Cold War

By Tegan22
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    Tehran Conference

    Objective:
    The Grand Alliance met up to discuss the group’s planned invasion of Nazi-occupied France.
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    Soviet Takeover

    Albania (1945), East Germany (1945), Romania (1945), Bulgaria (1946), Poland (1947), Hungary (1948), & Czechoslovakia (1948) were taken control of by Communist Governments.
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    Arms Race

    1945 USA - Atomic Bomb
    1949 USSR - Atomic Bomb
    1952 USA - Hydrogen Bomb
    1953 USSR - Hydrogen Bomb
    1955 USA - Doctrine of Massive Retaliation
    1957 USSR - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
    1958 USA - ICBMs
    1959 USA - Polaris Submarines
    1961 USSR - Tsar Bomba
    1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis
    1968 USSR - Anti-Ballistic Missile system
    1968 USA - MIRV technology
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    Yalta Conference

    Objective:
    Churchill (Britain), Roosevelt (USA) & Stalin (USSR) met up again to decide what to do with Germany once they’re defeated.
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    Potsdam Conference

    Objective:
    Atlee (Britain), Truman (USA) & Stalin (USSR) met up to finalize a post-war settlement and put into action all the things agreed at Yalta.
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    Dropping of the Atomic Bomb

    The USA dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people. Three days later the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people.

  • The Long Telegram

    George Kennan, an official at the US Embassy in Moscow, was asked to provide a summary of what the Soviets were up to. His response became known as The Long Telegram. It stated that the USSR was heavily armed and feared the outside world. It was determined to spread communism and therefore there could be no peaceful co-existence between the USSR and the USA. However, the USA was stronger than the USSR and so communism could be ‘contained’.

  • Churchill's “Iron Curtain speech”

    British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, condemned the Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe in his famous “Iron Curtain speech”. In that speech he noted that the Allies had spent six years fighting for the freedom from Fascism in Europe, only to have half the continent now under Soviet dictatorship.

  • The Novikov Telegram

    The Soviet responded to the telegram on 27th September with The Novikov Telegram, in which the Soviet ambassador to the USA, Nikolai Novikov, warned that the USA had emerged from World War Two economically strong and bent on world domination. As a result, the USSR needed to secure its buffer zone in Eastern Europe.

  • Truman Docrtrine

    Truman delivered a speech, announcing his support for Greece and emphasized that he believed that it was the USA's duty to prevent the spread of communism in Eastern Europe. To achieve this and was prepared to use the USA's political influence and military strength.

  • Cominform

    In response to the Truman Doctrine, the Communist Information Bureau was set up to enable the Soviet Union to coordinate communist parties throughout Europe This was why Hungary & Czechoslovakia were the only countries to have majority support for a communist government.

  • Western Powers created a new Currency

    This was a short-term cause for the Berlin Blockade; It furthered the divide between the East & West.

  • Allied Zones were included in the Marshall Plan

    A short-term cause for the Berlin Blockade; This was seen as a threat to Communism.

  • Soviet Representatives walked out of Allied Control

    Another short term cause of the Berlin Blockade; This broke communication from the USSR with the other zones.

  • Britain’s and the US’s zone merged

    A short term cause for the Berlin Blockade; Stalin saw this as a threat.
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    Berlin Blockade

    The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of Britain, France, and the United States to travel to their sector by cutting off all Land & River transport.
    This was an attempt by Stalin to force the Western Allies to abandon their zones, however, it caused them to suffer from mass shortages of supplies such as food and coal.

  • Marshall Aid

    General George Marshall recommended spending over $12 billion. To to help the economies of Western Europe recover after World War Two and make them less likely to fall prey to communism. Marshall Aid was effectively a propaganda tool - a way of saying “Look how wealthy we are, you don’t need communism. Stick with us and you’ll be wealthy too”. The Aid was offered to all countries, but only Western Europe received as Stalin banned Communist countries from doing so.
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    Berlin Airlift

    The Berlin Blockade failed due to Allies sending Airlifts with Supplies which Stalin was powerless to counter due to the threat of WW3 and the nuclear disadvantage they would have. This left Stalin humiliated from defeat and Truman confident.
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    Berlin Refugee Crisis

    An estimated 4 million East Germans fled to the West, as they were dissatisfied with their economic and political conditions.
    This created a bad impression of life in the Communist East Germany

  • Comecon

    In response to the Marshall Aid the Council for Mutual Assistance was set up to financially secure countries in Eastern Europe.
    This gave the Soviet Union control of the economies in these states, access to their resources and the ability to encourage economic specialisation (production of certain materials) within the Soviet Blockade.

  • NATO Established

    NATO was formed in April 1949 to resist an attack by the USSR on the USA or its Allies in Western Europe, as an armed attack on its members would mean an attack on them all.
    Members included: the USA, UK, Canada, West Germany, Portugal, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Iceland, Italy and Luxembourg.

