I hoped that this time capsule will allow future generations to have an understanding of this period. The four items or events are:
- Harry Truman
- Space Race
- The creation and the destruction of the Berlin Wall
- Vietnam War Harry Truman Harry S. Truman, was born on 1884 and died on 1972, became the 33rd President of the United States at the end of World War II upon the death of Franklin D.
Roosevelt in April 1945. He was the first President to approve the use of atomic weapons against Japan to end WI. After the WI, Truman helped to establish the United Nations. The “Truman Doctrine” was issued to contain communism and rebuilt Europe, including the Axis Powers. The wartime allied Soviet Union became the peacetime enemy, and the Cold War started. The beginning of the Cold War is linked to the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945. Harry Truman have had the most insightful effect on improving the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.
In September 1945, Harry Truman suspended the Lend-Lease Act. This helped nations such as Britain, France and the Soviet Union economically survive the war years. The plan backfired as the Soviets decided to acquire satellite states in order to make up for the lost funding. In 1947, the President’s “Truman Doctrine” committed the United States to a policy of supporting foes of Communism everywhere in the world. Trauma’s failure to lead the United States to victory in the Korean War led to a severe decline in support for the president’s policies among the American people.
Although Harry Truman was the least popular presidents in America, he took tough measures to stop Soviet Union expanding against US. Surprisingly, he won a second term as a president in 1948. Space Race “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” uttered by the American astronaut, Neil Armstrong after becoming the first person to land on the Moon in 1969. During the late asses, space became a competition between the Soviet Union and the United State, as each side try to beat each other in technology, military firepower and political-economic system.
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. America was worried that the Soviet Union might be able to also launch nuclear missiles. In September 1957, Soviet launched Sputnik II, which was manned by a dog. US tried to catch up and launched Explorer I in January 1958. At this stage, the Soviet Union was still in the lead. On 12 April 1961, the Soviet launched Yuri Agrarian into space to become the first human into orbit. A few weeks later, an American, Alan Sheppard reached space in Freedom.
Russia was still in the lead, by having first in dual man flight, the first women in space, the first three-man flight and the first spacewalk. In response to President JP Kennedy in May 1961, NASA launched the Apollo Lunar Program costing SUDSY billion. On 20 July 1 969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong became man to step on the moon. With this, US won the Space Race. The competition between the US and the Soviet had increased the world’s technological advancements. Because of this, we have the ability to launch artificial satellites, unmanned space probes and human spaceflights.
The scientists used these efforts to help develop technologies such as transportation systems, in athletics and in many other areas of modern life. Berlin Wall For 30 years, the Berlin Wall was the defining symbol of the Cold War, separating implies and keeping the people from jobs and opportunity in the west. The official purpose of the Berlin Wall was to protect the socialist state, East Germany from Western fascists. It also served the objective to stop large numbers of defection from East to West. After WI, Germany was divided between East and West.
On 13 August 1 961, East Germans permanently closed the border between communist East and democratic West Berlin. They used barbed wire and armed guards. Overnight, families were separated and a lot of East Berliners had lost their jobs in the west. People attempting to escape East Berlin were shot on eight. Construction began on an even more secure wall called the “Border Wall 75” in 1975. The new Berlin Wall included 79 miles of fencing and nearly 300 watchtowers. The wall was a symbol of communist authoritarianism, the most visible element of the Iron Curtain.
East German guards killed more than 100 people who were so desperate to escape. The Berlin Wall was demolished on 9 November 1989. The destruction of the Berlin Wall was important because it showed the downfall of the communist countries and it changed many people’s lives. All families that were separated were united again when the Berlin Wall was taken down. People were free to travel to East or West Germany without having trouble and waiting for weeks to cross. The destruction united East and West Germany.
Vietnam War The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was a Cold War- era proxy war that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955. The war was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies and South Vietnam by the United States, Philippines and other anti-communist allies. Viet Congo, the southern allies of North Vietnam also fought against SOUth Vietnam. The United States wanted to prevent Communists to take over South Vietnam.
This was part of a wider containment policy, with the aim of stopping the spread of communism. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Congo were fighting to reunify Vietnam under communist rule. The Vietnam War was a guerrilla war, which was fought on difficult terrain. The Vietnam War can be also known as the people’s war, because guerrilla fighters were not easily distinguished from non-combatants and most civilians were used by the Viet Congo. The US used a lot of napalm when they were bombing the Viet Congo. Thousands of civilians were injured and killed.
