vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Olympic Games
In 1980 and 1984 , the Cold War opponents boycotted each other 's Games . The United States and sixty - five other countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan . This boycott reduced the number of nations participating to 80 , the lowest number since 1956 . The Soviet Union and 15 other nations countered by boycotting the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 , contending that they could not guarantee the safety of their athletes . Although a boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports , 140 National Olympic Committees took part , which was a record at the time . The fact that Romania , a Warsaw Pact country , opted to compete despite Soviet demands led to a warm reception of the Romanian team by the United States . When the Romanian athletes entered during the opening ceremonies , they received a standing ovation from the spectators , which comprised mostly U.S. citizens . The boycotting nations of the Eastern Bloc staged their own alternate event , the Friendship Games , in July and August .
Secretary-General of the United Nations
No Portrait Secretary - General ( Born -- Died ) Dates in office Country of origin UN Regional Group Reason of withdrawal Ref . -- Gladwyn Jebb ( 1900 -- 1996 ) 24 October 1945 -- 1 February 1946 United Kingdom Western European & Others Served as Acting Secretary - General until Lie 's election . After World War II , he served as Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in August 1945 , being appointed Acting United Nations Secretary - General from October 1945 to February 1946 until the appointment of the first Secretary - General , Trygve Lie . Trygve Lie ( 1896 -- 1968 ) 2 February 1946 -- 10 November 1952 Norway Western European & Others Resigned . Lie , a foreign minister and former labour leader , was recommended by the Soviet Union to fill the post . After the UN involvement in the Korean War , the Soviet Union vetoed Lie 's reappointment in 1951 . The United States circumvented the Soviet Union 's veto and recommended reappointment directly to the General Assembly . Lie was reappointed by a vote of 46 to 5 , with eight abstentions . The Soviet Union remained hostile to Lie , and he resigned in 1952 . Dag Hammarskjöld ( 1905 -- 1961 ) 10 April 1953 -- 18 September 1961 Sweden Western European & Others Died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) , while on a peacekeeping mission to the Congo . After a series of candidates were vetoed , Hammarskjöld emerged as an option that was acceptable to the Security Council . He was re-elected unanimously to a second term in 1957 . The Soviet Union was angered by Hammarskjöld 's leadership of the UN during the Congo Crisis , and suggested that the position of Secretary - General be replaced by a troika , or three - man executive . Facing great opposition from the Western nations , the Soviet Union gave up on its suggestion . Hammarskjöld died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) in 1961 . U.S. President John F. Kennedy called Hammarskjöld `` the greatest statesman of our century '' . U Thant ( 1909 -- 1974 ) 30 November 1961 -- 31 December 1971 Burma Asia - Pacific Declined to stand for a third election .
Cuba–Soviet Union relations
The first diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Cuba developed during World War II . Maxim Litvinov , Soviet ambassador to the U.S. , set up the first Soviet embassy in Havana in 1943 , and Cuban diplomats under the auspices of Fulgencio Batista visited Moscow the same year . During this period the Soviets made a number of contacts with Cuba 's Communists who had a foothold in Batista 's governing alliance . Litvinov 's successor Andrei Gromyko became ambassador to both the U.S. and Cuba though he never visited the island during his tenure . After the war , the governments of Ramón Grau and Carlos Prío sought to isolate the Cuban Communist party and relations with the Soviet Union were abandoned . Batista 's return to power in 1952 following a coup saw the closure of the embassy .