  • Warsaw Pact Established

    The Warsaw Pact was formed in May 1955 to resist an attack from NATO on the Soviet Blockade by the USA or its NATO Allies, as an armed attack on its members would mean an attack on them all.
    Members included: USSR, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany (GDR), Albania.
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    Geneva Conference

    Khrushchev and Eisenhower were seeking a new agreement on Berlin. Although no solution to the ultimatum was found, relations between the two leaders improved and Khrushchev agreed to consider a trip to the USA for another summit meeting the following year.
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    Hungarian Uprising

    Inspired by, Khrushchev's De-Stalinisation Policy Hungarians decided to protest against Rakoshi who was eventually replaced by Nagy under the formation of a New Liberal Government
    His reforms included: Free Elections, Total Withdrawal from the Soviet Army, Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact and Neutrality in the Cold War.
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    Soviet Invasion

    Soviets refused to accept Nagy's reforms as it would have left a gap in their Buffer Zone so they responded by invading and executing around 26,000 Hungarians including Nagy who was later replaced by Kadar.
    Although the revolution, was lost Kadar allowed them some more freedom.
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    Space Race

    1957 USSR - Sputnik 1
    1958 USSR - Sputnik 2
    1959 USSR - Luna 1
    1959 USA - Pioneer 4
    1959 USSR - Luna 2
    1960 USA - Discovery XIV
    1961 USSR - Yuri Gagarin
    1961 USA - Apollo missions
    1961 USA - Alan Shepard
    1969 USA - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

  • Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum Issued

    Khrushchev accused the allies of breaking the Potsdam Division agreement and demanded that they leave Berlin within 6 months Eisenhower did not want to give in to Khrushchev’s demands, and believed a military presence was necessary to protect West Berlin’s freedom. It was agreed to hold a summit meeting to resolve the ultimatum.

  • Cuban Revolution

    By the 1950’s Cuba was ruled by Batista, a dictator, hated by many Cubans but supported by the U.S. However, he was overthrown by socialist leader, Castro in 1959. He took all American property located in Cuba and removed all US political influence. In response the US imposed a trade embargo on Cuban goods, depriving Cubans of a market for their sugar and tobacco and the income to import oil and other essential goods. This led to Castro turning to the USSR for help.

  • U2 Spy Plane Incident

    Before the Paris Summit, an American Spy craft was caught spying on the USSR.
    The USA claimed the U2 was a weather-monitoring plane that had lost its way. However, the film retrieved by the Soviets from the plane clearly indicated that Powers had been on a spying mission.
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    Camp David Summit

    The fact that Eisenhower had invited Khrushchev to the official US presidential residence at Camp David, and that Khrushchev had agreed to set foot on US soil, demonstrated the respect the two leaders had for each other.
    Although no agreement on the long-term fate of Berlin was reached, the ultimatum on Berlin was withdrawn by Khrushchev, and it was agreed that further negotiations would take place in Paris the following year.
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    Paris Summit

    Eisenhower, arrived in Paris for the summit meeting the Soviet leader, Khrushchev, demanded he apologise for the mission, and when Eisenhower refused, Khrushchev walked out of the Summit. This led the Summit to fail as there was no Test Ban Treaty, no deal on Berlin or Cuba and tensions worsened between the superpowers.
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    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    John F. Kennedy approved a plan to invade Cuba and overthrow communism. The CIA landed 1,400 Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba with the aim of provoking an anti-communist uprising. Almost at the last minute, Kennedy cancelled an order that had promised the Cuban resistance US Air Force. This meant that the rebels were easily defeated when they were met by 20,000 heavily armed Cuban troops and were all captured or killed. This made Kennedy look weak and aggressive.
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    Vienna Conference

    Khrushchev believed he might be able to dominate the younger and inexperienced Kennedy. He reissued the ultimatum on Berlin at a conference in Vienna and once again gave the US six months to withdraw. However, Kennedy refused to withdraw the American troops and in fact increased defence expenditure in Berlin in case of a conflict with the USSR.

  • Construction begins for the Berlin Wall

    As a consequence from the Vienna Conference, Soviet authorities in East Germany sealing off East Berlin by constructing a huge barbed wire barrier. This was soon replaced by a concrete wall, complete with lookout towers and armed guards who had orders to shoot anyone trying to cross into the Western sector. This stopped refugees from fleeing, the sight of capitalism and espionage.
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    Cuban Missile Crisis

    On 14 October 1962, an American spy plane flying over Cuba took pictures that showed the construction of Soviet missile launch sites. Experts estimated that they would be ready to fire in seven days. Meanwhile, another American spy plane discovered 20 Soviet ships carrying nuclear missiles to Cuba.
    President Kennedy set up a naval blockade and demanded the removal of the missiles. War was averted when the Russians agreed to remove the weapons. The United States agreed not to invade Cuba.

