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Soviet Forces invade Afghanistan
This was the start of the Soviet-Afghan War that lasted throughout the 1980's. The aim of the Soviet operation was to help Afghanistan's new, unpopular governent win support. Backed by the United States, the mujahideen rebellion grew, spreading to all parts of the country. The Soviets initially left the suppression of the rebellion to the Afghan army, but the latter was beset by mass desertions and remained largely ineffective throughout the war. -
US boycotts 1980 Summer Olympics
The United States decided to protest the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the Summer Olympics that was going to be held in Moscow. -
Iraqi attacks Iran in the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war.
Beginning in 1980 and ending in 1988, it is the longest conventional war of the 20th Century. Following years of border dispute, along with the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran and Iraq finally clashed to become the dominant Persian Gulf state. -
Ronald Reagan elected United States president.
Republican Ronald Reagan defeats incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter to become the 40th President of the United States. -
United States hostages released in Iran.
Almost immediately following Reagan's inaguration, Iran released the 52 American diplomats and citizens they held hostage for 444 days. -
Falklands War begins between Britain and Argentina
A 10-week war between Britain and Argentina over 2 British territories in the South Atlantic. -
United States announces military supplies and intelligence sharing with United Kingdom
This was important for the United States to have an strong, reliable ally within Europe that they can trust just in case of war with the Soviet Union. -
United States marines land in Lebanon
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President Reagan proposes Strategic Defence Initiative
Also known as "Star Wars", was an idea created by President Reagan, to develop "a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union." -
Yuri Andropov appointed President of the Soviet Union.
Andropov was General Secretary of the Communist Party of th Soviet Union for only 15 months, until his death. -
U.S. invades Grenada
President Ronald Reagan, believing there was a threat to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation's Marxist regime, orders the Marines to invade and secure their safety. There were nearly 1,000 Americans in Grenada at the time, many of them students at the island's medical school. -
United States troops leave Lebanon
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Soviets boycott Los Angeles Olympic Games.
With the United States boycotting the previous Olympic Games held in the USSR, the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics that were to be held in Los Angeles. -
Mikhail Gorbachev is named general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.
Mikhail Gorbachev was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, as well as the President of the Soviet Union. He is known for implementing his policies of "Perestroika" and "Glasnost". -
The US press breaks the Iran-contra scandal
The US press finds out that during the 1980's, the United States secretly arranged to provide funds to Nicaraguan contra rebels from profits gained by selling weapons to Iran. -
President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short range nuclear missiles
Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Washington D.C. to sign the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, which removed 2611 intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe. -
Ceasefire agreed in the Iraq-Iran War
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Gromyko is replaced by Gorbachev as President of the Soviet Union.
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George Bush is elected United States President.
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Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan
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Led by university students, over one million Chinese in Tiananmen Square demand reforms by the Chinese Communist government
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Gorbachev is elected President by the new Soviet Congress of People's Deputies.
5 May - Soviet Union announces it has withdrawn 1000 tanks from East Germany. 11 May - Gorbachev announces a Soviet unilateral withdrawal of 500 nuclear warheads from Eastern Europe. -
Poland becomes independent
General Jaruzelski is elected president of Poland.
Solidarity forms the first post-war non-communist government in Poland. -
Hungary declares non-communist government
Hungarian Communist party formally disbands and changes its name to Hungarian Socialist party. It adopts a programme of democratic socialism over Marxism.
The Hungarian constitution is changed to allow a multiparty system. -
East Germany announces the opening of its borders including the Berlin Wall.
The following day, East Germany begins to take down the Berlin Wall. -
Communist governments fall in Czech, Bulgaria, and Rumania (Decline of the Soviet Empire)
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Lithuania becomes independent
Lithuania declares independence from Soviet Union and elects Vytautas Landsbergis as President. -
End of Soviet Union and the Cold War ends
