The Cold War - OverSimplified (Part 1)

Summary

This video script humorously narrates the historical events of the early 20th century, focusing on the rise of communism in Russia with Lenin and Stalin's rule, their impact on Eastern Europe, and the onset of the Cold War. It covers significant moments like the Russian Revolution, Stalin's industrialization, the Berlin Airlift, and the construction of the Berlin Wall. The script is interspersed with satirical takes on historical figures and events, providing a unique blend of education and entertainment.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The script is for a video that humorously discusses historical events, starting with the First World War and moving through the Cold War era.
• 🚂 'Lenin' is misspoke as 'Lennon' in a comedic scene, highlighting the Germans' plan to send Lenin back to Russia to cause an internal crisis.
• 🏰 After the Russian Revolution, Lenin led the country through significant changes, including pulling out of WWI, establishing Communism, and dealing with internal and economic struggles.
• 💀 Stalin's rise to power is depicted, including his Five-Year Plans, the transformation of the Soviet economy, and his reign of terror.
• ❄️ The script humorously describes the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany, with a nod to the harsh Russian winter as a 'faithful ally'.
• 🗽 Post-WWII, the US, UK, and Soviet Union held conferences to decide the future, leading to the establishment of Soviet puppet governments in Eastern Europe.
• 💸 The Marshall Plan is mentioned as a US initiative to aid Western Europe's economic recovery, contrasting with the Soviet Union's own economic recovery plans.
• 🇩🇪 The Berlin Airlift is highlighted as a significant event where the Western Allies flew supplies into West Berlin after Stalin's blockade.
• 💥 The development of the atomic bomb by the Soviet Union is discussed, marking the end of the US's nuclear monopoly and increasing global tensions.
• 🇰🇵 The Korean War is summarized, including the initial North Korean invasion, the UN's response, and the eventual stalemate and peace talks.
• 🔄 The script ends with a humorous take on the Cuban Missile Crisis, a pivotal moment in the Cold War where the world was on the brink of nuclear war.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the face reveal in the video script?

The purpose of the face reveal was to promote the sale of new merchandise, including minimalist and Cold War merch, as well as a limited edition Churchill character pin.

What historical event is depicted by the conversation between the soldier and his superior about Lenin?

The conversation refers to the historical event of Lenin's return to Russia from exile in Switzerland, facilitated by the Germans in an attempt to cause an internal crisis in Russia during World War I, which eventually led to the Russian Revolution.

What significant policy did Stalin implement to transform the Soviet Union's economy?

Stalin implemented the Five-Year Plans, which aimed to transform the Soviet Union's economy from an agriculture-based system to an industrial one.

What was the Marshall Plan and its purpose?

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to send $12 billion to Western Europe for its economic recovery after World War II, with the aim of preventing the spread of communism by promoting economic stability and prosperity.

What was the Berlin Airlift and why was it necessary?

The Berlin Airlift was an operation by the Western Allies to supply West Berlin with food, fuel, and other essential goods by air after the Soviet Union blocked all land and water routes to the city, demonstrating Western resolve and ultimately leading to the end of the blockade.

What was the significance of the construction of the Berlin Wall?

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 signified the division of the city into East and West, and was a physical manifestation of the failure of the communist system to retain its citizens, as many East Berliners attempted to escape to the West.

What was the 'Iron Curtain' and who is credited with coining the term?

The 'Iron Curtain' was a term used by Winston Churchill to describe the political, military, and ideological barrier established by the Soviet Union after World War II, dividing Europe into Western and Eastern blocs.

What was the role of espionage in the Cold War as depicted in the script?

Espionage played a significant role in the Cold War, with both the KGB and the CIA spying on each other and attempting to gain intelligence on military advancements and political strategies, as illustrated by the U-2 incident and the technology exhibit in Moscow.

What was the significance of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union?

The space race was a competition between the US and the USSR to demonstrate technological superiority and military potential, with significant milestones such as the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, and the first manned spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin.

What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis as hinted in the script?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the US and the USSR over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. The script hints at the tense standoff and the eventual peaceful resolution without the use of nuclear weapons.

