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Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, 1945Gathering at Yalta, Roosevelt and Churchill discussed with Stalin that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan. In exchange for Soviet participation in the Pacific theater, the Soviets would be granted influence in Manchuria following Japan’s surrender. The Allied leaders also discussed the future of Germany, Eastern Europe and the United Nations. -
Berlin Declaration
Berlin Declaration The supreme commanders of the Western powers met for the first time with their colleague from the Soviet Union. They signed the Berlin Declaration, stating the surrender of Germany and the assumption of supreme authority by the four victorious powers. Tensions between the Western powers and the Soviet Union created a situation in which it was hard to trust eachother. -
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam ConferenceSoviet leader Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Harry Truman met to negotiate terms for the end of World War II. After Germany surrendered, the Allied leaders agreed to meet over the summer at Potsdam to continue the discussions that had begun at Yalta. -
North Vietnam
North Vietnam Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945.During the eight-year war, Mao Zedong’s Chinese communists supported the Viet Minh, while the U.S. aided the French and anti-communist Vietnamese forces. Vietnam was divided into northern and southern regions. -
Iron Curtain Speech
Iron Curtain Speech Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke primaryly of having an even closer “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain.The British, Americans, and Russians-allies against Hitler less than a year before the speech were drawing the battle lines of the Cold War. -
First Indochina War (1946)
First Indochina War The First Indochina War was a major conflict in the Asian region known as Indochina. The war was fought by France, the long-time colonial ruler in the Indochina, and Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian Communist rebel forces. The United States and Great Britain supporting the French side, while the Soviet Union and China supported the rebels with equipment and training. -
Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan The plan promoted European economic integration and federalism and created a mixture of public organization of private economy similar the domestic economy of the United States. The Marshall Plan successfully sparked economic recovery.Americans saw the plan as generous to Europe while the Soviet Union viewed it as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of other states and refused to participate. -
Conainment Policy
Containment Policy Kennan’s ideas became the basis of the Truman administration’s foreign policy. It first came to public attention as an anonymous contribution to the journal Foreign Affairs.Kennan’s article implied that the United States should face down the Soviet Union and its Communist allies whenever there was a risk of them gaining influence. -
Berlin Blockade
Berlin Blockade The Soviet Union blocked all roads and rail traffic to and from West Berlin to try and push the United States out of Berlin. In West Berlin (U.S. side), panic began as its population worried about shortages of necessities. The U.S. responded by having a massive airlift of supplies coming into West Berlin. -
Berlin Airlift
Berlin AirliftIn response to the Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United States began a massive airlift of supplies such as food, water and medicine to the citizens. President TRuman's administration wanted a direct military response but Truman believed that it would cause WWlll. Instead he ordered for massive airlifts with supplies. The Soviets kept the blockade until May 1949. -
NATO
NATO The United States and 11 other nations established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They agreed to a mutual defense pact aimed at containing possible Soviet aggression against Western Europe. Not all Americans embraced NATO. Most saw it as a necessary response to the communist threat. NATO lasted throughout the course of the Cold War and it still continues to play an important role in post-Cold War Europe. -
Soviet Union tests A-Bomb
Soviet Union tests A-Bomb At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, the USSR successfully detonates its first atomic bomb. It's code name was “First Lightning.” The Soviet scientists constructed buildings, bridges, and other civilian structures in the vicinity of the bomb to measure it's effects. They also placed animals in cages nearby so that they could test the effects of nuclear radiation. -
People’s Republic of China founded
People’s Republic of China founded Communist revolutionary Mao Zedong officially proclaims the existence of the People’s Republic of China. The proclamation was the climax of years of battle between Mao’s communist forces and the regime of Nationalist Chinese leader who had been supported with money and arms from the American government. China's loss was a severe blow to the United States. -
Second Red Scare
Second Red Scare Americans feared that the Soviet Union hoped to spread communism all over the world. Once the United States no longer had to concentrate its efforts on winning World War II, many Americans became afraid that communism might spread to the United States and threaten the nation's democratic values.This fear of communism reached the federal government. -
Korean War - American involvement
