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1945 - Yalta Conference
Leaders of the Allied powers (US, USSR) meet to discuss post-war Europe, leading to tensions over the division of Germany. -
1947 - Truman Doctrine
President Truman announces a policy of containment against Soviet expansion, providing aid to Greece and Turkey. -
1948-1949 - Berlin Blockade and Airlift
The USSR blocks Western access to West Berlin, leading to a massive airlift operation by the Allies. -
1949 - Soviet Atomic Bomb
The Soviet Union successfully tests its first atomic bomb, escalating the arms race with the U.S. -
1949: The Early Years
Tensions rise between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies after World War II, leading to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the beginning of the Cold War. -
1953 - Death of Stalin
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin dies, leading to a power struggle within the USSR. -
Korean Armistice Agreement
An armistice is signed, ending major hostilities in the Korean War, but leaving the Korean Peninsula divided into North and South Korea. -
1955 - Warsaw Pact
The USSR and its Eastern European allies form a military alliance in response to NATO. -
Bandung Conference
Asian and African countries gather in Indonesia to promote post-colonial cooperation and assert their neutral stance amid Cold War tensions. -
1956 - Hungarian Revolution
A popular uprising against Soviet influence in Hungary is brutally suppressed by Soviet forces. -
Suez Crisis
A conflict erupts when Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal, leading to a military intervention by Israel, France, and the United Kingdom against Egypt, with the USSR supporting Egypt. -
The Space Race Begins
The “space race” was a Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites, unmanned space probes, and human spaceflight. -
Sputnik Launch
he Soviet Union launches the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into orbit, marking the beginning of the Space Race and intensifying the arms race. -
1959 - Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro comes to power in Cuba, leading to increased tensions between the U.S. and the communist regime. -
USSR Tests the largest Nuclear Weapon Ever Built
Tsar Bomba, Russian “King of Bombs” , by name of RDS-220, also called Big Ivan, Soviet thermonuclear bomb that was detonated in a test over Novaya Zemlya island in the Arctic Ocean on October 30, 1961. The largest nuclear weapon ever set off, it produced the most powerful human-made explosion ever recorded. -
1961 - Berlin Wall
The East German government constructs a wall to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Berlin, becoming a symbol of the Cold War. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro, causing embarrassment for the United States. -
1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S. discovers Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to a tense standoff and narrowly avoiding nuclear war. -
Hotline Established
The United States and the Soviet Union establish a direct communication link known as the "Hotline" to facilitate crisis management and prevent misunderstandings. -
Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
The United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom sign a treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. -
1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Incident
U.S. accuses North Vietnam of attacking American ships, escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Six-Day War
Israel engages in a brief but decisive conflict with neighboring Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, resulting in Israel's occupation of territories. -
1968 - Prague Spring
Czechoslovakia experiences a period of political liberalization, which is crushed by a Soviet-led invasion. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is signed, aiming to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament. -
1972 - SALT I Treaty
The U.S. and USSR sign an agreement to limit the number of nuclear weapons and launchers. -
1975 - Helsinki Accords
A conference is held, resulting in an agreement on cooperation and human rights between Eastern and Western Europe. -
1975 - Helsinki Accords
A conference in Helsinki establishes principles of cooperation between the East and West. -
1979 - Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The USSR invades Afghanistan to support a communist government, sparking a decade-long conflict. -
1979-1989: Soviet-Afghan War
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to prop up a communist government, leading to a protracted and costly conflict that becomes known as the Soviet Union's "Vietnam War." -
1980 - Solidarity Movement
Workers' strikes and protests against communist rule emerge in Poland, leading to the formation of the Solidarity trade union. -
1980-1988: Iran-Iraq War
Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invades Iran, resulting in a prolonged and deadly war that involves international interventions and support for both sides. -
1983 - Strategic Defense Initiative
President Reagan proposes a missile defense system, heightening tensions with the USSR. -
1983 - "Star Wars" Speech
President Reagan announces the Strategic Defense Initiative, a missile defense system. -
Korean Air Flight 007
A Soviet fighter jet shoots down a civilian South Korean airliner, heightening tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
Able Archer 83
NATO conducts a military exercise that Soviet leaders misinterpret as a potential prelude to a real attack, heightening tensions and the risk of nuclear war. -
1985 - Gorbachev's Rise to Power
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, initiating reforms. -
1985 - Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev initiates political and economic reforms, known as perestroika and glasnost. -
Gorbachev's Leadership
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, ushering in a period of political and economic reforms known as glasnost and perestroika. -
1987 - INF Treaty
The US and the Soviet Union sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, eliminating certain types of nuclear missiles. -
1987 - Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The U.S. and USSR agree to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. -
1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall
The border between East and West Germany is opened, symbolizing the end of the Cold War division in Europe. -
1989 - Velvet Revolution
Nonviolent demonstrations lead to the overthrow of communist rule in Czechoslovakia. -
Solidarity Movement in Poland
Poland's Solidarity trade union, led by Lech Walesa, gains legal recognition, marking a significant challenge to Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. -
Revolutions of 1989
A wave of popular uprisings and non-violent protests across Eastern Europe leads to the fall of communist governments in countries such as Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. -
1990 - German Reunification
East and West Germany are reunified, ending the division of the country. -
1991 - Gulf War
The U.S. leads a coalition to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, highlighting the shift in global power dynamics. -
1991 - Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The USSR disintegrates into independent nations, marking the end of the Cold War. -
1994 - NATO Expansion
Former Eastern Bloc countries, including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, join NATO. -
Budapest Memorandum
The United States, United Kingdom, and Russia provide security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for its denuclearization, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. -
1994-1996: First Chechen War
Conflict between Russia and Chechen separatists erupts, resulting in a devastating war with significant civilian casualties and human rights abuses. -
1997 - NATO-Russia Founding Act
NATO and Russia sign an agreement aimed at building a cooperative relationship. -
1999 - NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
NATO airstrikes are conducted against Serbia during the Kosovo War. -
1999 - Kosovo War
NATO conducts airstrikes against Serbia to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, marking its first major military intervention. -
2001 - War in Afghanistan
The United States invades Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime, which had harbored Al-Qaeda terrorists. -
2001 - 9/11 attacks
Terrorist attacks on the US prompt the War on Terror and a reevaluation of global security threats. -
2004 - EU Expansion
Several Eastern European countries, including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, join the European Union. -
2008 - Russo-Georgian War
Conflict breaks out between Russia and Georgia over the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. -
2014 - Annexation of Crimea
Russia annexed Crimea, leading to tensions with Ukraine and Western countries. -
2015 - Iran Nuclear Deal
An agreement is reached between Iran and world powers to limit Iran's nuclear program. -
2018 - US-North Korea Summit
Historic meeting between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, aiming to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.