What was the impact of the Cold War on American society and culture as portrayed in the script?

The Cold War had a profound impact on American society and culture, as depicted by the Red Scare and McCarthy trials, which led to widespread fear and suspicion of communism, affecting American values and freedom of thought and expression.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Face Reveal and Historical Merchandise Launch

The script begins with a face reveal by the narrator to promote new minimalist and Cold War merchandise, including a limited edition Churchill character pin. It then humorously delves into a fictionalized account of historical events, starting from 1917 during World War I, where Germany mistakenly seeks Lenin instead of a Beatle, leading to Lenin's return to Russia and the subsequent Russian Revolution. The script satirically recounts Lenin's actions, the rise of Stalin, and their impact on Russia and World War II. It also touches on the post-war tensions between the US, UK, and the Soviet Union, including the development of the atomic bomb and the establishment of the Iron Curtain.

05:00

🌐 The Cold War Escalates: Economic and Political Struggles

This paragraph continues the historical narrative, highlighting the beginning of the Cold War with the Truman Doctrine and the establishment of NATO. It describes the economic struggles in post-WWII Europe, with the Marshall Plan aiding Western Europe and the Soviet Union's response with COMECON and COMINFORM. The focus then shifts to the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift, which was a significant Western success. The script also covers the development of the Soviet Union's atomic bomb, ending the US nuclear monopoly, and the subsequent arms race. The paragraph concludes with the Korean War, the dismissal of General MacArthur, and the death of Stalin, leading to Khrushchev's rise to power and his initial de-Stalinization efforts.

10:01

🛑 The Berlin Wall and the Space Race

The third paragraph details the construction of the Berlin Wall by the Soviet Union to prevent East Germans from defecting to the West, which symbolized the failure of the communist system. It also discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the US and the Soviet Union had a tense standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba, which was resolved without conflict. The space race between the US and the Soviet Union is highlighted, with the Soviet Union launching the first satellite and sending the first man into space. The script touches on espionage activities, the U-2 incident, and the cultural and political suppression in the Soviet Union under Khrushchev. It also mentions the economic strain on the Soviet Union due to military spending and the continued defection of East Berliners to the West.

15:02

🕊️ The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Enduring Cold War

The final paragraph of the script recounts the Cuban Missile Crisis, where a US-Soviet standoff over nuclear missiles in Cuba brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The crisis was averted through diplomatic efforts, highlighting Kennedy's and Khrushchev's roles in the resolution. The script also touches on the ongoing arms race, with both superpowers upgrading to hydrogen bombs and the formation of the Warsaw Pact by the Soviet Union. It concludes with the cultural and political tensions of the Cold War, including the Red Scare in the US and the KGB's extensive espionage activities, emphasizing the pervasive fear and suspicion that characterized the era.

Keywords

💡Face Reveal

A 'face reveal' refers to the act of publicly showing one's face for the first time, often used by online personalities to increase engagement or sales. In the script, the term is used to describe the creator's promotional strategy for selling merchandise, suggesting a significant moment for the audience.

💡Minimalist

Minimalism in design or art is characterized by the use of the simplest and fewest design elements necessary. In the context of the script, 'minimalist' is an adjective describing the style of the merchandise, implying a simple yet effective design approach that may appeal to a certain audience.

💡Cold War

The 'Cold War' was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, after World War II. The script uses 'Cold War' as a historical backdrop for a fictional narrative involving merchandise and a character named Churchill, indicating a theme of conflict and era-specific references.

💡Lenin

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian communist revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who served as the head of the Soviet government. The script humorously confuses Lenin with a member of the Beatles, 'LenNON,' to illustrate a historical misstep, highlighting the theme of historical revisionism and the video's comedic tone.

💡Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. In the script, Stalin is depicted as a rising force in the Communist Party who eventually takes over after Lenin's death, characterizing his rule with terror and transformation of the Soviet Union's economy.