Foreign relations of the Soviet Union
Although Libya was not as firm a Soviet ally as many Third World Marxist regimes were , Moscow developed close ties with the anti-Western regime of Qadhafi , who had overthrown Libya 's pro-Western monarchy in 1969 . The number - two Soviet leader at that time , Alexei Kosygin , went to Libya in 1975 , and Qadhafi visited Moscow in 1976 , 1981 and 1985 . Soviet - Libyan trade volume during the 1970s and 1980s was approximately $100 million per year and relations between the two accelerated between the years 1981 and 1982 . During this period , Moscow also supplied $4.6 billion in weaponry to Libya , providing about 90 percent of that country 's arms inventory , and the Gaddafi regime assisted the Soviet Union by playing a key role in preserving the Communist regimes in both Angola and Ethiopia . According to Kommersant , `` Libya was one of the Soviet Union 's few partners that paid in full for the military equipment it purchased from the USSR , '' though the Gaddafi regime still maintained good relations with the Western nations of France and Italy and refused to sign a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union . Libya , however , did run up a debt to Moscow during those years .
Soviet Union in World War II
Stalin soon conferred himself with the rank of the Generalissimus of the Soviet Union , which becomes the country 's highest military rank followed by Marshal for his role in the Soviet victory of the war . His personal military leadership was emphasised as part of the `` cult of personality '' after the publication of Stalin 's ten victories extracted from 6 November 1944 speech `` 27th anniversary of the Great October socialist revolution '' ( Russian : `` 27 - я годовщина Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции '' ) during the 1944 meeting of the Moscow 's Soviet deputies .
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster , also referred to as the Chernobyl accident , was a catastrophic nuclear accident . It occurred on 26 April 1986 in the No. 4 light water graphite moderated reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat , a town in northern Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic which was part of the Soviet Union ( USSR ) .
Foreign relations of the Soviet Union
By 1969 , Nasser had formed an alliance with Jordan 's King Hussein and started to move towards cementing peace with Israel in exchange for the return of the Sinai Peninsula and the formation of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank . On September 28 , 1970 , Nasser died of a heart attack and his vice president Anwar Sadat succeeded him . Though Sadat sought to maintain good relations with the Soviet Union , he was also willing to consider economic assistance from nations outside the Arab region and the Eastern Bloc as well . In 1971 , Sadat , hoping to help the nation 's economy recover from its losses in the Six - Day War , officially changed the UAR 's name back to Egypt and signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union . In 1972 , however , the direction of Soviet - Egypt relations changed dramatically when Sadat ordered Soviet military personnel to leave the country . Throughout the remainder of the 1970s , Sadat developed strong relations with the Western powers , repealed Egypt 's Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union in March 1976 , made peace with Israel in March 1979 following the Camp David Accords -- where it was agreed that Israel would depart from the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for making the area a demilitarized zone and that Egypt would not seek claims to a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in exchange for annual economic and military aid from the United States -- and distanced Egypt from the Soviet Union . The Soviet Union now focused on building relations with its three other principal allies in the Middle East : Syria , Iraq and the Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO ) .
Dow Jones Industrial Average
For the decade , the Dow made a 228 % increase from the 838 level to 2,753 ; despite the market crashes , Silver Thursday , an early 1980s recession , the 1980s oil glut , the Japanese asset price bubble and other political distractions such as the Soviet war in Afghanistan , the Falklands War , the Iran -- Iraq War , the Second Sudanese Civil War and the First Intifada in the Middle East . The index had only two negative years , which were in 1981 and 1984 .
World War II
By October Axis operational objectives in Ukraine and the Baltic region were achieved , with only the sieges of Leningrad and Sevastopol continuing . A major offensive against Moscow was renewed ; after two months of fierce battles in increasingly harsh weather the German army almost reached the outer suburbs of Moscow , where the exhausted troops were forced to suspend their offensive . Large territorial gains were made by Axis forces , but their campaign had failed to achieve its main objectives : two key cities remained in Soviet hands , the Soviet capability to resist was not broken , and the Soviet Union retained a considerable part of its military potential . The blitzkrieg phase of the war in Europe had ended .
Foreign relations of the Soviet Union
In 1955 , Egypt made an arms deal with Czechoslovakia . This was technically a deal between Egypt and the Soviet Union because Czechoslovakia had Soviet arms . At this point , Egypt was neutral towards the Soviet Union and made the deal to manipulate the United States into giving it financial aid . The arms deal was the Soviet Union 's first step in creating relations with Arab states and gaining a foothold in the Middle East for expansion and domination .
