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Period: to
Cold War Timespan
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Stalin's Speech
Stalin gives a speech saying that the two world wars were caused by capitalism. He states that communism and capitalism cannot coexist. -
Winston Churchill's Speech
Winston Churchill gives his "Sinews of Peace" speech. He describes Soviet power as an "Iron Curtain" descending on Europe. -
Warsaw Pact formed
In response to the West's NATO, the Soviets form the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was a communist military alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe communist governments. -
Berlin Blockade
Soviets begin to block all access to West Berlin. The blockade lasts 11 months. -
Berlin Airlift
Britain and the US deliver provisions such as food and medical supplies to West Berlin in the Berlin Airlift. The Soviets end the blockade on May 12 1949. -
NATO formed
Canada, the US, and ten other European nations join to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was an anti-Soviet military alliance created to extend America's nuclear deterrence through Western Europe. -
Soviet Union's first atom bomb
The Soviet Union tests their first atomic bomb. This comes as a shock to the United States, who weren't expecting the Soviets to have already developed nuclear technology. -
US's first hydrogen bomb
The United States detonate their first hydrogen bomb. This weapon is a thousand times more powerful than any atomic bomb. -
Soviet's first hydrogen bomb
Nine months after the United States tested their first H-bomb, the Soviet Union developed one of their own. Both countries were trying to develop weapons faster than the other, and the arms race began. -
Sputnik Launched
The Soviet Union launches the world's first satellite, Sputnik. The Space Race begins. -
Explorer I launched
Explorer I, the United States' first satellite, is launched. Competitiveness in space exploration continues. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States threatens war after the Soviet Union places nuclear weapons in Cuba. Both sides are close to starting a nuclear war. -
Soviet Union dissolves
After the Soviet government began to crumble, and its republics declared independence, the Soviet Union finally fell. The Cold War was officially over.
