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World War II ends
The second world war ends and Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allies: the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Where each was in charge of managing its own zone. -
Period: to
Phase 1: Confrontation
The first phase of the world war where tensions between USA and USSR escalate -
USSR creates the Cominform
Cominform is an organisation established in October 1947 by Stalin and headed by the Soviet Union. Its official title was the Information Bureau of Communist and Workers' Parties. Its goal was to unite the ideologies of communist nations after the Second World War and help to maintain Soviet influence over its satellite states. -
Truman Doctrine is launched
With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. -
Berlin Blockade
the Soviet Union, aiming to force the Allies out of West Berlin, blockaded all land and water routes into the city, effectively cutting off essential supplies, including food and fuel, to the 2.5 million residents of West Berlin. In response, the Western Allies organized a massive and unprecedented humanitarian effort known as the Berlin Airlift. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was initiated by the United States to help revive the economies of 17 Western and Southern European nations. Its primary goal was to establish a stable environment where democratic institutions could flourish. The United States was concerned that the economic hardships, high unemployment rates in the post-World War II period were reinforcing the appeal of communist parties to voters in Western Europe. -
The USSR forms the Comecon
Comecon, also called Organization for International Economic Cooperation, organization established in January 1949 to facilitate and coordinate the economic development of the eastern European countries belonging to the Soviet bloc. -
NATO is formed
NATO, founded in 1949, is a group of countries including the U.S., UK, France and others, working together for security. They agreed that if one country is attacked, others would help. This idea aimed to stop the Soviet Union's influence during the Cold War. Over time, more countries joined, making NATO a strong force for peace and protection worldwide. -
Korean War
The Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, was a conflict between North Korea (backed by the Soviet Union and China) and South Korea (supported by the United States and other Western countries). The war began when North Korean forces, under the leadership of Kim Il-sung, invaded South Korea, aiming to reunify the country under communist rule. The United Nations, with the United States playing a major role, intervened to support South Korea. . -
Death of Stalin
Stalin dies and Nikita Khrushchev takes his place -
The USSR forms the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a treaty that established a mutual-defense organization (Warsaw Treaty Organization) composed originally of the Soviet Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. (Albania withdrew in 1968, and East Germany did so in 1990). This treaty provided for a unified military command and for the maintenance of Soviet military units on the territories of the other participating states. -
Suez Canal Crisis
The Suez Canal Crisis, also known as the Suez Crisis or Suez War, occurred in 1956 when the Egyptian President nationalized the Suez Canal, a vital waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Previously, the canal was owned by British and French interests. In response to Nasser's nationalization, Britain, France, and Israel joined in a military intervention to regain control of the canal. Under pressure from the U.S. and USSR, the British, French, and Israeli forces withdrew. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution, in 1956, was a nationwide uprising against Soviet-backed government oppression. Hungarians demanded political reforms and freedom from Soviet control. Imre Nagy declared Hungary's independence, but Soviet forces crushed the revolt, leading to a violent suppression. -
Space Race Begins
The space race was a period of competition between the Soviet Union and the United States over who could conquer space exploration first. -
Berlin Wall rises
The Berlin Wall was constructed on August 13, 1961, by the East German government to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin, which was part of democratic West Germany. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban missile crisis, major confrontation that brought the United States and the Soviet Union close to war over the presence of Soviet nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba. Having promised in May 1960 to defend Cuba with Soviet arms, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev assumed that the United States would take no steps to prevent the installation of Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. These actions by the USSR brought the world to the edge of nuclear war during a tense 13-day standoff. -
JFK Assasinated
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 occurred during the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, continued the Cold War policies, but Kennedy's assassination marked a turning point, raising questions about the nation's stability and resilience in the face of Cold War pressures. -
Period: to
Phase 2: Deténte
Period of the easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979. -
USA's Intervention in South Vietnam
The United States' intervention in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War was a significant Cold War-era military and political commitment. Starting in the 1950s and escalating throughout the 1960s, the U.S. provided military and financial assistance to South Vietnam's government, aiming to prevent the spread of communism from North Vietnam. -
Brezhnev Doctrine
The Brezhnev Doctrine was a Soviet foreign policy principle introduced by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in 1968. It stated that the Soviet Union had the right to intervene militarily in any socialist country where the established order was threatened by forces deemed hostile to communism. -
End Of Space Race
The USA ultimately landed humans on the Moon with the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, marking a symbolic victory. Over time, the focus shifted from rivalry to international cooperation, leading to joint missions like the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 and the International Space Station (ISS) in the late 1990s. While the competition had political origins, it paved the way for scientific collaboration and peaceful endeavors in space exploration. -
Helsinki Accords
These accords were a series of agreements aimed at improving relations between Western and Eastern Europe. The document acknowledged the existing national borders in Europe and emphasized respect for human rights, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange among the signing nations. The Helsinki Accords were significant as they encouraged dialogue between Cold War adversaries, promoting détente and setting the stage for greater cooperation in the future. -
Period: to
Phase 3: Rapprochement
Period of improved relations and reduced tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1970s. This phase marked a shift from the earlier confrontational stance of the Cold War toward a more cooperative approach between the superpowers. -
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
the Soviet Union, aiming to support the Afghan communist government, deployed troops to Afghanistan. The move was met with strong international condemnation. The United States, among other Western countries, supported Afghan resistance fighters. The conflict lasted nearly a decade, resulting in a devastating impact on Afghanistan's population and infrastructure. -
End Of USSR
The Soviet Union collapsed. The dissolution of the USSR was a complex process that involved political, economic, and social changes. Several factors contributed to its disintegration, including economic inefficiency, political reforms, nationalist movements within the Soviet republics, and the arms race with the United States. By the end of 1991, 11 of the 15 republics had declared independence, and on December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as the President of the USSR. -
Fall Of The Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall was driven by a convergence of factors, including political reforms in the Soviet Union, growing discontent in East Germany, and an announcement by the East German government that allowed citizens to cross freely into West Berlin. This event led to celebration, and people from both sides began dismantling the wall, symbolizing the end of the Cold War division. The fall of the Berlin Wall eventually paved the way for the reunification of Germany in 1990.