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USSR establishes satellite states in Eastern Europe
The Soviet Union established satellite states in Eastern Europe because they feared the West. Time and again it had been proven that their western border was weak, in the Napoleontic wars, in the Great War and in the Second World War. Stalin wanted some kind of buffer zone covering his entire Western border, and that's why the satellite states emerged. -
World War 2 Ends
The German surrender is ratified in Berlin and closes the European part of WWII. -
E. Germany joins Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union creates the Warsaw Pact in response to W. Germany being added to NATO. E. Germany was automatically included as part of the Soviet control of Eastern Europe. -
Germany Gets Divided
Germany is divided into four occupation zones for England, USA, USSR, and France.The division was intended to help Germany recover while watching to ensure they didn't rise up again. -
Truman Doctrine announces American commitment to contain communism
The Truman Doctrine is the idea that the United States would intervene, on a global basis, to prevent Communism from spreading. The central idea was called "containment" - containing the Communists in Eastern Europe (and later China). It started in Greece and Turkey, with the US providing military aid to forced fighting the Communists in 1947. It continued with the Berlin airlift when the Russians tried to block access to the city of Berlin in 1948. The Korean War, in which the US fought Communi -
U.S. Marshall Plan provides massive aid to rebuild Europe
The Marshall Plan (from its enactment, officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger foundation for the allied countries of Europe, and repelling communism after World War II. -
Soviet troops blockade Berlin
The Berlin Blockade (June 24, 1948 to May 11, 1949) was one of the first major crises of the new Cold War. It began when the Soviets blocked railroad and street access by the three Western powers (the Americans, British, and French) to the Western-occupied sectors of Berlin. The crisis abated after the Western powers bypassed the blockade by establishing the Berlin Airlift, demonstrating both their dedication to the cause of supplying their zones, as well as the industrial might of the West. -
Price Controls and Rationing System
Price controls and rationing system was abolished by Ludwig Erhard in order to improve the economy. This was very helpfull in jumpstarting an economy that had previously suffered. -
Soviet Bloc establishes Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)
COMECON was an economic organization of communist states and a kind of Eastern Bloc equivalent to—but more inclusive than—the European Economic Community. The military counterpart to the Comecon was the Warsaw Pact. -
West Germany and East Germany formed
The war resulted in the death of nearly ten million German soldiers and civilians; large territorial losses; the expulsion of about 15 million Germans from the former eastern territories and other countries; and the destruction of multiple major cities. The remaining national territory and Berlin were partitioned by the Allies into four military occupation zones. -
Western nations form North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
In 1949, under Dwight Eisenhower, an alliance known as NATO was formed to stop the spread of Communism and promote democratic values. Another one of NATO's founding purpose is to protect the freedom of its members. As famously defined in Article 5, "...an armed attack upon one...shall be considered an attack upon them all." -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift ends
The Soviets lifted their blockade of the railways after being embarassed by the Berlin Airlift. They had refused to believe it would help, but it ended up bringing in more than the trains. The blockade was lifted and two German states were created. -
United States airlifts provisions to Berliners
This was a response to the Berlin Blockade. Ally countries would airlift supplies to the Berlines. The significance was that it proved to the Soviet Union that the Western Allies would not abandon West Berlin citizens. They were prepared to take extraordinary lengths to maintain independence. The Soviets had expected the Western allies to abandon the city however the Berlin Blockade proved that Britain and America were determined to supply their troops as well as the civilians of Berli Berlin. -
USSR tests its first nuclear weapon
The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb was a top secret research and development program begun during World War II, in the wake of the Soviet Union's discovery of the American, British, and Canadian nuclear project. This scientific research was directed by Soviet nuclear physicist Igor Kurchatov. This is when they detonated its implosion-type nuclear device, RDS-1, codename First Lightning. -
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Korean War
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Joseph Stalin dies
Officially he died from natural causes, a cerebral hemorrhage. Khrushchev, his advisor said he didn't receive immediate medical care because Stalin's advisers at first thought he was drunk and would regain consciousness. "He was on the floor and they brought him [up] on the sofa," said Khrushchev. -
US Senator Joseph McCarthy leads hunt for American communists
Joe" McCarthy Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 until 1957 most visible public face of Cold War tensions noted for making claims large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the United States federal government and elsewhere McCarthyism, coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, applied to similar anti-communist activities generally in reference to demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations -
USSR and Eastern Bloc countries form military alliance called the Warsaw Pact
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Krushchev denounces Stalin in "secret speech" to Communist Party Congress
Khrushchev's morning speech began with vague references to the harmful consequences of elevating a single individual so high that he took on the "supernatural characteristics akin to those of a god." Khrushchev went on to say that such a mistake had been made about Stalin. He himself had been guilty of what was, in essence, a distortion of the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism. -
Hungarians revolt unsuccesfully against Soviet domination
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EEC/Common Market created
France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg signed a treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) a.k.a. the Common Market. The EEC was a major step in Europe's movement toward economic and political union. This later becomes the groundwork for the European Union -
Fidel Castro comes to power in Cuba
He led the revolution in Cuba and overthrew the corrupt Batista government. He implemented a Communist government. He restricted free speech and destroyed the free press. United States intervened to stop the spread of Communism which led to the Cuban missile crisis -
Berlin Wall erected
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was created when the Soviet Union deployed inter-mediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) armed with nuclear warheads in Cuba, 90 miles from the United States. When they were discovered, President Kennedy established a blockade (the best of many bad choices, including an invasion) around Cuba to prevent a further Soviet buildup. -
Ludwig Erhard becomes chancellor of W. Germany
Erhard becomes chancellor of Germany after Adenauer retires. He was popular after coming up with and implementing the plan to save the German economy -
Kurt Georg Kiesinger becomes chancellor of W. Germany
Kiesinger takes over for Erhard. He was part of the CDU party. He led the republic's first Grand Coalition -
Willy Brandt becomes chancellor of W. Germany
Willy Brandt of the Social Democrat party wins election and states he is looking to better relations with E. Germany and the Soviets. He resigned in 1974 and was succeeded by Helmut Schmidt who continued his political plan. -
Germany Pays back Marshall Plan
Germany was required to repay $1.1 billion of the aid it received from the Marshall Plan. This money was extremely beneficial to the regrowth of Germany. -
SALT
SALT stands for Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The treaty was designed to contain the arms race particularly between the USSR and the United States. The goal was to achieve a supression of weapons use. -
Afganistan War
This war was over a conflict between the anti-communist muslim Afghan guerillas name Mujahidin and the Afghan/Soviet forces. The war left Afghanistan in roguh shape politically and economically. This connects to the Cold War because Soviets had invaded Afghanistan in order to spread communism. -
Helmut Kohl becomes chancellor of W. Germany
Kohl was from the Christian Democratic party. He would lead Germany to reunification in 1990. -
Mikhail Gorbachev takes control of the USSR
Gorbachev was part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1970 he was appointed the First Party Secretary of the Soviet Union. In 1985 he takes complete control of the USSR. -
INF Treaty
This treaty was between the USA and the Soviet Union. The agreement to eliminate intermediate and short range missles. The plan was concocted by President Ronald Regan and Gorbachev. -
Berlin wall comes down
People began crossing from E. German Berlin into W. German Berlin after the Soviet government announced that visiting West Berlin would be allowed. The wall was destroyed/.torn down by the end of 1990. -
German reunification
West Germany and East Germany are re-united into one country. The new government is democratic.