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The Cold War
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The Origins of The Cold War
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The Iron Curtain
"Iron Curtain" is a term used to describe the boundary that separated the Warsaw Pact countries from the NATO countries from about 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The Iron Curtain was both a physical and an ideological division that represented the way Europe was viewed after World War II. To the east of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the former Soviet Union. This included part of Germany Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania -
Truman Doctrine
Established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to nations being threatened by communism. -
Rio Pact Signed
The U.S. and 19 Latin American countries meet and declared that an attack against one is an attack against all. Created a pact of the Western Hemisphere. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948. The goals of the United States were to rebuild a war-devastated region, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, and make Europe prosperous again. -
Formation of West Germany
The French, USA and UK partitions of Germany were merged to form West. -
The Berlin Blockade/Airlift
Soviets placed a blockade on the allied sector of Berlin to starve the population into Soviet alliance. The blockade was a soviet attempt to starve out the allies in Berlin in order to gain supremacy. the blockade was a high point in the cold war, and it led to the berlin airlift. The allied response was a unbelievably massive air supply- flying night and day to feed the city. -
Formation of NATO
In 1949, the prospect of further Communist expansion prompted the United States and 11 other Western nations to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). -
End of Berlin Blockade
Russia ended the blockade of Berlin. -
New Prime Minister in Hungary
Matyas Rakosi become prime minister of Hungary -
Joseph Stalin Dies
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin dies from a stroke at the age of 74 -
Imre Nagy Elected in Hungary
Nagy became prime minister in 1953 and attempted to relax some of the harshest aspects of Mátyás Rákosi's Stalinist regime -
U.S. Tests Hydrogen Bomb
The United States tests a hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands. -
KGB Established
Security agency for the Soviet Union said to be the “sword and shield of the Communist Party.” -
Imre Nagy forced to resign as prime minister.
Imre Nagy, prime minister of Hungary, forced to resign as prime minister after Soviet invasion -
Formation of Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union and its affiliated Communist nations in Eastern Europe founded a rival alliance, the Warsaw Pact, in 1955. -
Warsaw Pact Formed
Treaty established by the Soviet Union that included 7 other Central and Eastern European nations -
The Vietnam War
The cold war was a fight between the United States and the USSR over the world's resources. South Vietnam was an ally of the US and North Vietnam was an ally of the USSR. The US feared if North Vietnam won the war other countries in South Asia would also fall to Communism. -
Suez Crisis
Following military bombardment by Israeli forces, a joint British and French force invaded Egypt to regain control of the Suez Canal which had been nationalised by the Egyptian leader Nasser. The attack was heavily criticised by World leaders, especially America because Russia had offered support to Egypt. The British and French were forced to withdraw and a UN peace keeping force was sent to establish order. -
Sputnik I Launch
The Sputnik crisis was the American reaction to the success of the Sputnik program.[1] It was a key Cold War event that began on October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. The launch of Sputnik I and the failure of its first two Project Vanguard launch attempts rattled the American public; President Dwight D. Eisenhower referred to it as the “Sputnik Crisis”. Although Sputnik was itself harmless, its orbiting scared the people of the US -
The Dog in Space
USSR Sputnik II carried Laika the dog, the first living creature to go into space. -
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Cold War Crises
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The U-2 Incident
The 1960 U-2 incident occurred during the Cold War on 1 May 1960, during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union. The United States government at first denied the plane's purpose and mission, but then was forced to admit its role as a covert surveillance aircraft when the Soviet government produced its intact remains and surviving pilot. -
Cuba Aligns with Soviet Union
Cuba along with its communist leader Fidel Castro aligns with the Soviets and their ideals -
The Man in Space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyvich Gagarin became the first human being in space. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay Of Pigs invasion refers to the CIA sponsored American attack of the Cuban government in order to overthrow Fidel Castro. It was a tricky plan to execute as US was not in war with Cuba then. Though the US planned to appear “not being involved” in this attack and declared about their non-intention to intervene in Cuban affairs, Cuba had already approached the UN with the facts about the US training mercenaries for this planned invasion. -
Construction of the Berlin Wall Begins
The Berlin Wall was erected in the dead of night and for 28 years kept East Germans from fleeing to the West. -
Kennedy Ends All Trade with Cuba
After becoming a communist nation and allying with the Soviets, Kennedy begins to cut ties with Cuba -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The United States armed forces were at their highest state of readiness ever and Soviet field commanders in Cuba were prepared to use battlefield nuclear weapons to defend the island if it was invaded. Luckily, thanks to the bravery of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, war was averted. -
Reagan's 'Evil Empire'