History of Palau
After further attempts , Palau islands were made part of the Spanish East Indies in 1885 . Following Spain 's defeat in the Spanish -- American War in 1898 , the islands were sold to Imperial Germany in 1899 under the terms of the German -- Spanish Treaty , where they were administered as part of German New Guinea . British traders became prominent visitors in the 18th century , followed by expanding Spanish influence in the 19th century . Following its defeat in the Spanish -- American War , Spain sold Palau and most of the rest of the Caroline Islands to Germany in 1899 . Control passed to Japan in 1914 and during World War II the islands were taken by the United States in 1944 , with the costly Battle of Peleliu between September 15 and November 25 with more than 2,000 Americans and 10,000 Japanese killed . The islands passed formally to the United States under United Nations auspices in 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands .
Marshall Plan
On July 12 , a larger meeting was convened in Paris . Every country of Europe was invited , with the exceptions of Spain ( a World War II neutral that had sympathized with Axis powers ) and the small states of Andorra , San Marino , Monaco , and Liechtenstein . The Soviet Union was invited with the understanding that it would likely refuse . The states of the future Eastern Bloc were also approached , and Czechoslovakia and Poland agreed to attend . In one of the clearest signs and reflections of tight Soviet control and domination over the region , Jan Masaryk , the foreign minister of Czechoslovakia , was summoned to Moscow and berated by Stalin for considering Czechoslovakia 's possible involvement with and joining of the Marshall Plan . The prime minister of Poland , Józef Cyrankiewicz , was rewarded by Stalin for his country 's rejection of the Plan , which came in the form of the Soviet Union 's offer of a lucrative trade agreement lasting for a period of five years , a grant amounting to the approximate equivalent of $450 million ( in 1948 ; the sum would have been $4.4 billion in 2014 ) in the form of long - term credit and loans and the provision of 200,000 tonnes of grain , heavy and manufacturing machinery and factories and heavy industries to Poland .
Axis powers
In January 1939 , Ribbentrop held negotiations with Józef Beck , the Polish minister of foreign affairs ; and Edward Rydz - Śmigły , the commander - in - chief of the Polish Army ; in which Ribbentrop urged them to have Poland enter the Anti-Comintern Pact and work together with Germany for a mutual war in the East , whereby Poland would take Slovakia and Ukraine . Ribbentrop in private discussion with German officials stated that he hoped that by offering Poland large new territories in the Soviet Union , that Germany would gain not only from Polish cooperation in a war with the Soviet Union , but also that Poland would cooperate by transferring the Polish Corridor to Germany in exchange for these gains , because though it would lose access to the Baltic Sea , it would gain access to the Black Sea via Ukraine . However Beck refused to discuss German demands for the Corridor and was recalcitrant to the idea of a war with the Soviet Union . The Polish government distrusted Hitler and saw the plan as a threat to Polish sovereignty , practically subordinating Poland to the Axis and the Anti-Comintern Bloc while reducing the country to a state of near - servitude as its entire trade with Western Europe through the Baltic Sea would become dependent on Germany .
Nation state
In some cases these states were simply overthrown by nationalist uprisings in the 19th century . Liberal ideas of free trade played a role in German unification , which was preceded by a customs union , the Zollverein . However , the Austro - Prussian War , and the German alliances in the Franco - Prussian War , were decisive in the unification . The Austro - Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire broke up after the First World War , and the Russian Empire became the Soviet Union after the Russian Civil War .
Battle of Natural Bridge
This monument erected under authority of an act of the legislature of Florida of 1921 as a just tribute of the people of Florida to commemorate the victory of the battle of Natural Bridge . March 6 , 1865 . And to keep in cherished memory those brave men and boys who , in the hour of sudden danger , rushed from home desk and field and from the West Florida Seminary and joining a few disciplined troops by their united valor and patriotism saved their capital from the invaders . Tallahassee being the only capital of the South not captured by the enemy during the War between the States .
