Cold War

Yalta Conference

Period: Feb 4, 1945 to Feb 11, 1945

The "Big 3", composed of Stalin, F.D.R., amd Churchill, came together after the war in Europe was over to decide what to do with Poland, Germany, and other European countries after World War II. http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/timeline.htm

Churchill "Iron Curtain" Speech

Mar 5, 1946

Winston Churchill made this speech about the Cold War, talking about the division in Europe, between the Western nations and the areas in Eastern Europe under the Soviets' control. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/churchill-iron.html Photo: http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_arena/4/46/17644/v0_master.jpg

Marshall Plan Announced

Jun 5, 1947

This plan was an economic relief plan for European countries proposed by George Marshall after World War II. Its goal was to insure a prosperous market for American goods and to prevent nations from turning to Communism. http://library.thinkquest.org/15511/data/encyclopedia/marshallplan.htm Photo: http://loellenpark.org/callens/Marshall Plan.jpg

Formation of Organization of American States (OAS)

May 5, 1948

http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/oas_0398_bgn.html Photo: http://secretaryclinton.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/oas-seal.jpgFormerly the Pan American Union, the OAS was formed in 1948 with the adoption of the OAS Charter in Bogota, Colombia. It consists 35 members today, consisting predominately of Central and South American nations. Its purposes are to strengthen peace and security, promote democracy, to ensure the peaceful settlement of arguments, and to promote development.

Berlin Blockade

Period: Jun 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949

The Soviet Union set up a blockade around the city of Berlin so that Allied forces could not get supplies into Berlin, and so that the Allies could not unify all of Germany under democratic control. The Allies managed to airlift supplies into Berlin called the Berlin Airlift, and the Soviets eventually lifted the blockade. http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0024195.html

NATO Ratified

Apr 4, 1949

Photo: http://www.schillerinstitute.org/graphics/photos/events_places/nato_signing_1949_acheson_.jpgThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization was set up after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, between the U.S. and 11 other western European nations and it included the United Nations. It was designed to unite countries against Communism to protect all countries in NATO from Soviet attack. http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/nato.htm

Mao Zedong Takes Over China

Oct 20, 1949

After years of battling with opposing Nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai Shek, Mao Zedong and his party of Nationalists finnaly comple their Communist takeover of China, calling his new territory the People's Republic of China. http://www.carpenoctem.tv/military/mao.html <a href='http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/country/img/5826_Mao Zedong.jpg' >Photo: http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/country/img/5826_Mao Zedong.jpg

Korean War

Period: Jun 25, 1950 to Jul 27, 1953

In Korea there was a split between North and South. Northern forces were led by Kim Il Sung, and they were Communist. They kept pushing southern forces back until the United States entered the war and pushed Northern forces back to the Yalu River and China entered the war on North Korea's side. The war ended with a split between Korea at the 38th parallel that still remains today. <a href='http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar.htm' >http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowa

Warsaw Pact Signed

May 1, 1955

Photo: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PlZN4MWvkq0/Sg2rMHOlwSI/AAAAAAAABag/hPnYoWYnodU/warsaw%20pact%20signing_thumb.jpgThe Warsaw Pact was a treaty signed by Eastern Europe in response to Western European's signing of NATO. The countries involved in the signing were the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and East Germany. If any Western country attacked any of those nations involved, the other countries would offer their protection. <a href='http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0005661.html' >http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m

Fidel Castro Takes Over Cuba

Jan 1, 1959

With increasing support, Castro was able to overthrow Batista, who was previously in power and fled the country, and take over Cuba. He later set up close relations with the Soviet Union and made Cuba the only Communist country in the Western Hemisphere. http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/people/castro.html <a href='http://osmoothie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fidel-castro-22.jpg' >Photo: http://osmoothie.com/wp-content/

J.F.K. Elected as President of U.S.

Nov 8, 1960

Photo: http://glengarrypedia.wikispaces.com/file/view/port-jfk.jpg/30240452/port-jfk.jpgJohn F. Kennedy was elected as the youngest president of the United States in 1960. He proved to play an important role in the Cold War with the initiation of the Bay of Pigs and also other negotiations with Cuba and the Soviet Union. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-f-kennedy-elected-president

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Apr 17, 1961

Photo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1235000/images/_1235128_cuba_bay_of_pigs_map150.gifU.S. President J.F.K. ordered 1300 Cuban exiles to make a landing in Cuba armed with U.S. weapons in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's government in Cuba. The attempt failed however, with all of the exiles either killed or captured by Cuban forces under Castro. http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/bay_of_pigs.html

Berlin Wall Encloses East Berlin

Period: Aug 13, 1961 to Nov 9, 1989

The city of Berlin was split, with the western half being controlled by Allied forces, and the eastern half controlled by the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall was built around the eastern part of the city by the Soviets, designed to hold all the people of East Belin in. The wall consisted of thick concrete, barbed wire, traps, and watchmen, and very few were able to escape. http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/