💡Five-Year Plans

The 'Five-Year Plans' were a series of national economic plans for the rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union. The script mentions these plans as a transformative force under Stalin's rule, shifting the Soviet economy from agriculture-based to industrial, illustrating the historical impact of centralized economic planning.

💡Iron Curtain

The term 'Iron Curtain' was used to describe the physical and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union and its allies, cutting off Eastern Europe from open contact with the West. In the script, the 'Iron Curtain' symbolizes the division of Europe and the beginning of the Cold War era.

💡Marshall Plan

The 'Marshall Plan' was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $12 billion to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. The script uses the Marshall Plan to contrast the economic strategies of capitalism and communism, highlighting the ideological battle between the two systems.

💡Berlin Airlift

The 'Berlin Airlift' was a large-scale humanitarian airlift to supply food, fuel, and other essential goods to the people of West Berlin during the Soviet blockade in 1948. The script describes the Berlin Airlift as a major success for the Western Allies, showcasing the resolve and cooperation among Western nations during the early stages of the Cold War.

💡Hydrogen Bomb

A 'hydrogen bomb,' also known as a thermonuclear bomb, is a type of nuclear weapon that uses nuclear fusion to achieve a much more powerful explosion than an atomic bomb. The script mentions the upgrade to hydrogen bombs as an escalation in the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, emphasizing the increasing destructive capabilities and the tension of the Cold War.

💡Berlin Wall

The 'Berlin Wall' was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, it was a symbol of the Cold War and represented the division between the free West and the communist East. In the script, the Berlin Wall is depicted as a tragic and oppressive structure that separated families and symbolized the failure of the communist system.

Highlights

The concept of a face reveal to boost merchandise sales is introduced.

Announcement of new minimalist and Cold War merchandise and a limited edition Churchill character pin.

Historical context of 1917, the eastern front of WWI, and the brink of collapse for Germany and Russia.

Humoristic mix-up between 'Lenin' and 'Beatle' to illustrate a historical event.

Description of Lenin's actions post-return to Russia, including withdrawal from WWI and establishment of Communism.

Satirical depiction of Stalin's rise to power and his reign of terror.

Stalin's Five-Year Plans and the transformation of the Soviet Union's economy.

The alliance between America, the UK, and the Soviet Union during WWII and the subsequent tension.

The use of humor to describe the nuclear arms race and the secrecy surrounding it.

Promotion of Nord VPN for internet safety and its features.

Historical account of the establishment of the New World Order post-WWII and the division of Eastern Europe.

The Iron Curtain and the beginning of the Cold War, with the establishment of Soviet puppet governments.

The Marshall Plan and its role in the economic recovery of Western Europe.

The Berlin Airlift as a symbol of Western resolve against Soviet blockade.

The development of the Soviet Union's atomic bomb and the end of the USA's nuclear monopoly.

The Korean War and its impact on the global political landscape during the Cold War.

The Cuban Missile Crisis and its role as a pivotal moment in the Cold War.

The de-Stalinization process under Khrushchev and its mixed results.

The construction of the Berlin Wall and its implications for the Cold War.

The space race between the US and the Soviet Union and its significance.

The standoff at Checkpoint Charlie and its role as a near-crisis during the Cold War.

Transcripts

I've decided that in order to sell more merch, I should do a face reveal wearing it. So are you ready?

Here we go!

Boom.

New minimalist and Cold War merch available now.

And get the new limited edition Churchill character pin before it sells out,

with more characters coming in the future.

Link in the description down below.

The year is 1917.

Fighting rages on the eastern front of the First World War.

Both Germany and Russia are on the brink of collapse.

- "Soldier, I need you to bring me this man."

- "Got it."

- "Found him, sir."

- "Wha-... who ... NO..."

"Not LennON!"

"LenIN! The Russian communist! What!?"

"Why would I need a Beatle?! Lenin! The Russian communist! He was exiled to Switzerland!"

- "You know what? I'll do it myself."

- "Who wants to start a revolution?!!"

*USSR ANTHEM STARTS TO PLAY*

- The Germans put Lenin on a train and sent him all the way back to Russia,

hoping he and his mates would create an internal crisis.