Ryukyu Islands
The English and Japanese uses of the term `` Ryukyu '' differ . In English , the term Ryukyu may apply to the entire chain of islands , while in Japanese Ryukyu usually refers only to the islands that were previously part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom after 1624 .
Leslie Fiedler
Following his commissioning , Fiedler was assigned to Pearl Harbor as a translator of intercepted intelligence in 1943 . He transferred to the flagship of the fleet sent to engage the Japanese at the Battle of Iwo Jima as an intelligence officer primarily responsible for POW interrogations in 1944 . At Iwo Jima , he witnessed the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi and the photographed recreation that ensued . After subsequent assignments in Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , and China -- the latter involving the repatriation of Japanese citizens following the resolution of the war -- Fiedler was discharged from the Navy at his commissioned rank in early 1946 ; his certificate of discharge stated that he was `` employed in a position of special trust and no further information regarding his service in the Navy can be disclosed . ''
Government of the Soviet Union
The members of the Soviet Government -- people 's commissars , ministers , and heads of state committees -- were recommended by the Premier and appointed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . The Government of the Soviet Union exercised its executive powers in conformity with the Soviet Constitution and legislation enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union .
List of Olympic Games scandals and controversies
The two major Axis powers of World War II , Germany and Japan , were suspended from the Olympics . German and Japanese athletes were allowed to compete again at the 1952 Olympics . The Soviet Union was invited but chose not to send any athletes .
Foreign relations of the Soviet Union
The net outflow of resources from eastern Europe to the Soviet Union was approximately $15 billion to $20 billion in the first decade after World War II , an amount roughly equal to the total aid provided by the United States to western Europe under the Marshall Plan .
Military history of the United States
World War II holds a special place in the American psyche as the country 's greatest triumph , and the U.S. military personnel of World War II are frequently referred to as `` the Greatest Generation . '' Over 16 million served ( about 11 % of the population ) , and over 400,000 died during the war . The U.S. emerged as one of the two undisputed superpowers along with the Soviet Union , and unlike the Soviet Union , the U.S. homeland was virtually untouched by the ravages of war . During and following World War II , the United States and Britain developed an increasingly strong defense and intelligence relationship . Manifestations of this include extensive basing of U.S. forces in the UK , shared intelligence , shared military technology ( e.g. nuclear technology ) , and shared procurement . Further
Military history of the United States during World War II
Meanwhile , the rival navies fought seven battles , with the two sides diving the victories . Following the Japanese victory at the Battle of Savo Island on 8 -- 9 August , Admiral Fletcher withdrew his ships from around Guadalcanal . A second Japanese naval force sailed south and engaged the American fleet in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 -- 25 August , ending in a draw but forced the Japanese naval force to retreat . On 11 -- 12 October 1942 , to disrupt Japanese attempts to reinforce and resupply their troops on Guadalcanal ( nicknamed the `` Tokyo Express '' ) , a small US naval force attacked this supply lines at the Battle of Cape Esperance and succeeded . In support of the Japanese ground offensive in October , Japanese naval forces engaged and hoped to decisively defeat any US naval forces in the area of operation at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 25 -- 27 October 1942 , however the Japanese failed to decisively defeat US Navy . From 12 -- 15 November 1942 , the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal took place : Learning that the Japanese were trying to reinforce their troops for an attack on Henderson field , U.S. forces launched aircraft and warship to prevent the Japanese ground troops from reaching Guadalcanal , the U.S. succeeded thus turning back Japan 's last major attempt to dislodge Allied forces from Guadalcanal . A small US naval force attempted to surprise and destroy the Japanese Navy were attempting to deliver supplies to their forces on Guadalcanal at Battle of Tassafaronga however it was n't successful . The final naval battle took place between 29 -- 30 January 1943 , known as the Battle of Rennell Island , US naval forces attempted to stop the Japanese Navy evacuating its ground forces from Guadalcanal , however the Japanese successfully forced the US Navy to withdraw , protecting the Japanese evacuation . Tarawa
