-
World War II ends, which also ends American-Soviet cooperation
-
Berlin blockade and consequent airlift increases tensions
Berlin Blockade: During the Cold War the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. -
Truman establishes the Marshall Plan to contain communist expansion (policy of containment)
Marshall Plan: (European Recovery Program) An American initiative to provide foreign aid to Western Europe, with transferring over $13 billion in economic recovery programs after WWII. Containment: The action or policy of preventing the expansion of a hostile country or influence. -
Creation of NATO to deter any aggression from the Soviet bloc
NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 countries throughout the world. Bloc: A combination of countries, parties, or groups sharing a common purpose. -
Korean War begins after the USSR fails to show up for a veto in the UN, starting the first proxy war
Korean War: A war fought between North and South Korea. Proxy War: Is an armed conflict between two states which act on the instigation or on behalf of other parties as they are not directly involved. -
Creation of the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO through collective security
Warsaw Pact: Was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republics of Central and Eastern Europe. Collective Security: The cooperation of several countries in an alliance to strengthen the security of each. -
The Hungarian Uprising demonstrates that the Warsaw Pact is not ideologically unified, but this liberation movement is crushed by Warsaw Pact forces
Hungarian Uprising: Was a countrywide revolution against the Stalinist government of the Hungarian People's Republic and the Hungarian domestic policies imposed by the USSR. Liberation Movement: An organization or political movement leading a rebellion, or a non-violent social movement, against a colonial power or national government, often seeking independence. -
Khrushchev calls for peaceful co-existence
Peaceful co-existence: Was a theory developed and applied by the Soviet Union at various points during the Cold War so that they could peacefully coexist with the capitalist bloc. -
Berlin Wall is built to prevent further Western expansion in the region
Berlin Wall: A guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided East and West Berlin. Expansion: Extension of a state's territory by encroaching on that of other nations, pursued as a political strategy. -
Cuban Missile Crisis almost leads to a nuclear war between the superpowers due to brinkmanship
Cuban Missile Crisis: A confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of missile sites in Cuba Brinkmanship: The art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics. -
START is signed to reduce the number of nuclear weapons being created as a form of deterrence
Deterrence: The action of discouraging an action or event through instilling doubt or fear of the consequences. -
The Prague Spring ends when the Soviet Union invades, followed by the Brezhnev Doctrine
Prague Spring: Was a period of political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Brezhnev Doctrine: A foreign policy put forth by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev calling on the Soviet Union to intervene, using military, in countries where socialist rule was under threat. -
The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty is signed
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty: An international treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. -
Vietnam War ends, demonstrating the failure of containment and the Domino Theory
Vietnam War: Was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia that was fought between North and South Vietnam. Domino Theory: Was a Cold War policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominos. -
Helsinki Accords provide a degree of détente during the Cold War
Helsinki Accords: Major diplomatic agreements signed in Helsinki, Finland, at the conclusion of the first Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. (were primarily an effort to reduce tension between the Soviet and Western blocs by securing their common acceptance) Détente: The easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries. -
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan leads to an increase of hostilities
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan to support Afghan communist government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas. -
Solidarity trade union organizes the pro-democracy movement in Poland
Solidarity: An independent trade union movement in Poland that developed into a mass campaign for political change and inspired popular opposition to communist regimes across eastern Europe. Pro-democracy movement: Denoting or relating to political activism directed toward the establishment of democratic government in a country. -
Berlin Wall is torn down, a year later Germany is reunified
-
The Warsaw Pact is dissolved, with some members seeking to join NATO
-
The Soviet Union ceases to exist, effectively ending the Cold War