And create an internal crisis they did.

The government was overthrown and Lenin was in charge.

He immediately pulled out of the First World War,

made the country Communist,

started a three-year long civil war,

got shot,

broke the economy,

caused a famine,

and then he died.

On his deathbed, he said,

- "Hey, man, tell whoever's in charge of giving people jobs not to let that jerk Stalin become the next leader."

"By the way, who did I put in charge of giving people jobs?"

- "That would be Stalin, sir."

*dies*

- Stalin was a rising force in the Communist Party.

He still had some opponents but conveniently, all of them were arrested or disappeared.

So that was lucky.

And so Stalin took over.

He implemented his Five-Year Plans

which transformed the country from an agriculture-based economy

to an industrial one.

And like Lenin before him, he reigned with terror.

Anyone who dared criticize or oppose him

would either be killed or left to rot

in the horrendous Soviet work camps.

Then, a short man with a silly mustache

tried to take over the world,

punched the Russians all the way to Moscow,

and then the Russians,

with some help from their faithful ally,

the Winter,

punched them all the way back to Berlin.

At this point, being allies,

America, the UK and the Soviet Union were good chums.

They held a couple of conferences near the end of the war

to decide what would happen next.

- "Hey Stalin, after all your trials and tribulation,"

"you must be pretty happy to be standing here in Berlin."

- "Tsar Alexander made it all the way to Paris."

- "Uhhh..."

"Hey, uh,"

"j-just"

"give me a second"

(whispering) "Hey man, I think something's up with Stalin."

- "I know, right?"

"What should we do?"

- "Shall I tell him about the bomb?"

- "Yeah, tell him about the bomb."

"That will scare him."

- "Sooo..."

"we got this crazy new big A-bomb"

"that can destroy an entire city in one go."

- "Yes, my spies told me already."

"Oh wait, I meant to act surprised."

"WOW! THAT'S AMAZING!"

- "He already knew!"

"How?!"

- "Ummm..."

- "Am I sure I want to send nuclear secrets via"

"unsecure, public, coffee-shop Wi-Fi?"

"AM I EVER!"

"AM I EVER!" *SENT*

- "Dude, use a VPN."

- And speaking of VPNs...

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also in the description box down below.

Now, where were we?

Oh, yeah.

- "Does the 'A' stand for atomic or ass?"

- Then America dropped their big 'A' bomb on Japan

and World War II officially came to an end.

- "Hooray! We won!"

"Okay, so now it's time to establish the New World Order."

"Stalin, you're in charge of Eastern Europe."

"Now, we want you to let them all hold elections."

- "Oh, yes, of course."

"Elections."

- "And these elections will be free and fair, right?"

- "Oh yes. Certainly."

"Free and fair."

"Definitely free and fair."

"Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist, Communist."

"If that's not free and fair, I don't know what is."

- Throughout Eastern Europe,

Soviet puppet governments were established

as a buffer zone between the USSR and the West,

with Churchill proclaiming an Iron Curtain

had descended across the continent.

The relationship between the old Allies

was deteriorating fast.

Over the next few years,

the British intervened in the Greek Civil War

to prevent a communist takeover.

In Turkey, the Russians began demanding more control

of Turkey's sea access routes,

which prompted the US

to send their largest battleship to Turkey

for a friendly visit.

After World War II,

Iran was now occupied

by both the Soviets and the British,

with an agreement to both pull out

once the war was over.

The British pulled out;

Stalin was like,

- "You know what, I think I might stick around."

- "All in favor of kicking Russia out of Iran?"

- "You want to know something?"

- "You guys suck."

- Pressure from the UN forced the Soviets to leave,

and with the establishment of NATO,

the Soviets had no doubt

that the West was out to encircle and destroy them.

And America announced the Truman Doctrine,

in which they basically said,

- "Those guys are not cool,"

"cannot be trusted,"

"and we will do everything we can"

"to prevent the spread of Communism around the world."

- Many view this moment as the official declaration of the Cold War.

