Cold War

the Soviet Union collapsed.

1991 BCE

the Soviet Union collapsed.

The fall of the Berlin Wall

1989 BCE

Mikhail Gorbachev came to power

1985 BCE

In 1985, the USSR began to change its policies. Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and brought some changes.

Ronald Reagan

1980 BCE

In 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected president of the USA and the period of détente ended.

Saigon had been captured by the Vietcong

1975 BCE

By 1975 Saigon (the South capital) had been captured by the Vietcong.

the USSR and the USA

1972 BCE

In 1972, the USSR and the USA agreed to limit their nuclear weapons and they signed the strategic Arms Limitation Talks Agreement (SALT 1). They planned more arms limitation but the USA refused to sign the SALT 2 agreement (in 1979) after the soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Civil Rights Act

1964 BCE

there were mobilizations in favor of civil rights for black people led by Martin Luther King against racial segregation. Civil Rights Act was finally passed in 1964.

Leonid Brezhnev led the USSR

1964 BCE

Leonid Brezhnev led the USSR between Khrushchev’s death in 1964 and 1982. He stopped all Khrushchev’s reforms.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

1961 BCE

The Democrat John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the president in 1961 and tensions with the eastern bloc were reduced.

Berlin Wall

1961 BCE

In Berlin, 2,5 million people left East Berlin for the West, half of them were young people. A 30 mile barrier (wall) was erected (13th August 1961) across the city of Berlin dividing the Eastern sector from the West.

Castro with USSR

1961 BCE

The USA cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba. Castro began to cooperate with the USSR.In 1961, President Kennedy authorised an invasion of Cuba by rebels trained by the CIA. They landed in the Bay of Pigs, but they were defeated.

Overthrow of government

1959 BCE

In 1959, Castro began a guerrilla war and soon marched on Cuba´s capital, Havana, and overthrew the government.

Treaty of Rome

1957 BCE

It constituted the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC) or Common Market. It was signed by West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It also involved the creation of Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community) for the development and research of the nuclear energy with pacific goals as well as creating a common market of nuclear fuels.

Invasion of Hungary

1956 BCE

Soviet tanks invaded Hungary, killed a lot of people (20,000 Hungarians) and the new Primer Minister, Kadar, was loyal towards Russia.

Fidel Castro

1956 BCE

In 1956, a rebel named Fidel Castro attempted to overthrow the government, but was defeated and forced into exile.

French forces were completely defeated

1954 BCE

Chinese support helped to establish a Communist government in North Vietnam. South East Asia had been controlled by France, but French forces were completely defeated by the North Vietnamese in 1954 (Dien Ben Phu)

France withdrew from Indochina

1954 BCE

By the Geneva Agreement of 1954 France withdrew from Indochina, losing their Empire.

Death of Stalin

1953 BCE

he was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev, who began a process of De-Stalinization to fight the abuse of power of cult of personality of the previous leader. He allowed some level of freedom and speech. The relations with the capitalist bloc enhanced a lot in this period. However there were some critical moments due to Cuba or Berlin.

Truman looked for peace and a cease-fire was agreed on.

1953 BCE

Truman looked for peace and a cease-fire was agreed on.

Treaty of Paris

1951 BCE

It involved the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) It was signed by France, Western Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It created a free-trade area for coal and steel in the signing countries.

the creation of a common market

1950 BCE

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Schuman, proposed on 9th May 1950 the creation of a common market of coal and steel to avoid rivalries and to be more competent. Hence, that day is commemorated as the Day of Europe since it is considered the foundations of the European Union.

two new states were formed

1949 BCE

In 1949 two new states were formed: the German Federal Republic (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic. The frontier between Eastern and Western Europe had been drawn in Berlin.

the Western Powers formed NATO

1949 BCE

In 1949, the Western Powers formed NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) against the communist threat. The Eastern Bloc formed the Warsaw Pact (1955).

Benelux Customs Union

1948 BCE

It was an agreement that was signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in order to remove customs and to promote free movement of capital, goods, and workers.

Communist governments controlled by USSR (Stalin)

1948 BCE

Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Albania and Bulgaria had pro-soviet Communist governments controlled by USSR (Stalin). Under this goverments big companies and banks were nationalised and heavy industry was developed. The land was distribute among the peasents.

the Truman Doctrine

1947 BCE

the period between 1947, the year the Truman Doctrine (a U.S. policy pledging to aid nations threatened by Soviet expansionism) was announced.

the USA and the USSR as a leading nation

1946 BCE

Some European democracies agreed on the foundation of some common institutions to create a European identity: The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, suggested in 1946 that Europe could compete with the USA and the USSR as a leading nation.

Anti-communist measures

1945 BCE

Between 1945 and 1960 there were many anti-communist measures implemented by the Republican presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. A blacklist was drafted with all those likely communist sympathizers within the USA. It is the so-called McCarthyism or Witch-Hunt.