  • Hotline Agreement

    As consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a hotline was installed between the U.S.A. and the USSR, to ease communications between the two superpowers.

  • Limited Test Ban Treaty

    A treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.
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    Prague Spring Reforms

    A series of reforms introduced by Dubcek to improve Economic, Democratic, Political, and Social Conditions in Czechoslovakia.
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    Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia

    Thousands of Soviet Troops invaded Czechoslovakia to deter other eastern countries from introducing similar reforms. Dubcek was arrested and forced to end his efforts towards democracy.

  • Brezhnev Doctrine

    A consequence of the Soviet's invasion of Czechoslovakia; It allowed military intervention from the Warsaw Pact if a member tried to leave the Soviet sphere of influence or moderate socialism.

  • Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I

    Aimed to limit the nuclear capabilities of the superpowers: no further strategic ballistic missiles were to be produced and submarine missiles were only to be introduced when existing stocks of ICBM became obsolete. The treaty also permitted the shooting down of nuclear missiles.
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    Yom Kippur War

    Hoping to win back territory lost to Israel Egyptian and Syrian (armed by the USSR) forces launched a coordinated attack against Israel (armed by the USA) on Yom Kippur.
    This increased tensions due to the direct involvement of the superpowers and the risk of nuclear confrontation (The Soviet Union threatened to intervene with its own military forces, including nuclear weapons, if the United States didn't pressure Israel to withdraw.)

  • Space Link-Up

    During the Apollo-Soyuz space mission, 3 USSR and 2 US astronauts met up in space, producing a symbolic handshake between the sides.
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    Helsinki Agreement

    An international conference where various nations (including USA and USSR) met to sign an agreement prioritizing: Security
    Cooperation
    Human Rights. However the Soviet Union violated this agreement by continuing to restrict aspects of freedom including political and religious views.

  • Taraki's Assasination

    Build up to the Soviet's Invasion of Afghanistan; The Afghan politician, Amin, arranged for the murder of the communist Prime Minister, Taraki, seizing control and then entered discussions with the US.

  • Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II

    Because SALT I was only temporary, Carter wanted to impose longer-term nuclear reductions (planned to last until 1985).
    The following agreements were made:
    - A limit of 1320 MIRV systems for each side.
    - A limit of 2400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles for each side.
    - A ban on new ICMB launchers.
    - The 1974 Vladivostok agreement stated that 2250 nuclear warheads would be reduced from nuclear stocks.
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    Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

    Many Afghans rejected the new communist government because its atheism was at odds with their Muslim faith. The communists imprisoned, tortured and murdered many Muslim religious leaders leading to the formation of an anti-communist resistance movement known as the Mujahideen. Soviet troops invaded, assassinating Amin replacing him with a pro-Moscow leader, Karmal. This dragged on until 1988 when the Soviet leader, Gorbachev, signed a deal to end the war.

  • Moscow Olympics Boycott

    As a consequence of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan; the United States ,initiated by the president, boycotted the Moscow Olympics, hosted by the Soviet Union in protest of the Soviet Invasion.

  • Carter Doctrine

    A consequence of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan; introduced by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to extend their policy of containment to the Middle East by pledging military support to defend national interests especially the Persian Coast.

  • LA Olympic Games Boycott

    As a consequence of the Moscow Olympics boycott; the Soviet Union, initiated by the president, boycotted the LA Olympic Games, hosted by the U.S in protest of the previous boycott.

  • End of the Brezhnev Doctrine

    Gorbachev's New Thinking: Glasnost Policy of Openness which encouraged an
    end to Censorship led to the end of the
    Brezhnev Doctrine Perestroika Policy for Economic Reconstruction led to a speech renouncing the Doctrine

  • Fall of Communism

    As a consequence of Gorbachev's New Thinking and the Collapse of the Berlin Wall, many Eastern Countries such as Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia began to see the fall of Communism.

  • Sinatra Doctrine

    A replacement of the Brezhnev Doctrine to prioritise freedom.

  • Collapse of the Berlin Wall

    After months of mass peaceful protests, a miscommunication during a press conference from an East German official led to the announcement led to the false announcement that East Germans could freely travel to the West. This unexpected announcement caused border guards to become overwhelmed by the flock of East Germans and eventually opened the checkpoints allowing people to pass freely.

  • The Fall of the Warsaw Pact

    Due to the loss of economic influence, cease of military cooperation (1990), and the Soviet Union being on the verge of Collapse, the Warsaw Pact officially disbanded.

  • The Collapse of the Soviet Union

    This ended the Cold War.