Reagan brands the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire' and claims the Cold War is a battle between good and evil. -
Hot Line Established
Nikita Khrushchev and John Kennedy agree to establish a hot line to use in a Cold War crisis -
Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
Treaty signed by the Soviet Union, United States, and Britain that banned the testing of all nuclear weapons -
John F. Kennedy is Assassinated
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while campaigning for re-election. -
Brezhnev Seizes Power
Nikita Krushchev removed from office. He was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. -
China Explodes its First Atomic Bomb
After developing their own nuclear technology, China explodes its first a-bomb. -
Marines Sent to Dominican Republic
U.S. Marines sent to the Dominican Republic to fight Communism -
Soviets Admit to Supplying Arms to North Vietnam
The Soviets admitted to backing North Vietnam, the direct opposition of the U.S.. This heightened tensions and further intensified the Cold War -
Outer Space Treaty
A multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law. -
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact forces entered Czechoslovakia to stop the reforms known as ‘Prague Spring’ instigated by Alexander Dubcek. When he refused to stop his programme of reforms Dubcek was arrested. -
Brezhnev Doctrine
Brezhnev Doctrine, foreign policy put forth by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in 1968, calling on the Soviet Union to intervene—including militarily—in countries where socialist rule was under threat. -
Journey to The Moon
US launched Apollo 8 – first manned orbit of the Moon. -
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Détente
Détente is the relaxation of strained relations, especially political ones, through verbal communication. Used by the US and Soviet Union after the Cuban Missile Crisis and Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia -
The Man on The Moon
US Apollo 11 landed on the Moon and Neil Armstrong became the first man on the Moon. -
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The End of the Cold War
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Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Joint space venture between USA and USSR heralded as an end to the ‘Space Race’ -
Carter President
Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Soviet-controlled Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It was sparked by Soviet fear of Islamisation of the region, a great threat to communist ideology. -
Carter Doctrine
The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on January 23, 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force, if necessary, to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf. -
Olympic Boycott by USA
A number of countries including the USA boycotted the summer Olympics held in Moscow in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. -
Reagan in Office
Reagan elected as President of the United States. -
Reagan's Star Wars
The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), nicknamed the Star Wars program, was a proposed missile defence system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons (intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles). -
Olympic Boycott by Russia
Russia and 13 allied countries boycotted the summer Olympics held in Los Angeles in retaliation for the US boycott of 1980. -
Reagan Doctrine
Under the Reagan Doctrine, the United States provided overt and covert aid to anti-communist guerrillas and resistance movements in an effort to "roll back" Soviet-backed pro-communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. -
Gorbachev leader of USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union -
Glasnot and Perestroika
Mikhail Gorbachev announced his intention to follow a policy of glasnost – openness, transparency and freedom of speech; and perestroika – restructuring of government and economy. He also advocated free elections and ending the arms race. -
Chernobyl Disaster
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine remains the worst nuclear disaster in history -
Afghanistan Exit
The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan -
Tiananmen Square
Anti Communist protests in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China were crushed by the government. The death count is unknown. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall happened nearly as suddenly as its rise. There had been signs that the Communist bloc was weakening, but the East German Communist leaders insisted that East Germany just needed a moderate change rather than a drastic revolution. East German citizens did not agree.
As Communism began to falter in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in 1988 and 1989, new exodus points were opened to East Germans who wanted to flee to the West. Then suddenly, on the evening of November -
Malta Summit
This meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and George H W Bush reversed much of the provisions of the Yalta Conference 1945. It is seen by some as the beginning of the end of the cold war. -
German Reunification
East and West Germany were reunited as one country. -
End of Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact which allied Communist countries was ended -
START
The Strategic Arms Reduction treaty was signed between Russia and the USA -
Gorbachev resigned
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned. The hammer and sickle flag on the Kremlin was lowered -
Dissolution of the USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formally dissolved on 26 December 1991 by declaration of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. This declaration acknowledged the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union following the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. On the previous day, 25 December 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev had resigned, declaring his office extinct, and handed over the Soviet nuclear missile launching -
Russia formally recognised the end of the Soviet Union
End of the Soviet Union