The Late Cold War
From Vietnam to the fall of the Berlin Wall — détente, proxy wars, and the unexpected collapse of the Soviet empire.
Vietnam War Escalation & End
American involvement in Vietnam escalates to over 500,000 troops before withdrawal and South Vietnam's fall, killing 2-3 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans.
Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon, fulfilling Kennedy's pledge and marking the apex of the Space Race.
Nixon Visits China
President Nixon's visit to Beijing opens diplomatic relations with communist China, reshaping Cold War geopolitics.
Yom Kippur War & Oil Crisis
Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel; the subsequent Arab oil embargo quadruples oil prices and shocks the global economy.
Fall of Saigon
North Vietnamese forces capture Saigon, reunifying Vietnam under communist rule and ending America's longest war.
Deng Xiaoping's Economic Reforms
China launches 'Reform and Opening Up,' beginning its transformation from a closed economy to the world's manufacturing powerhouse.
Iranian Revolution
Ayatollah Khomeini returns from exile as the Shah flees, establishing an Islamic republic that transforms Middle Eastern politics.
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The USSR invades Afghanistan, beginning a decade-long war that drains Soviet resources and helps radicalize a generation of Islamist fighters.
Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader
Mikhail Gorbachev introduces glasnost and perestroika, reforms that will inadvertently lead to the Soviet Union's dissolution.
Tiananmen Square Crackdown
Chinese authorities send tanks against pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, killing hundreds and establishing China's model of economic reform without political liberalization.
Fall of the Berlin Wall
East German border guards open the checkpoints as crowds surge through, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the collapse of communism in Europe.
Nelson Mandela Released
After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walks free, beginning South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy.
German Reunification
East and West Germany reunify less than a year after the Wall fell, ending 45 years of division.
Soviet Union Dissolves
Gorbachev resigns and the Soviet flag is lowered over the Kremlin for the last time. Fifteen independent nations emerge from the ruins of the USSR.