History of the Colf War Final

Operation Condor and FUBELT

Operation Condor was a campaign of political repression by the right-wing dictatorships of South America, involving intelligence operations, coups, and assassinations of left-wing sympathizers in South America in 1970. FUBELT was a CIA operation that aimed to undermine the election of leftist candidate Salvador Allende in Chile, contributing to the coup that overthrew him in 1973. Both showing how the U.S. supported authoritarian regimes to combat communism in their backyard.

Nixon goes to China

President Richard Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China in 1972. His visit to China marked the rekindling of China and United States relations.

Grain sales to the Soviets

In July 1973, the Soviet Union purchased 10 million short tons of grain from the United States at subsidized prices, which caused global grain prices to soar. Crop shortfalls in 1971 and 1972 forced the Soviet Union to look abroad for grain. As a result, global food prices rose by at least 30 percent up to 50 percent.

The Helsinki Accords

A series of agreements signed in Helsinki, Finland in 1975. The accords were signed most notably by the United States and the Soviet Union. The accords were an attempt to reduce tension between the Soviet and Western blocs by securing their acceptance of the post-World War II status quo in Europe.The Soviet Union signed legally-binding human rights documents, but were never taken seriously by the Communist authorities.

The Ogaden War

A military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from in 1977 over the sovereignty of Ogaden. Both countries claiming the area was theirs. Somalia's defeat in the war caused an influx of Ethiopian refugees across the border to Somalia.

Revolution in Iran

A series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the dynasty in 1979 and the rise of theocratic rule. The new government called for the overthrow of capitalism, American influence, and social injustice in the Middle East and the rest of the world. The conflicts that originated from the Iranian Revolution continued to define Geo-politics for the following decades.

Uprising in Afghanistan

An uprising that took place in western Afghanistan, during 1979. People had unrest against the communist reforms implemented. The reforms, besides contradicting tradition and the principles of Islam, in many cases worsened the situation of the rural poor they were supposed to reward. The event caused the Soviet leadership to realize that their Afghan allies were in crisis.

Solidarity

A Polish trade union founded in 1980 at a Shipyard in Poland. Solidarity was a broad anti-authoritarian social movement, using methods of civil resistance to advance the causes of workers' rights and social change. Solidarity's influence led to the spread of anti-Communist ideals and movements throughout the countries of the Eastern Bloc.

Latin America Debt Crisis

A financial crisis that originated in 1982, when Latin American countries reached a point where their foreign debt exceeded their earning power, and they could not repay it. Incomes and imports dropped, economic growth stagnated, unemployment rose to high levels, and inflation rose. investment that might have been used to address social issues and poverty was instead being used to pay the debt.

Samantha Smith writes a letter

In 1982, A girl wrote a letter to the newly appointed General Secretary of the Soviet Union. She received a personal reply with an invitation to visit the Soviet Union, which she accepted. Smith attracted extensive media attention in both countries as an ambassador for peace. Her contributions have been honored with a number of tributes by Russians and Americans.

Star Wars or Strategic Defense Initiative

A proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic nuclear missiles announced in 1983. It was called a system that would render nuclear weapons obsolete, and to end the doctrine of MAD. The Soviet response provided indications of their view of the program both as a threat and as an opportunity to weaken NATO.

The Pershing II Missile

The United States announced in 1983 plans to deploy the Pershing II missile in West Germany. The deployment of Pershing II missiles was a cause of significant protests in Europe and the US. The Pershing systems were eliminated after the ratification in 1988. Some of these missiles were retained for display.

Invasion of Grenada or Operation Urgent Fury

In 1983, The United States, threatened by the expansion of Communist influence in the Caribbean, invaded the small island nation of Grenada. The U.S. defended its invasion of Grenada as an action to protect American citizens living on the island. Other countries deeply deplores the armed intervention in Grenada, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.

Iran-Contra Affair

A political scandal in the United States that centered around the revelation that senior officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran in 1984. These sales then funded the Contras. The affair undermined any credibility of U.S. criticism of other states' deviation from the principles of no-negotiation to terrorists.

A Soviet Reformer or Glasnost and Perestroika

In 1985, Gorbachev started two reforms. Perestroika wan an economic policy that aimed to increase economic growth while increasing capital investment. Glasnost opened up the political system, essentially democratizing it. It allowed for more freedom of expression in the public. Both had a trickle-down effect on Eastern Europe and led to democratic reforms.

Chernobyl disaster

The explosion of a reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. The meltdown was followed by a reactor core fire that spread radioactive contaminants across the USSR and Europe. The disaster left lasting environmental, political, and human impacts on Europe.

Gorbachev calls for Elections

In 1987, Gorbachev called for open elections in the Soviet Union. The new elections superseded the Supreme Soviet as the highest organ of state power. The decisions taken played a central role in shaping Russian politics during the decline and collapse of the USSR, and the first year of independent Russian statehood.