Key Historical Events and Cold War Facts
Key Historical Events
1. When was the Treaty of Maastricht signed?
It was signed in 1992.
2. When did Morocco gain independence?
In 1956.
3. What are the rival blocks called?
Eastern and Western Bloc.
4. In what year did General Franco die?
In 1975.
5. When did Francoism start?
In 1939.
6. When was the World Trade Center attacked?
On the 11th of September 2001.
Cold War Facts
1. What was the Arms Race?
The Arms Race was a rivalry between both superpowers to have the greatest weapons: atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, long-range missiles, and chemical weapons. This, in turn, led to the space race.
2. Main characteristics of the Cold War:
- Bipolar order
- Arms race
- Areas of influence
- Propaganda
- The threat of war
- Regional conflicts
- Espionage and secret services
3. What were COMECON, NATO, and the Warsaw Pact?
NATO: In 1949, several countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington. This treaty established an international military alliance against possible attacks on the Western world.
Initial NATO members were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the United States, France, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
COMECON: In 1949, COMECON was founded in response to the Marshall Plan. Its goal was to coordinate the economic plans of the member countries and set up a system of mutual help. The USSR members were: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
Warsaw Pact: It was founded in 1955. It was established in response to the founding of NATO. In theory, the pact was a military alliance between the USSR and the European countries in the Soviet sphere, offering protection against attacks from the Western Bloc. This agreement was used to impose order inside the Soviet Bloc.
4. What happened on December 25th, 1991?
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union, marking the break-up of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, a period of great tension in which the world had been divided into two opposition blocs.