Cold War
Alarmed , Kennedy considered various reactions , and ultimately responded to the installation of nuclear missiles in Cuba with a naval blockade and presented an ultimatum to the Soviets . Khrushchev backed down from a confrontation , and the Soviet Union removed the missiles in return for an American pledge not to invade Cuba again . Castro later admitted that `` I would have agreed to the use of nuclear weapons ... we took it for granted that it would become a nuclear war anyway , and that we were going to disappear . ''
Latin America
The Revolution marked a significant period in Nicaraguan history and revealed the country as one of the major proxy war battlegrounds of the Cold War with the events in the country rising to international attention . Although the initial overthrow of the Somoza regime in 1978 -- 79 was a bloody affair , the Contra War of the 1980s took the lives of tens of thousands of Nicaraguans and was the subject of fierce international debate . During the 1980s both the FSLN ( a Leftist collection of political parties ) and the Contras ( a rightist collection of counter-revolutionary groups ) received large amounts of aid from the Cold War super-powers ( respectively , the Soviet Union and the United States ) .
French Polynesia
In 1940 , the administration of French Polynesia recognised the Free French Forces and many Polynesians served in World War II . Unknown at the time to the French and Polynesians , the Konoe Cabinet in Imperial Japan on 16 September 1940 included French Polynesia among the many territories which were to become Japanese possessions , as part of the `` Eastern Pacific Government - General '' in the post-war world . However , in the course of the war in the Pacific the Japanese were not able to launch an actual invasion of the French islands .
Foreign relations of the Soviet Union
After 1966 , a large Soviet military presence developed in Syria . Syria eventually became the Soviet military 's most favored client not only in the Middle East , but throughout the Third World as well . By mid-1984 , there were an estimated 13,000 Soviet and East European advisers in Syria . Though relations still remained strong , the Soviets ' stance towards Syria 's support for Iran changed dramatically when Iran further advanced into Iraqi territory and drew strong ire from the Soviets as it continued to suppress members of the pro-communist Tudeh Party of Iran . As a result , many of the advisers were withdrawn in 1985 and between 2,000 and 5,000 remained by 1986 . In February 1986 , Iran successfully captured the Al - Faw Peninsula and the Soviet Union 's stance in the Iran -- Iraq War completely shifted towards Iraq .
France–United Kingdom relations
France -- United Kingdom relations are the relations between the governments of the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ( UK ) . The historical ties between the two countries are long and complex , including conquest , wars , and alliances at various points in history . The Roman era saw both areas , except Scotland and Northern Ireland , conquered by Rome , whose fortifications exist in both countries to this day , and whose writing system introduced a common alphabet to both areas ; however , the language barrier remained . The Norman conquest of England in 1066 decisively shaped English history , as well as the English language . In the medieval period , the countries were often bitter enemies , with both nations ' monarchs claiming control over France . The Hundred Years ' War stretched from 1337 to 1453 resulting in French victory . Britain and France fought a series of five major wars , culminating in the Coalition victory over Napoleon in 1815 . After that there were some tensions , but peace generally prevailed and as the 19th century progressed , the relationship became better . Closer ties between the two began with the 1904 Entente cordiale , particularly via the alliances in World War I and World War II , wherein both countries fought against Germany , and in the latter conflict British armies helped to liberate occupied France from the Nazis . Both nations opposed the Soviet Union during the Cold War and were founding members of NATO . In recent years the two countries have experienced a quite close relationship , especially on defence and foreign policy issues ; the two countries tend , however , to disagree on a range of other matters , most notably the European Union . The British press relishes the chance to refer to France and Britain as `` historic rivals '' or emphasize the perceived ever - lasting competition that still opposes the two countries .