Korean War - American involvement The Korean War was started when armed forces from communist North KOrea came into South Korea.Acting under the United Nations, the United States went straight to the defense of South Korea and fought a bloody and frustrating war over the next three years.The Korean War was the first “hot” war of the Cold War. The Korean War never really gained popular support. -
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
<a href='http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/april-5-1951-judge-sentences-julius-and-ethel-rosenberg-to-death-for-espionage/?_r=0' > Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. The husband and wife were accused of leading a spy ring during WWll that provided the Soviet Union with intel on the U.S. developing the atomic bomb. Although they never confessed they were tried as gulity. -
Eisenhower Presidency
Eisenhower Presidency Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of Allied forces in Western Europe during WWll, led the massive invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe that began on D-Day. Eisenhower managed Cold War-era tensions with the Soviet Union and authorized a number of covert anti-communist operations by the CIA around the world. -
Iranian coup d’état
Iranian coup d’état Modern Iranian history took a hard turn when a U.S.- and British-backed coup overthrew the country’s prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh.The event influenced the Iranians who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran later that year. -
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev Six months after the death of Soviet leader Stalin, Khrushchev succeeds him with his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.Khrushchev denounced Stalin and his totalitarian policies. The new atmosphere of freedom led to anti-Soviet revolts in Poland and Hungary. The Hungarian rebellion was crushed by Warsaw Pact troops and tanks. -
Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact The Soviet Union and seven of its European satellites sign a treaty establishing the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defense organization that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states. Those who signed this were the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria.The Warsaw Pact remained intact until 1991. -
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution Students, who gathered at Budapest Technical University to protest the hard-line Stalinist government.The more days the protest lasted, the more people joined in. People gathered and demanded to hear Imre Nagy speak.the crowd destroyed a statue of Joseph Stalin and tried to seize control of a local radio station from governmental forces, in the fighting that ensued twenty people died. -
Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis After president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal in July, Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt toward the Suez Canal. French and British forces later joined the Israelis.By the French and British forces joining it nearly brought the Soviet Union into the conflict, and damaged their relationships with the United States. -
Sputnik
Sputnik With its launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, the Soviet Union starts the “Space Age”. The spacecraft was named Sputnik after the Russian word for “satellite,” and was launched at 10:29 p.m. Sputnik was launched to correspond with the International Geophysical Year. Many Americans feared more sinister uses of the Soviets’ new rocket and satellite technology. -
Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fall from power by fleeing the island nation. The fomer Cuban dictator fled because he was in the face of a revolution led by Fidel Castro. SInce the U.S. government had supported Batista, they tried to fins a middle road between Batista and Castro. Cuba supported Castro and the U.S. plan failed. Batista & his supporters fled CUba & many celebrated. -
U2 Incident
U2 Incident An American U2 spy plane was shot down while searching over the Soviet Union. The U-2 spy plane was a part of the CIA. The CIA assured President Eisenhower that the Soviets didn't possess any anti-aircraft weapons that was advanced enough to shoot down high-altitude planes.Khrushchev launched into a rant against the U.S. and Eisenhower stormed out of the summit and it was called off. -
Kennedy Presidency
Kennedy Presidency John F Kennedy became the youngest man ever to be elected as president of the United States. This was the first time presidential candidates engaged in televised debates. Kennedy claimed that he looked forward to meeting the challenges facing the strongest nation in the Free World and soon had to. Kennedy appeared to be overwhelmed. -
First Man in Space
source Aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, 27 year old soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin becomes the first human being to travel into space. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and became a worldwide celebrity. The Soviet space program in putting the first man into space was a great blow to the United States who planned to do so in a month. -
Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs The Bay of Pigs invasion began when a CIA-financed & -trained group of Cuban refugees landed in Cuba and attempted to collapse the communist government of Fidel Castro. It was a complete failure. Kennedy gave the word to attack but was surprised by the unexpected rapid counterattacks and lost. The U.S. faliure cost them greatly. Castro then asked the Soviet Union for additional military aid. -
Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie The border was closed and ten days later tourists from abroad, diplomats and military personnel of Western Powers were only allowed to enter East Berlin using the crossing point at Berlin Friedrichstrasse.The main function of the checkpoint was to register and inform members of the Western Military Forces before entering East Berlin. Foreign tourists were informed but not checked in the West. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall At the end of WWll, Germany was divided into four Allied parts. Berlin was the main focus. The East side of Berlin, Soviets, launched a blockade of West Berlin, U.S. The U.S. responded by an airlife that brought supplies to their side from above. Disatisfied East Germans wanted to go to the West side for a democratic life. The Berlin wall was put up to stop that. -
JFK Assassination
JFK Assassination First lady Jacqueline Kennedy was beside Kennedy with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots from above in a building, fatally wounding President Kennedy. Kennedy was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Johnson accused the North Vietnamese of “open aggression on the high seas” because the Maddox and another destroyer reported that they were fired on by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. When more information about the Tonkin incident became available, many concluded that Johnson and his advisers had tricked Congress into supporting the expansion of the war. -
SALT I
SALT I President Johnson announced that the Soviet Union had begun to construct a limited Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) defense system around Moscow. He then called for the strategic arms limitations talks (SALT). Abolition of nuclear weapons would be impossible but, limiting the development of both offensive and defensive strategic systems would stabilize U.S.-Soviet relations. -
Prague Spring
source In the first few months of Dubcek's rule, he introduced a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms, including increased freedom of speech and rehabilitation of political dissidents. Dubcek’s effort to create “communism with a human face” was celebrated across the country. The brief period of freedom became known as the “Prague Spring.” -
Vietnam War - American involvement
Vietnam War - American involvement The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries were fight together against North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces. North Vietnam believed that a successful attack on major cities might force the United States to negotiate or perhaps even to withdraw. The North Vietnamese hoped it would help stop the ongoing escalation of guerilla attacks and bombing in the North. -
Tet Offensive
source About 70,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive. This was a coordinated series of fierce attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. The plan was made in an attempt both to foment rebellion among the South Vietnamese population and encourage the United States to scale back its support of the Saigon regime. The attacks were the begining of U.S. withdrawal. -
Nixon Presidency
Nixon Presidency After successfully ending American fighting in Vietnam & improving international relations with the U.S.S.R. & China, he became the only President to ever resign the office. The Watergate scandal brought new divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. WIthin a few months, his great reputation was ruined by the Watergate scandal. Nixon denied any personal involvement. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 with commander Neil Armstrong is the first man to land on the moon. With more than half a billion people watching on television, Armstong climbs down the ladder and proclaims: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Then he went to a spot to leave the American flag behind as honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
source This treaty seeked to inhibit the spread of nuclear weapons. Under the treaty, the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom, NWS, commited to pursue general and complete disarmament. Only South Sudan, India, Israel, and Pakistan remaining outside the treaty -
Nixon visits China
source President Richard Nixon takes the first step toward normalizing relations with the communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) by traveling to Beijing for a week of talks. Nixon didn't seem like the type of perspn who would do somehting like this but he did. However, his trip caused a deeper wedge between the two most signifcant communist powers. -
Détente
source This was a time where the U.S. and the Soviet Union were living in a period of time where realtions had improved. Both countries stood to gain if trade could be increased and the danger of nuclear warfare reduced. With the election of Ronald Regan, détente as Nixon had envisioned it came to an end. -
SALT II
source SALT I did not prevent each side from enlarging their forces. SALT II agreement included a 2,400 limit on strategic nuclear delivery vehicles for each side; a 1,320 limit on MIRV systems; a ban on new land-based ICBM launchers; and limits on deployment of new types of strategic offensive arms. -
Paris Peace Accords
source The United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam formally sign “An Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam” in Paris. The settlement included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam. The United States agreed to the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and advisors and to get rid of all U.S troops and advisors. The North Vietnamese agreed to release all U.S. and other prisoners of war. -
