Week 3

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962- This Cuban missile crisis was caused through the failure of the Bay of pigs invasion attempted by the United States on Cuba. Fidel Castro knew about the invasion, which made the United States look like a fiasco. Cuba while in relations with the Soviet union, allowed Khrushchev to put 42 missiles on Cuba in case of a United States attack. A US spy plane saw contacted these missiles and informed the US. John F. Kennedy saw this as a threat from the Soviet Union and ordered to take back the missiles. The United States decided not to attack Cuba since they feared the situation would lead to an unanticipated World War III. This event happened due to the tension between the Soviet Union and the US during the Cold War. What Ultimately led to this event was on behalf of the United States due to the Bay of Pigs invasion. 

MAD 1960's: "MAD" is known as Mutual Assured Destruction. Through this strategy/policy, the Cold War never seized to exist, but rather continued. The tension between the Soviet Union and the United States grew every time that either country surpassed the other through Nuclear Weapons. Neither of these super powers wanted to attack the other, since it would completely annihilate their land. This is why a "hot war" was never sparked and the Cold War always remained silent and neutral. This is in relations with both super powers because they both created tension through the technology of Nuclear Warfare. 

Vietnam War 1965-75: The Vietnamese wanted freedom from foreign rule, Vietnam was separated into North and South Vietnam. Vietnam like most countries surrounding them, fell into Communism. This was known as the Domino Effect. Ho chi Mingh controlled the North and Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the South. The United States aided Diem and had about 15,000 troops in Vietnam. It later turned out to be that Ngo Dinh Diem rigged his presidential election and turned out to be a brutal ruler. The United States aided this man. 

Detente: "Detente" is the French word for "relaxation". Detente was essentially a time period where the Cold War was sort of neutral, and not much tension submerged. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union improved due to change in Soviet leadership. There were more talks and negotiations between the two. Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford visited the Soviet Union as well as Breshnev visiting Washington. The United States response was to let in China into the United Nations. 

SALT negotiations: These SALT negotiations stand for: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. For years, the Soviet Union and the US battled to see who would control Nuclear Warfare by having the most bombs. The United States continued on proving themselves, but it wasn't long until the USSR caught up. Because of this the SALT negotiations are created, in order to limit how many Nuclear Weapons a country is allowed to hold. SALT II was ratified when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Soviet Union were the ones who caused the SALT talks. 

Iranian Revolution: The Iranian Revolution was said to be a rare coincidence. For one, the revolution did not have any money issues, or political issues, except for the overthrow of an old style "pro-western monarchy" The person who was overthrown was aided by the United States. This happened so that Iran could become a republic. 

USSR Invades Afghanistan: The Soviet Union broke the peace and tranquility in 1979 in a 9 year long war against Afghanistan, this also resulted in the SALT II negotiation. Many countries aided Afghanistan such as the US, UK, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Both the Soviet Union and the United States were in relations in this war the USSR by declaring war on Afghanistan, and the US by aiding Afghanistan.