR
ALSO KNOWN AS “THE FORGOTTEN WAR”, IT WAS FROM 1955 TO 1975. IT WAS A LONG AND COSTLY DIVISIVE CONFLICT THAT PINNED THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT OF NORTH VIETNAM AGAINST SOUTH VIETNAM AND ITS MAIN ALLY, THE U.S.. THIS CONFLICT WAS INTENSIFIED BY THE COLD WAR THAT WAS ALREADY OCCURRING BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION.
THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
THIS WAS A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT UNDERTAKING DURING WWII, THAT PRODUCED THE FIRST NUCLEAR WEAPONS. IT WAS LED BY THE U.S. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CANADA. FROM 1942 TO 1946 , THIS PROJECT WAS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LESLIE GROVES OF THE U.S. ARMY CORPS.
JOHN F KENNEDY
HE AND NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV TRIED TO REACH A COMPROMISE THAT AVOIDED NUCLEAR WAR FOR DAYS IN OCTOBER 1962. KENNEDY AND NIXON BOTH PLEDGED TO REVITALIZE AMERICAN MILITARY FORCES. THEY ALSO PROMISED TO A TOUGH STANCE AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNISM.
NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
THIS WAS AN ARMS RACE COMPETITION FOR SUPREMACY IN NUCLEAR WARFARE. IF THE WARFARE WERE TO OCCUR IT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE U.S., THE SOVIET UNION, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE ALLIES DURING THE COLD WAR. IN 1952, THE U.S. TESTED A NEW AND POWERFUL WEAPON: THE HYDROGEN BOMB, THE SOVIET UNION SOON FOLLOWED WITH THEIR OWN VERSION IN 1953.
NATO
NATO STANDS FOR NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION. IT IS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL MILITARY ALLIANCE BETWEEN 29 NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. THIS ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTS THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY THAT WAS SIGNED ON APRIL 4, 1949.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE OCTOBER CRISIS OF 1962. IT WAS A 13-DAY LONG CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION THAT WAS INITIATED BY THE AMERICAN DISCOVERY OF SOVIET BALLISTIC MISSILE DEPLOYMENT IN CUBA. DURING THIS FIASCO, KENNEDY DECIDED TO ENACT A NAVAL BLOCKADE AROUND CUBA AND MADE HIMSELF CLEAR THAT THE U.S. WAS PREPARED TO USE MILITARY FORCE IF NECESSARY.
MAO ZEDONG
HE IS ALSO KNOWN AS CHAIRMAN MAO, HE IS THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. MAO WAS A CHINESE COMMUNIST REVOLUTIONARY WHO BECAME THE FOUNDING FATHER OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. HE RULED AS THE CHAIRMAN FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA IN 1949 UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1976.
WARSAW PACT
IT IS FORMALLY KNOWN AS THE TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP, CORPORATION, AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. THIS WAS A COLLECTIVE DEFENSE TREATY SIGNED IN WARSAW, POLAND IN MAY OF 1955. IT WAS BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND 7 BLOC STATES OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE DURING THE COLD WAR.
KOREAN WAR
THIS WAS WAS BETWEEN THE KOREAS, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH. THIS WAR BEGAN ON JUNE 25, 1950 WHEN THE NORTH INVADED THE SOUTH, THIS FOLLOWED A SERIES OF CONFLICTS ALONG THE BOARDER. KOREA SPLITTING INTO 2 SOVEREIGN STATES WAS A RESULT OF THE COLD WAR BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND THE U.S.
PROXY WAR
A PROXY WAR IS A WAR INITIATED BY A MAJOR POWER IN WHICH ITSELF DOES NOT ACTUALLY BECOME INVOLVED. PROXY WARS ARE USUALLY CONDUCTED IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO TRY AND AVOID LOSS AND ACHIEVE CERTAIN INTERESTS SIMULTANEOUSLY. EXAMPLES OF PROXY WARS DURING THE COLD WAR ARE THE KOREAN WAR, THE CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN, AND THE VIETNAM WAR.
NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV
HE WAS A STATESMAN WHO LED THE SOVIET UNION. HE RULED DURING PART OF THE COLD WAR AS THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY FROM 1953 TO 1964. KHRUSHCHEV WAS ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FROM 1958 UNTIL 1964. HE LED THE SOVIET UNION DURING THE PEAK OF THE COLD WAR AND BEGAN THE MOVEMENT OF “DE-SALINIZATION”.