Chilean coup d’état
source U.S. President Nixon called CIA Director Richard Helms to the White House and ordered him in no uncertain terms to prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him. Chile’s armed forces stage a coup d’état against the government of President Salvador Allende. Allende survived the aerial attack but then apparently shot himself to death as troops stormed the burning palace. -
Yom Kippur War
source Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar hoping to win back territory lost to Israel during the third Arab-Israeli war. By taking the enemy by surprise and by spliting and going to block different sides, they receptured the Golan Heights. -
Fall of Saigon
source The outskirts of Saigon were reached by the North Vietnamese. The U.S. knew that their presence would soon be unwelcomed. The surrender of Saigon was announced by the South Vietnamese president, General Duong Van Minh.On April 30th, the North Vietnamese Army took over Saigon with little resistance, and it was quickly renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of their revolutionary leader. The U.S. withdrew from Vietnam. -
Khmer Rouge & the “Killing Fields”
source The "KIlling Fields" are a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Communist Khmer Rouge regime. Khmers rouges were the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea in Cambodia. The organization is remembered especially for orchestrating the Cambodian genocide. -
Iranian Revolution
source The Shah, Iran's ruler for nearly four decades, had fled the country. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shiite Muslim cleric who had worked for years to overthrow the Shah, was still in exile in Paris, but vowing to return and form an Islamic government. A million people took to the streets to cheer on Khomeini and denounce the Shah. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
source A group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took more than 60 American hostages. They did this because of President Carter’s decision to allow Iran’s deposed Shah, a pro-Western autocrat who had been expelled from his country some months before, to come to the United States for cancer treatment. The students want to declare a break with Iran’s past and an end to American interference in its affairs. -
Reagan Presidency
source Reagan’s public image was closely tied to the American West because he was a former Western movie actor. Reagan redefined the center in American politics, moving it away from the liberal Democrats and towards the conservative Republicans. -
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
source As the Korean Airlines (KAL) flight 007 was approaching its final destination, the plane began to veer far off its normal course.the plane flew into Russian airspace and crossed over the Kamchatka Peninsula, where some top-secret Soviet military installations were known to be located. The Soviets sent two fighters to intercept the plane. Everyone on board was killed. -
Reagan and Gorbachev meet
source The leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States hold a summit conference. Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev produced no earth-shattering agreements.Six agreements were reached, ranging from cultural and scientific exchanges to environmental issues. Both parties were satisfied with what was agreed on. -
Reykjavik Summit
source The leaders of the world’s two superpowers met at the stark and picturesque Hofdi House in Reykjavik, Iceland. After the negotiations broke down without a final agreement, Reagan wrote that he left the meeting knowing how close they had come to achieving his long goal of eliminating the threat of nuclear destruction, and that this was the angriest moment of his career. -
“Tear Down This Wall” speech
source Regan's speech was heard from both sides of the Berlin wall. He wanted there to be more openess and freedom. Reagan declared that the Berlin Wall offered the Soviets and their president, Mikhail Gorbachev, an opportunity to make a sign of sincerity and fredom and peace. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Tiananmen Square Massacre For about three weeks,about a million Chinese crowded into central Beijing objecting for greater democracy & departures of Chinese Communist Party leaders. Chinese troops stormed through the square & fired randomly into the crowds of protesters.U.S. Congress voted economic sanctions against People’s Republic of China in response to the brutality of human rights. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Fall of the Berlin Wall The spokesman for East Berlin’s Communist Party announced a change in his city’s relations with the West. Citizens were free to cross the country’s borders. East and West Berliners flocked to the wall, drank beer and champagne and chated to open the gate. When it was opened they flooded through the checkpoints. A large celebration was held in this reunification of the East and West Germany. -
Gulf War
source Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait. Alarmed Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene. The Persian Gulf War was initially considered an unqualified success for the international coalition. -
Dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991)
Dissolution of the Soviet Union A few days earlier, representatives from 11 Soviet republic smet in the Kazakh and announced that they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union.They declared they would establish a Commonwealth of Independent States. Only one of its 15 republics, Georgia, remained and the once-mighty Soviet Union had fallen