Back in Europe...

Everyone was living in a post-apocalyptic void

brought on by the Second World War.

Cities reduced to rubble,

not enough food...

It was terrible.

- "This is great!"

"The more they suffer,"

"the more likely it is they'll turn to communism!"

- "Dude, you're really messed up."

"What's wrong with you?"

- "My father used to punish me severely."

- America realized what was going on,

and quickly made a move.

Under the Marshall Plan,

they sent 12 billion dollars to Western Europe for its economic recovery.

The countries of Stalin's Eastern Bloc looked on with envy.

- "Hey Czechoslovakia."

"You want to come get some economic aid?"

- "Yeah, but I have to check with my mom first."

- "Sorry America..."

"I can't come."

This was a full-on economic battle

raging between capitalism and communism in Europe.

If the Western nations developed faster and better than the East,

that would be a defeat for Stalin.

So he set up his own rival economic recovery plan,

which he called 'COMECON'.

And he also set up 'COMINFORM',

which gave him more political control

over the Eastern Block.

But nowhere did this economic battle rage harder

than in the city of Berlin.

Caught over a 100 miles (160 km) behind Soviet lines,

the city had been divided up between the Allies.

And the western segments were still under Western control.

East Berliners could travel freely to West Berlin,

see the economic prosperity and think,

- "Hmmm..."

"Maybe this communism thing ain't so great after all."

"I'm gonna have fun tonight!"

*opens door*

*turn on lights*

- "You're home late."

- "Oh,"

"Stalin..."

"I was just out with my friends."

- "Friends?!"

"You stink of capitalism!"

"You wrere out engaging in imperialist debauchery again!"

"I swear, Ivan, I can't keep doing this."

- Stalin wanted the West out.

So he said,

- "Hey, guess what?"

"I'm blockading all of your supply routes to West Berlin."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

- "I suppose we'll just fly the supplies in."

- "Alright Truman,"

"You win this round."

The Berlin Airlift was an incredible undertaking

and a major success for the Western Allies.

And Stalin ended his blockade of West Berlin.

His aggressive actions worried the West,

but not as much as this did.

*A-Bomb kaboom*

The Soviet Union had developed their very own atomic bomb.

The USA no longer had a nuclear monopoly.

The world now knew that if a major war broke out

between the two superpowers,

It would be more destructive

than anyone could imagine.

So it was comforting when Stalin came out and said

that war between the Soviet Union and the West

was unlikely.

Oh wait, inevitable!

He said it was inevitable.

- "Hey, you know who I haven't checked in on in a while?"

"My good friend, China!"

- "Whoa, what happened to you?"

What happened to them was

a full-blown civil war that had been going on since 1927.

The People's Liberation Army,

under the leadership of Mao Zedong,

successfully defeated the Republic of China,

who fled to Taiwan.

The now communist China and the Soviet Union

signed a mutual defense treaty.

This was terrible news for the West.

But wait!

There's more!

After the Second World War,

Korea was divided along the 38th parallel.

In the north, the Soviets set up a communist regime.

In the south, America set up an anti-communist regime.

Both were led by very sweet-looking old men.

But don't let that deceive you.

They were both ruthless dictators,

and both dreamed of reuniting Korea

under their own regime.

Now that he had the bomb,

Stalin was feeling a little more cocky

and he finally gave Kim permission to attack.

The North launched a surprise invasion of the South

on June 25th, 1950.

With Soviet aid,

the North Koreans steamrolled through,

taking Seoul in just three days,

and replacing one ruthless dictator

with another.

The UN were freaking out,

and quickly created an emergency force

made up of troops from 16 countries

to defend the south.

The West still held Busan,

and made landings at Incheon near Seoul.

They pushed the North Koreans out of Seoul,

replacing the ruthless dictator

that had replaced the first ruthless dictator

with the same ruthless dictator

that had previously been replaced by the new ruthless dictator.

And the West then continued

all the way up the Korean Peninsula.

At this point China was getting worried

that the UN may just keep going.

The US had sent this guy to lead the operation.

