The History of~The United States (Part 9: A Frozen Stand Off)

As we left off from our last page (click here) The United States has participated in wars on a global scale, defeated tyrannical empires in the process.

This page will cover the USA going up against another tyrannical power. The *Union of Soviet Socialist Republics*: A Dictatorial Communist regime that was also created by a revolution, headed by a man named *Josef Stalin*. But this war would not be like the 2 the USA previously fought in. I would be.......much cooler. A stand off that would set the history of the world for the next half century. This is what this page will cover.

*Forward:* This page will only cover the USA's side of the Cold War, for a more detailed page about the Cold War, please click here.

## The Cold War

Shortly after the European theater of World War 2, tensions mounted between the democratic west and the Communist East. Though, they have defeated an common enemy, but the USSR's mistrust of the west is one of the many things why the relationship between the West and the USSR deteriorated.

In 1948, The USA along with Great Britain and France were supplying the citizens of Berlin with the food and supplies needed to help with the rebuilding of Germany. This would be the *Berlin Blockade* and this would officially trigger the Cold War.

In 1949, the USA along with Britain and France would form what is known as the *North Atlantic Treaty Organization* (or NATO).

### The Korean War

By 1950, the Korean Peninsula (which was occupied by Japan for nearly 35 years) was at a corssroads. it was split by the Democratic South and the Communist North. When the North got a new leader in the form of *Kim-Il-Sung* the north invades the South. The USA (seeing they don't want Communism to envelop the world) intervenes and they begin to push back the North Koreans. But then, China decides to come in and help and they push back the Southern Coalition, they came to a point where no side can advance, and by 1953 both sides came to a cease fire. Though, tensions were still present in the Peninsula.

Around 2 years later, the USSR forms their own organization of Communist States: *The Warsaw Pact*.

### The Berlin Wall

In 1961, the USA was surprised that the Soviets would construct a division around the German Capital of Berlin as they would try to separate the citizens on the east side of the city. This would be known as *The Berlin Wall*.

### Cuban Missile Crisis

The USA then grows concerned as the USSR was creating Nukes themselves. After building Nuke Silos in Turkey, the USSR tried to answer back by building their own silos, in a newly Communist state of Cuba (ruled by *Fidel Castro*). In October of 1962, a massive standoff of nukes then came a real thing. The entire world watched and waited. This standoff would last for 12 days. But eventually, the USA and the USSR came to an agreement. The Soviets would take their nukes out of Cuba if the Americans take theirs out of Turkey and not invade Cuba.

By 1969, the USA and the USSR would create some that would be called the *Detente:* A Red hotline to keep a line of communication between the 2 nations to prevent another Missile Crisis from occuring.

### Vietnam War

In the 1950's, another Communist regime would rise in Asia, this time in the south. The French were having a hard time putting down this communist rebellion as they were being supplied by the USSR. By 1965, the USA and other nations would send troops into what is now known as the *Vietnam War*. The war would go on for 10 years, and it was poorly portrayed by the US Media. The USA was clearly on the defensive in the latter part of the war and used Gorilla Tactics, but the USA would end their involvement in Vietnam by the late 1970's.

### Space Race

The USA wasn't just competing against the Soviets in military power, they were also competing against them for who gets into Outer Space first. In 1957, the USSR launched *Sputnik* and this would infuriate the Americans and get them into a race to see who claims the grand prize: Getting to the Moon. Throughout the 1960's, the USA would invest in millions into their Space Program. Despite drawbacks (especially the disaster of the *Apollo 1*) the USA was able to get ahead of the USSR and by the late 1960's they were able to take the next leap forward.

In July of 1969, US Astronaughts: *Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr.* and another would be in the *Apollo 11* and they would make it all the way to the Moon as they landed on the *Sea of Tranquility*. This is a tremendous triumph for the USA.

### The Cold War warms up

By the 1980's, there have been a bit of a power struggle in the Soviet Politburo following the death of Soviet Premier: *Leonid Breshnev*, by 1983 a man named *Mikhail Gorbachev* assumed command of the USSR. His aim is to do a better job improving relations with the west, and relieve some of the restrictions on the Soviet people. But this would do more harm to the USSR than good as the new Soviet media revealed corruption within the Politburo, to make matters worse, in 1989 a Nuclear Reactor in a Ukrainian town of *Chernobyl* would explode and put a dent on the already weary Soviet Union.

Later in 1989, the citizens of Berlin fed up with being separated, have decided to get together and tear down the Berlin Wall. With this, it sounded the end of the Cold War, and the death knell for the Soviet Union.

It would take another 2 years for the USSR to die. On December 26, 1991. The USSR finally dies as Gorbachev declared that "*We now live in a new world"*. With this, the USA now becomes the sole superpower in the world.

Well, that will do it for this page. The last page (click here to continue) will cover how the USA was in the 1990's and the difficulties it faces in the new century. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.