Cold War Era Timeline

By pH Reflex
  • Period: to

    Cold War Era

  • Russian Revolution

    Bolshevik Revolution led by Lenin overthrows Tsar Nicholas II. Lenin had domestic support, primarily the lower class, while the Tsar was supported by the West.

  • Manhattan Project begins

  • Yalta Conference

    The Big Three meet in Yalta and come to the following conclusions; 1. Russia will enter the Pacific War in exchange for loss of territory in the Russo-Japanese War. 2. United Nations would contain the General Assembley for all members and a Security Council for the US, France, England, Soviet Union and China which would all have veto powers. There we however, unable to reach a conclusion on Germany.

  • Potsdamn Conference

    Truman denounces Soviet violation of the Yalta accords. Truman unwillingly accepts the adjustment of the Polish-German border which Russia has wanted for a long time. He however refuses to accept that West Germany would have to pay reparations to Russia.

  • Manhattan Project - Atomic Bombs

    Secret Research and Development project that was reponsible for the creation of the Atomic bomb. Two atomic bombs were used on Hirsoshima and Nagasaki to bring the pacific theatre to a close. Eventually led to the "Arms Race"

  • Communist Revolution (China)

    Communist Party of China led by Mao Zedong and supported by Russia gains control of China. World War 2 and the Japanese Invasion has destroyed popular support for the old nationalist government. The deposed government retreats to Taiwan and establishes the Republic Of China.

  • NATO Established

    12 Nations including Turkey, Greece, and Itialy decide that invasion on one nation would be an invasion against all. The NATO kept a standing military forces in Europe to counter a possible Soviet invasion.

  • Korean War

    North Korea invades South Korea and forces the UN led by General Douglas McArthur to retaliate. Surprise attack at Inchon by UN forces pushes the front all the way to the border of China but are pushed back to the 38th Parallel due to Chinese reinforcements.

  • Warsaw Pact signed

    Soviet Union and 8 other satellite nations for the Warsaw Pact to counter the NATO.

  • Sputnik Launched

    Russians launch the first earth orbiting satellite into space. This causes panic in the United States and leads to the creation and funding of NASA.

  • Cuban Revolution

    Fidel Castro overthrows the Batista Regime and the US responds by cutting off diplomatic relations. This isolationism leads to a concrete alliance between Castro and the Soviet Union.

  • U-2 Crisis

    An American U-2 plane was shot down over Soviet Territory during a aerial recon mission. This results in the breaking of the Paris Summit.

  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

    2000 Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba with Kennedy's thumbs up. A lack of Air support and failure to create an uprising leads to the operation ending in total failure for the CIA.

  • Berlin Wall erected

    East German government under direct orders from Moscow create the Berlin Wall to divide East Berlin from West Berlin. This would prevent East Germans from escaping communism and joining Democratic West Germany.

  • Cuban Missile Crsis

    American Aerial recon showed that the Soviets were creating missile sites for nuclear weapons on Cuba. This was meant as a counter to the US missiles located in Turkey. Both sides didnt want to launch and escalate into a war and as a result came to a compromise. Russia would remove the missiles if the United States agreed not to invade Cuba.

  • Vietnam War Begins

    North Vietnam supported by communist China and Russia along with the Vietcong (Pro communist South Vietnamese) face off again the AVRN and US forces. The Vietcong engage against the south through a war fought by "Guerilla" Warfare. Because of this, the United States was unable to locate and destroy enemy targets.

  • Nixon visits China

    Nixon visits China and begins to create low level diplomatic relations with the communist government under Mao Zedong. This eventually resulted in expelling Taiwan as the Chinese official government and recognized the new government as the governing one of China. Also, animosity towards the Chinese reduced.

  • Vietnam War ends

    Last Americans air-evacuated off a rooftop in Saigon, bringing the Vietnam war to a close.

  • Soviets invade Afghanistan

    The Soviets invade Afghanistan. They fought against the Mujahideen and rebel Afghan Army units. the United States and many other Islamic nations provided arms and funds to the Mujahideen to prevent the Soviets from winning.

  • Reagan leads USA

    Reagan had a great public image and tried to revitalize the effort in fighting communism and growth of the economy. He was surronded by administrators who helped create and support his decisions. (1981-1989)

  • USA creates SDI

    President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983. SDI would research lasers and satellites that would act as an effective shield against missiles and thus, render nuclear threat as obsolete. However, the plan seemed unrealistic and the soviets even responded by stating that the SDI would elevate the arms race to a new level.

  • "Tear Down This Wall!" Speech

    Reagan challenged Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall to show his desire for increasing freedom in the Eastern Bloc. This would allow East Germans to move to West Germany.

  • Mikhail Gorbachev

    Gorbachev was the head of state for the Soviet Union beginning in 1988. He introduced "Glasnost" or, Openness which would dismantle repressive mechanics of communism. He also introduced Reform, the revitilization of the dead, harsh Soviet Economy by introducing capitalism and private ownership. He also encouraged reducing Soviet influence in Eastern bloc nations.

  • Last Soviet forces pull out of Afghanistan

    Final Soviet forces leave Afghanistan, bringing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to a close.

  • Tiananmen Square

    Chinese students were peacefully demonstrating for greater democracy and instead were rewarded with bullets. This restored radicals into power but also strengthened democratic and pro-west resolve.

  • Fall of the Berlin Wall

    The Berlin Walls begins to be torn down. East German refugees overrun the wall guards who were guarding the border and escape into West Germany.

  • USSR Abolished

    Unsucessful coup leads to deterioration and lack of support for the Communists. Gorbachev steps to power but resigns and the communist party as well as the soviet government ceased to exist.