After winning the Pacific theater of World War II,

General Douglas MacArthur's head was big,

and his balls were bigger.

He reassured President Truman

that there was absolutely no way at all

that the Chinese would ever get involved.

Meanwhile, half a million Chinese troops

were crossing into Korea.

- "Nuke 'em."

- "No."

- "NUKE 'EM!"

- "NO!"

- "Aw, c'moooon."

- "You're fired!"

- The US considered the nuclear option,

but now that the Soviets also had the bomb,

they didn't want to risk all-out global destruction.

The Communists pushed the West right back

almost to the exact same spot they had all started from,

and they ended up in a stalemate,

where they remained until both sides finally agreed

to work towards a peace settlement in 2018.

Back in America,

Americans decided they wanted a new president

who would be tough on communism.

So they elected famed World War II general,

Eisenhower,

who is really hard to draw.

It's 1953.

Hey Stalin, how you doing--

Oh, he's dead.

He had a cerebral hemorrhage,

and his reign of terror kinda came back

to bite him in the ass.

Because he had imprisoned all of his best doctors,

and those that were left were too terrified to treat him.

The new leader, Nikita Khrushchev,

called a meeting, and said,

- "Hey guys."

"You know how Stalin was imprisoning"

"and murdering us all for doing basically nothing?"

"Yeah, he was kind of a jerk."

*gasp omg*

- "I'm really not sure how this is news to you."

Khrushchev went on a campaign of

de-Stalinization.

Statues of Stalin were taken down,

Stalingrad was renamed,

and Khrushchev announced

that he wanted the Soviet people to be happy

and would allow greater freedom in the Soviet Union.

So how did that work out?

Well, an uprising in East Germany

was brutally suppressed.

A revolution in Hungary

was brutally suppressed.

And demonstrations in Poland

were brutally suppressed.

Although he did finally allow some mild reforms.

Back in the Soviet Union,

he permitted more cultural expression,

but then began banning stuff

based on his own personal taste.

- "Modern art looks like a child"

"urinated on a canvas."

"Banned!"

- "Jazz music sounds like"

"the feeling of needing to fart."

"Banned!"

- "Your poetry is really depressing!"

"How could anyone in the Soviet Union be depressed?"

"You're banned!"

Khrushchev wanted the Soviet people to be happy,

but not like that,

or that,

or that.

Young people began enjoying

abhorrent Western pop culture.

- "Son, remove that disgusting imperialist apparel at once!"

- "Shut up, Dad!"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Well would you look at that."

"Turns out he CAN tell me what to do."

The West had initially liked the cut of Khrushchev's jib,

but world events soon soured relations even more.

The two sides were spying on each other a whole lot

throughout the Cold War.

The KGB had spies and informants

in nearly every aspect of Western life and government;

so much so that whenever the US tried to send spies

into the Soviet Union,

the KGB were usually ready to arrest them on the spot.

Members of the Manhattan Project aided the Soviet Union in acquiring the bomb.

Some American officials believed they were on the wrong side.

- "I'll sell you three secrets for five million dollars."

- "Okay, go ahead."

- "The Allies are digging a tunnel under East Berlin to tap your communications,"

there's an American agent living at this address in Moscow,"

"and sometimes when I'm home alone,"

"I like to put on my wife's dresses, sit in the corner,"

"and cry for hours" *weird*

- "Very interesting."

In America fear took hold during the Red Scare and the McCarthy trials.

American values imploded as fear of communism collided with freedom of thought and expression,

and "Communist" kind of became a buzzword thrown around to describe anything people didn't like;

Hollywood?

Communist!

Your next-door neighbor's dog?

Communist!!

When the grocery store cashier asks If you need a bag

when you clearly can't carry ten tups of Baconnaise in your hands?

COMMUNIST!!!!!!!*that face tho*

But one area in particular where the US had an edge

over the Soviet Union was in its espionage technology. In particular,

U-2 spy planes flew across Russia carrying out surveillance from the skies

There was a nasty incident in 1960 though, when one was shot down and Khrushchev was furious.

