nuclear arms race
-race between US and USSR.. built up amount of nuclear weapons
H-Bomb.. smaller than Hiroshima bomb but 2500 x more powerful. a year later, Russians figured it out too.
b52 bomber-planes that carried the bombs. US was ahead in this area
JFK set up a program to build nuclear bomb shelters. pamphlets were distributed on how to survive a nuclear war
missiles- russians put all their $ towards this, building tons of them. we chose quality over quantity.
nuclear bombs US and USSR made were capable of destroying the world several times.
nuclear weapons are defensive weapons.
fidel castro/bay of pigs
an invasion of Cuba and an attempt to kill Castro and overthrow the Cuban government
fidel casto- overthrew the Batista government. made an oil deal with the USSR, so we didn't like it
stepped down from power in 2006, and now his brother runs Cuba
prep-CIA recruited anti-castro cubans. cubans expected it though
April 16/17- (fake invasion first) 176 Cubans killed, 4000 wounded.
118 American/Cuban exile forces were killed, but about 1200 were captured.
because of this, some people believe Castro had something to do with the JFK assassination
US promised air support to the exiled Cubans, but Kennedy ended up not giving them air support so it didn't look like the US was in charge of this.
NATO-
north atlantic treaty organization: defensive alliance between US, Canada and Western European countries.
de-stalinization & peaceful co-existence- crewschev wanted that which surprised us.
peaceful coexistence- dont have to love each other, but no fighting.
Berlin Wall
post-war Germany. split into 4 parts.
berlin was located in the soviet-controlled section
soviet union didn't agree with reconstruction, non-soviet countries join up
Soviet Union planned to take over the British zone, US would eventually drop out and then they would just take it all over.
disagreements on different things, so Stalin blocked off the western portion of Berlin
US, Britian and France airlifted supplies and food
blockade was lifted the next year.
people start leaving. communism is being spread, people don't like it, so they try to leave
East and West Germany. german border set up to reduce number of people emigrating to the west. barbed wire fences went up and passport laws, but people still easily go between east and west berlin.
Soviets create the Berlin Wall. people still tried to escape anyway
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