Cuban Missle Crisis

Period: Oct 15, 1962 to Oct 28, 1962

http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/timeline.htmThe U.S. was informed that Cuba had accepted Soviet nuclear weapons and had set them up, aimed toward the U.S. coast. President Kennedy and the U.S. ordered a quarantine around Cuba. No foreign ships were allowed to enter Cuba without being inspected. Negotiations between Kennedy and Khruschev finally ended, and the Soviets agreed to remove their missles from Cuba and the U.S. agreed to lift the quarantine from Cuba, and the crisis ended.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Signed

Aug 5, 1963

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Nuclear+Test+Ban+Treaty.htmPhoto: http://www.jfklibrary.org/NR/rdonlyres/48511AB3-7A2C-4E60-8585-7C76CA85EBE2/24372/KNC30095testban1.jpgThe United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This treaty prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons under water, in the atmosphere, or in outer space but still allowed underground nuclear tests as long as no radioactive debris fell outside the boundaries of that country. This helped stop the arms race during the Cold War and the contamination of the environment.

Overthrow of Allende in Chile

Sep 11, 1973

http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch24y.htm Photo: http://www.marxists.org/archive/allende/allende2.jpgAllende was the leader of Chile and inherited many economic problems that he could not repair. The people of Chile were restless and wanted him out of power. With the help of the U.S., the revolutionaries were able to overthrow Allende with the coup that ended his rule in Chile.

Vietnam War Ends

Apr 17, 1975

Photo: http://wcownews.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/10/ho_chi_minh590.jpgVietnam was split at the 17th parallel with Communist forces in the north led by Ho Chi Minh and French democratic forces in the south. The U.S. sent troops to help the French, but later pulled them out and the North won the war with Saigon being captured. All of Vietnam then became Communist. <a href='http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/timeline.htm' >http://library.thinkquest.org/10826/timeline.htm</a

U.S. Signs TreaPanama Canal Treaty

Sep 7, 1977

http://www.answers.com/topic/panama-canal-treaty Photo: http://panamacorp.com/files/2009/07/panama_canal.jpgThe U.S. signed a treaty with Panama to give Panama more control of the Panama Canal. This treaty gave Panama the majority of the canal's territory. It was not until 1999, however, that Panama got complete control of the canal.

U.S. Invasion of Grenada

Oct 25, 1983

http://www.military.com/Resources/HistorySubmittedFileView?file=history_grenada.htm Photo: http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/usa_grenada_invasion_map_001.gifThe United States invaded the island of Grenada and overthrew the communist government. They replaced it with a democratic government. The invasion lasted less than two months, and came after the murder of the Marxist prime minister, Maurice Bishop.

Soviet Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Feb 15, 1985

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB272/ Photo: http://pakistankakhudahafiz.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/_45475285_soviet19894661.jpgGorbachev announced that the Soviets were withdrawing their forces from Afghanistan. This marked the end of the Soviet's involvement in their war with Afghanistan that lasted almost ten years.

Mikhail Gorbachev Takes Over Communist Party in USSR

Mar 11, 1985

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDgorbachev.htm Photo: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/02/03/images/mikhailGorbachev.jpgGorbachev was elected by the Central Committee as General Secretary of the Communist Party. As party leader he had a vision of reform form the Soviet Union. He introduced a major campaign against corruption and alcoholism. He also set up a series of economic, political and cultural reforms. Gorbachev later withdrew Soviet forces from Eastern European nations' affairs and won a Nobel Peace Prize.

Iran-Contra Affair Revealed to Public

Mar 4, 1987

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Iran-Contra_Affair Photo: http://home.snu.edu/~dwilliam/s98/usarab/olly.gifReagan revealed what happened in the Iran-Contra Affair to the public in a nationally televised address where he took full responsibility for any actions that he was unaware of. In the affair, the U.S. sold arms to Iran to improve relations, but then used the money to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. This had been made illegal through the Boland Amendment.

Immediate Nuclear Forces Treaty Signed

Dec 8, 1987

http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/inf1.html Photo: http://klsouth.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/reagan_and_gorbachev_signing.jpgU.S. President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev sign a treaty agreeing to remove all intermediate range and short range missles. This betters the relations between the U.S. and USSR.

Germany Reunited

Oct 3, 1990

http://mattstodayinhistory.blogspot.com/2006/10/germany-reunified-october-3-1990.html Photo: http://www.hamptonhighclassof1990.com/clients/869950/3197655_org.jpgEast and West Germany are finally reunited into one nation again after 45 years of being separated. This reunification was a sign that the Iron Curtain was finally being pulled back and the Cold War was coming to an end.

Fall of Soviet Union: End of Cold War

Dec 25, 1991

http://www.essortment.com/all/fallofthesovi_rkcm.htm Photo: http://www.unc.edu/depts/issp/im/end-su.gifThe fall of the Soviet Union came after many declared independence just a couple weeks earlier. The USSR then came to a peaceful end on Christmas Day, and Russia was born. This marked the end of the Cold War and all major tensions between Russia and the U.S.