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Yalta Conference
Meeting between Churchill, Roosvelt and Stalin -
V E Day
Germany surrenders to the Russian army -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference formally divided Germany -
Hiroshima
United States dropped first atomic bomb -
Nagasaki
United States dropped second atomic bomb -
V J Day
WWII ended because the Japanese surrendered -
Vietnam Independence
Ho Chi Minh proclamed Vietnam an independent republic -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
Churchill delivers his "Sinews of Peace" speech, containing the famous phrase: "An Iron curtain has descended in Europe" -
Formation of West Germany
The French, USA and UK partitions of Germany were merged to form West Germany -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman promised to help countries facing a Communist takeover -
Marshall Plan
This was a programme of economic aid by the US to any European country. The plan was rejected outright by Stalin and any Eastern Bloc country. So was only given to Western European Countries. -
Berlin Blockade
Russia’s response merger of French, USA and UK partitions of Berlin to cut all road and rail links. So those living in Western Berlin faced starvation. Food brought to Western Berliners by US and UK airplanes, an exercise known as the Berlin Airlift. -
Berlin Blockade
Russia ended the blockade of Berlin -
NATO formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation formed with member states Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK, and the US. -
Korean War
North Korea invaded South Korea. -
Death of Stalin
Joseph Stalin died at the age of 74. He was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev. -
Korean War
war ended. North Korea affiliated with Russia while South Korea was affiliated with the USA. -
Geneva Accords
This set of documents divided Vietnam into North, led by communists, and South, led by the US, states. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was formed with member states East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. -
Suez Crisis
British and French forces invaded Egypt to regain control of the Suez Canal -
Space Race
USSR Sputnik II carried Laika the dog, the first living creature to go into space. -
Space Race
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyvich Gagarin became the first human being in space. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A force of Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, aided by the US government attempted to invade Cuba, they failed. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin wall was built and borders sealed between East and West Germany. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A US spy plane reported sighting the construction of a Soviet nuclear missile base in Cuba. a naval blockade was set up. The Russians agreed to remove the weapons. -
JFK Assassination
JF Kennedy was assassinated. Lee Harvey was arrested for the murder but there has always been speculation that there may have been communist or CIA complicity. -
USSR
Nikita Krushchev removed from office. He was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. -
Vietnam War
150,000 US troops sent to Vietnam. -
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact forces entered Czechoslovakia in a bid to stop the reforms known as ‘Prague Spring’. -
Space Race
US launched Apollo 8 – first manned orbit of the Moon. -
Space Race
US Apollo 11 landed on the Moon and Neil Armstrong became the first man on the Moon. -
Vietnam
The Paris Peace Accords ended American involvement in Vietnam. -
Cambodia Killing fields
The Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia. Any supporters of the former regime were executed in a genocide. -
Vietnam
North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. -
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 President of the United States. -
Afghanistan
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan -
Olympic Boycott by USA
A number of countries including the USA boycotted the summer Olympics in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. -
Olympic boycott by Russia
Russia and 13 allied countries boycotted the summer Olympics in retaliation for the US boycott of 1980. -
Gorbachov leader of USSR
Mikhail Gorbachov became leader of the Soviet Union -
Chernobyl Disaster
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The worst nuclear disaster in history. -
Glasnost and Perestroika
Mikhail Gorbachev announced his intention to follow a policy of glasnost restructuring of government and economy. He also advocated free elections and ending the arms race. -
Malta Summit
Meeting between Mikhail Gorbachov and George H W Bush, beginning of the cold war -
Afghanistan
The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan. -
Tiananmen Square
Anti Communist protests were crushed by the government. The death count is unknown. -
Fall of the Berlin wall
The Berlin wall was torn down -
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution was a series of peaceful protests that led to the overthrow of the Communist government.
It finished in 12/29/1989 -
German reunification
East and West Germany reunited as one country -
End of Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact wich allied Communist countries was ended -
START
The Strategic Arms Reduction treaty was signed between Russia and the US -
Gorbachev resigned
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned. -
End of Soviet Union
Russia formally recognised the end of the Soviet Union