- "Who the hell is this?"

- "He's a... high-altitude weather enthusiast, who flew off course."

- "OK, that sounds plausible... Waaaaaiit a minute,"

"Why does he have a gun and a poison needle?"

- "Because..."

"He's a... very NAUGHTY high-altitude weather enthusiast."

But much to America's concern,

the Soviet Union appeared to be ahead in the space race.

Everyone freaked out when Russia launched the world's first satellite,

and then they actually sent a man into space. (Yuri Gagarin)

Even worse, there also appeared to be a missile gap in the Soviets favor,

and Khrushchev was so confident that he even allowed the US to set up a technology exhibit in Moscow,

attended by a certain Vice President Richard Nixon.

- "Check this out. We have color TV."

- "Yes, but we've been to space and can obliterate you with our massive nuclear arsenal."

- "Check out this vegetable peeler."

Tensions increased further when both sides upgraded their atomic bombs to hydrogen bombs.

And after West Germany was allowed to join NATO in 1955,

Khrushchev set up the defensive Warsaw Pact,

strengthening the military ties between the Soviet Union and its satellites states.

In 1960, Americans decided they wanted a new president who would be tough on communism.

So they elected John F. Kennedy.

The Soviet Union was advancing its technology,

but it was also bleeding its coffers dry

and all of the money was going towards the military,

not the people.

Life under communism was still as hard as ever, and Berlin remained a thorn in the Soviet side.

The contrast between the economically prosperous West

and the struggling East was clearer day-by-day

and East Berliners were still able to freely travel to the West.

Now, many of them were deciding to stay there.

Millions defected to West Germany via West Berlin,

causing Eastern factories to lose workers, and taking a heavy toll on the economy.

Soviet leaders decided this couldn't continue any longer.

First, Khrushchev tried this:

- "Leave West Berlin... or else"

- "Or else what?"

- "Or else... I'll be really mad at you."

- "Yeeeeah, no, we're gonna stay. Listen man. "

"West Berlin is ours, East Berlin is yours."

"That's just how it is.”

Kennedy felt pretty good about the show of American resolve.

But wait a second. Did you catch that? Let's replay it.

- "Eeeeeaaaasssst Beeeeeeeerrrliiiinn iiiissssss yooouuurrrrsss."

Uh-oh. Kennedy just told Khrushchev that the USA wouldn't interfere

in what the Soviets did with their section of Berlin.

So Khrushchev came up with a new idea:

- "We're gonna build a wall, and it's gonna be a big beautiful wall,"

"and it's gonna keep out all the Mexicans."

*Whisper* No, Sir that's wrong, its going to keep in the East Berliners.

- "Oh, sorry. It's gonna keep IN all the Mexicans."

*facepalm*

On August 13th, 1961,

Berliners woke up to find their city divided into two;

with barbed wire and guards blocking the border

between East and West.

Over time, a wall was constructed throughout the city.

Families were torn apart.

Thousands would risk their lives escaping over the wall

and hundreds would die trying.

To the despair of Berliners, the West were unable to do anything about it.

But the wall did put on full display the failure of the communist system.

As Kennedy said:

"Democracy is not perfect,"

"but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in."

As part of the agreement between the two sides

US diplomats were still allowed to travel to East Berlin.

But suddenly East Berlin crossing guard started giving them the business

and Kennedy was like: "nu-uh".

In October the US rolled tanks up to the crossing point at Checkpoint Charlie as a show of strength.

The Soviets did the same and the two were in a standoff.

They stayed like that for sixteen hours and the world braced for nuclear Armageddon.

Thankfully though, Kennedy called Khrushchev directly and was like:

- "Hey man, this is getting way too hot!"

"How about you back your tanks up by an inch and we'll do the same?"

- "Sounds good. Okay."

- "How about you back your tanks up by another inch and we'll follow suit?"

- "All right... Hey, you wanna do another inch?"

And they both very slowly inched away from the apocalypse.

- "PHEW! Let's hope that's the biggest crisis of my presidency!"

It wasn't...