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Yalta Conference
This conference made important decisions regarding the state of the post-war world, and the state of various countries. -
Attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The first instance of atomic bombing on humans; the United States wanted to send a message to the USSR at the expense of others. -
USSR Tests First Nuclear Weapon
This event prompted the United States' decision to create and test a hydrogen bomb; an escalation of the arms race followed. -
Korean War Begins
A proxy war that gave the United States reason to increase their military funding and training. The first "major" conflict of the Cold War. -
Vietnam War Begins
Fueled the American struggle against the spread of communism; this geopolitical tension further strained the battle between the USSR and the United States. -
Sputnik
The launch of Sputnik increased pre-existing Cold War tensions and kickstarted the space race. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13-day political standoff; the closest the world has come to a nuclear war. -
USSR Invades Afghanistan
The USSR suffered from financial losses and international relations, which contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. -
Berlin Wall Comes Down
The "curtain" that once separated the democratic west and communist east falls. The Cold War began to thaw. -
Soviet Union Collapse
Europe transitions from communism to democracy; the United States becomes the sole superpower in the world.