Week 3

Cuban Missile Crisis:
Known as a standoff between the U.S. and the USSR in 1962 about nuclear missile installation onto Cuba which was very close to the U.S. Allied to the USSR, this presented a great threat to the U.S. and therefore they demanded for these missiles to be removed, otherwise they would wage war. This was one of the points of the Cold War with the most tension between the U.S. and the USSR, and which is why it is also known as the Cold War since neither nation started a war.

MAD:
Known as mutually assured destruction, a doctrine of military strategy in which a full use of these highly destructive weapons by two or more opposing sides (U.S. and USSR) would cause complete destruction between the two opposers. This policy was established due to the highly dangerous atomic bombs that the U.S. and USSR had produced. This was important for the cold war as it essentially was the slogan for why the cold war was so uneventful, because both nations would be annihilated if one even raised a finger.

Vietnam War:
The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War was a war during the Cold War in which North Vietnam, which was ruled by a communist party, against South Vietnam, which was an ally to the United States. This was very similar to the Korean War, in which it was basically a war between the USSR and the U.S. without both countries going against each other with full power. This was done once again to assume power over the other powerful nation and to try and win the cold war. This was another important point of the cold war as it could swing the tide.


Détente:
This was a period of time in which the U.S. and the Soviet Union improved their tense relations in 1971 when they officially met in Moscow in 1972. Realizing that this tension only provided negative consequences agreements for arms control, space exploration and expanded commerce were established. This is important for the cold war as it was the first time since the start of the war that the two nations began to relieve some of the tension.


SALT Negotiations:
The SALT Negotiations, also known as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks were negotiations and agreements made revolving around the topic of arms/weapons. Being part of the time period in which the U.S. improved relations with the Soviet Union, this was necessary to avoid any future wars or highly impactful military exercises. This was an important moment between the U.S. and Soviet Union relation as it greatly helped both nations and to avoid any aggressive moves.

Iranian Revolution:
The Iranian Revolutions were events that led to overthrowing the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979 with help of the U.S. government. In a society with a decent economy this revolution happened due to the U.S. wanting more influence in Iran so that they could stop Russia from bringing communism to Iran as well as trying to improve relations to Iran. This was important for the relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as it proved that the U.S. still felt tension and didn't trust the Soviet Union's plans.

USSR invades Afghanistan:
At the end of 1979 the Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan to attain immediate political and military control. The Soviet Union saw a need to need to invade a country outside of the Eastern Bloc and therefore stormed Afghanistan, attempting to remain control and peace over the country for nearly a decade. This was another defining moment of the cold war as it was the Soviet Union's reply to the Iranian Revolution that the U.S. was involved in, once again increasing tension between the two super-nations.