Chris's Cold War Timeline

By 548brooksc

  • Yalta Conference

    -February 4-11, 1945
    Yalta, Crimea
    -Allied leaders (Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt) met to discuss and decide on issues regarding World War II and after the war.
    The leaders met because the Allies were close to winning in Europe and that the war in the Pacific was not and needed a better strategy.
    -The first major discussions for the future of Germany and its captured terrotories were made here.

  • Berlin Airlift

    -June 27, 1948 to May 12, 1949
    -West Berlin/Germany
    -When the Soviets blockaded West Berlin in an attempt to push Western Powers out of Berlin, the Allies were forced to bring in supplies from the air. On May 12, 1949, the Soviet blockade was lifted.
    -This event created anti-Soviet tension and Allied support that helped lead up to the creation of NATO and the creation of West Germany.

  • Creation of NATO

    -April 4,1949
    -Location: Washington D.C.
    -The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded on this day and 12 Western nations formed a military alliance. This provided collective security against threats (mainly Soviet).
    -Greatly increased American influence in Europe.
  • Period: to

    Korean War

  • Geneva Accords

    -April 26, 1954
    -Geneva Switzerland
    -Many countries met to discuss issues regarding Asia. Seperated Vietnam into northern and southern zones.
    -Prelude to Vietnam war.

  • Warsaw Pact Signed

    -May 14, 1955
    -Warsaw, Poland
    -Soviet Union and other countries in Eastern Europe sign the Warsaw Pact that formed a military alliance between them.
    -This was seen as a respone to NATO.
  • Period: to

    Vietnam War

  • Sputnik Launch

    -Oct.4, 1957
    -Space
    -Soviet Union launches first unmaned sattelite into space.
    -Sparks a space race between Soviets and U.S.

  • U-2 Incident

    -May 1, 1960
    -Soviet Union
    -American U-2 spy plane is shot down by the Soviet Union
    -Uncovered further proof of American espionage.

  • Bay of Pigs

    April 17, 1961
    Bay of Pigs, Cuba
    Cuban exiles trained by the United States invaded the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Castro.
    This loss marked an American attempt to rid Cuba of communism.

  • Berlin Crisis

    -June 4-Nov. 9, 1961
    -Began in Vienna, Austria
    -Premier Khrushchev caused tension between U.S. and Soviet Union by threatening to sign a seperate peace treaty with East Germany.
    -Further increased unrest between two nations during the cold war.
  • Period: to

    Berlin Wall

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    -Oct. 14-28, 1962
    -Cuba
    -U.S. learned of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Almost caused a war but both sides agreed to remove missiles from Cuba and Turkey and Cuba was not to be invaded.
    -Demonstrated how close the two were from a nuclear war before it was avoided by quick thinking.

  • Moscow-Washington Hotline Created

    -Aug, 30, 1963
    -White House/Kremlin
    -Direct phoneline between U.S. and Soviet Union established.
    -Enabled better communication between the two.

  • Kennedy Assassination

    -Nov. 22, 1963
    -Dallas, TX
    -Shooter Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed JFK
    -America lost their president and key player in Cold War, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as new president.

  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

    -Aug. 7, 1964
    -Washington D.C.
    -Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
    -Gave President Johnson power to use whatever means necessary to work towards peace in Vietnam and other parts of southeast Asia. Gave congress more power to exapnd on the war.

  • The Tet Offensive

    -January 31, 1968
    -South Vietnam
    -NVA and Vietcong forces launched an attack on several South Vietnamese cities.
    -Victory for North Vietnam and a turning point of the war.

  • Apollo 11 Moon Landing

    -July 24, 1969
    -Moon
    -Americans sent Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong safely to the moon.
    -Americans were first to get humans on moon, we had won the space race against the Soviets.

  • Richard Nixon Visits China

    -Feb. 21, 1972
    -China
    -Nixon visits China and has talks to improve relations between U.S. and China.
    -Setet basis for open trade policy and continually improving relations between China and U.S.

  • SALT II Signed

    -Jun. 18, 1979
    -Vienna, Austria
    -Pres. Carter and Brezhnev (Soviet leader) sign treaty that sets nuclear weapon guidlines and limitations.
    -Treaty wasn't ratified but both nations continued to honor the conditions of it.
  • Period: to

    Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

  • Period: to

    Invasion of Grenada

  • Berlin Wall Falls

    -Nov. 9, 1989
    -Berlin, Germany
    -On this day the Berlin Wall, border crossings were opened between Eas and West Germans. The wall soon fell.
    -Starting point for the unification of Germany.

  • Mikhail Gorbachev Elected

    -Mar. 14, 1990
    -Soviet Union
    -Gorbachev became the president of the Soviet Union.
    -Led Soviet Union to a new era of change and reform not seen before.

  • The Soviet Union Collapses

    -Dec. 26, 1991
    -Soviet Union
    -After a long era, the Soviet Union dissolved and all but one of its republics left the Union.
    -This gave way to new independent countries such as Armenia. Also, took a lot of influence out of the East.