International Relations Since 1945

Kent State Shooting

‘Kent State Massacre’ – why did Ohio National Guardsmen shoot university students?

Ohio National Guardsmen shot and killed four Kent State University students.

Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Ping-Pong Diplomacy in the Cold War

The United States table tennis team heralded the era of ‘ping pong diplomacy’ by becoming the first official American delegation to visit China in 20 years.

Kissinger's secret trip to China

Henry Kissinger and the secret trip to China: an overview

Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor, made a secret trip to China to meet with Premier Zhou Enlai.

Story behind the photo of Kim Phuc running from napalm attack

On the 8th June 1972 one of the most iconic photographs of the Vietnam War was taken of Phan Thị Kim Phúc, a nine-year-old girl from the South Vietnamese village of Trang Bang.

American withdrawal from the Vietnam War

Operation Frequent Wind

Operation Frequent Wind and the US withdrawal from Vietnam

Apollo-Soyuz

The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: when Cold War enemies met in space

Carter and détente

Why did Jimmy Carter end détente?

Lech Walesa

Explanation of the Gdańsk shipyard strike led by Lech Wałęsa

On the 14th August 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in the Polish city of Gdańsk led by electrician Lech Wałęsa began a strike that led to the formation of the Solidarity labour movement.

Solidarity in Poland

Overview of the Solidarity union in Poland and its impact on the fall of Communism.