-
Period: to
Cold War
-
US and USSR form an Alliance
The United States and Russia work together and form an unlikely alliniance after Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. Although these countries were enemies before and had their own set of differeneces, they put these aside and worked together to defeat Germany -
Yalta Confernce
US and Russia form an alliance with each other on a military plan to end the war as well as a subsequent joint occupation of Germany. -
Potsdam Conference
In Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed to recognize each other's influence over regions where their respective troops remained at the end of the war -
Allies defeat Germany
Stalin established soviet controlled governments in the eastern european copuntries occupied by his red army, including Poland. US objected but it wasn't enough to prevent them from arising. -
Germany Divided
At the end of World War II, Germany was placed under military rule adn divided into zones broadly reflecting the positions of the occupying armies. The Soviets occupied the East of Germany while Britain, France, and the US occupied the West of Germany. -
Atomic Bomb
The United States successfully tested the world's first atomic bomb in Alamorgordo, New Mexico. The use of teh bomb dramatically increasted the consequences of armed conflict between the US and USSR. -
Chruchill's Iron Curtain Speech
In the spring of 1946, Winston Churchill visited the US and dleivered his famous Iron CUrtain speech and talked about how the Soviet Union controlled many small countreis and how there was a political schism between the West and East. -
Marshall Plan
The United States introduced the Marshall Plan to provide $17 million in aid of the economy in Europe. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was brought up by President Truman saying that they shall aid all free persons when they are being subjugated by armed forces such as the Soviet Union. For example, the United States granted $400 million to Greece and Turkey to fight off Communist forces. -
NSC 68
President Truman's National Security Council drafteed NSC 68, a secret documetn that would be the blue print fo rhte american policy in the Cold War. Thus, Truman increased his military spending to $50 billion per year. -
Greece and Turkey
The governments of Greece and Turkey were fighting off their Communist Rebellions. Great Britan had been supporting the Greeks against communist but then they became broke and asked for the US to help them which led way to the Truman Doctrine. -
Allied Control Council
France, Great Britain, and the US had announced plans to introduce a new form of currency in Germany. However, they did not consult the Soviet Union about this so the SU officially withdrew itself from the Allied Control Council. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union protested teh new form of currency by instituting a formal blockade of Berlin and cutting off all the inhabitants of West Berlin from all supplies of fuel, power, food, and closing all road, rail and water routes to and from the city. -
Berlin Airlift
The United States began airlifting supplies to Berlin inn attempt to aid West Berlin without starting an armed conflict with the Soviet Union and provided power, fuel, food, medicine and more to the civilians of West Berlin. -
NATO
The US joined Western Nations such as Canda, France, Great Britain, Italy,a nd the Netherlands to form the North Atalantic treaty Organization (NATO). These member nations fomed a military alliance to protect each other fom Soviet aggression. -
Soviet Removed Blockade
After almost one year, Stalin reopened all the routes into West Berlin as he felt that they had lost this battle due to the significantly successful Berlin Aircraft. -
Communist Revolution in China
Mao Zedog successfully led a Communist Revolution in China. Mao allied itslef with the SU and both countries signed a mutual defense and economic aid agreement which alarmingly shocked the United States. -
American Monopoly ended
The American monopoly on nuclear weapons ednded in 1949 when the Soviets perfected their nuclear technology and developed a nuclear weapon of their own. -
Korean War
The Korean War of 1950 increased the American alarm over the spread of communism in Asia as the country of Korea was divided at the 38th paralllel. North Korea supported by the Soviet Union and South Korea supported by the UN and US. -
Invasion of South Korea
The Soviet Union controlled Communist North Korea invaded South Korea with a whole armed force of weaponry and armed foces. However, american official McArthur brilliantly pushed the North Koreans back. -
Hydrogen Bomb
The United States successfully tested the even more powerful nuclear device (than the atomic bomb) the hydrogen bomb and it worked well enough to destroy an entire continent. -
Soviet Union follows
After the testing of the first hydrogen bomb and finding it successful by the United States, the Soviet Union also followed through and found it to be successful for them as well. -
Korean War ends
The Korean War comes to a inastalemate in 1953. -
Warsaw Pact
In response to the NATO, the Soviet Union formed a similar military alliance with Eastern Europea nations such as Czechosloviakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania and this was known as the Warsaw Pact. -
Hungary Riots
More and more hungarian citizens begain rioting and demanded more freedom from their Communist government. Soon, the country of Hungary sent pleas to the US for help however the uprising was crushed and returned to the communist regime again. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin still remained a divided city adn in 1961, the Soviet Union decided to build a strong wall (Berlin wall) to prevent people from escaping to te West and keeping a border between East and West Berlin -
Soviet Union keeps control
Just like how they did in Hungary, the Soviet Union stopped a similar uprisng in Czechoslovakia and most of Eastern europe remained unter strict Soviet control.
