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Yalta Conference
The Big Three (Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin) meet in Yalta, Crimea to discuss the re-establishment of European governments after WWII. The Cold War officially starts. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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VE Day
World War II ended in the European theater. -
VJ Day
World War II comes to an end after Japan's surrender after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which brought about Soviet interest in nuclear weapons. -
Stalin's Speech
Joseph Stalin gives a hostile speech, suggesting that Communism and Capitolism are incompatible. -
Iron Cutrain Speech
Winston Churchill delivers a speech in Fulton, Missouri saying that an "iron curtain has descended upon [Europe]" which is an analogy for the divison between Communist and Democratic countries. -
Communist Albania
Albania becomes the first Communist country in Europe. -
Communist Poland
Communist forces seize power in Poland. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was enacted, which allowed the United States to provide militaryand economic aid to any country believed to be under the threat of Communist expansion. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, created by Secretary of State George C. Marshall, was the plan to provide economic assistance to democratic countries in Europe. -
Rio Pact
The U.S. enters a pact with nineteen Latin America countries, in which if one is attacked, it is considered an attack on all countries. -
Berlin Airlift Begins
American and British airplanes move supplies into Berlin to help the starving Berliners during the Soviet blockade. -
NATO Established
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, composed of USA, Canada, France, Britain, Benelux, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Greece and Italy, if founded. -
Berlin Airlift ends
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The USSR detonates its first atomic bomb.
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Communist China
Communist forces in China triumph in the Chinese Civil War, allowing Mao Zedung to come to power. -
Hydrogen Bomb
President Truman announces that the US will begin to create the hydrogen bomb, which turned out to be one thousand times as powerful as the atomic bomb. -
McCarthyism
Senator Joseph McCarthy begins to accuse others of being communists, which leads to blacklisting of individuals. -
Korean War
The Korean War starts as communist North Korea invades democratic South Korea. The UN sends forces to help South Korea. -
Korean War ends
The Korean War ends, leaving Korea divided at almost the same spot that is was before the war started. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union's retaliation to the formation of NATO, is formed between the countries of the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. -
The Vietnam War begins
The Vietnam War begins when communist North Vietnam invades democratic South Korea. The US sends troops to help defend South Vietnam. -
Sputnik
The Soviet satellite Sputnik is launched into space, making the USSR the first nation to be able to enter space. -
Communist Cuba
Forces led by Fidel Castro overthrow the Cuban president and establish a communist government. -
U2 Incident
A US spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union. -
Bay of Pigs invasion
US-trained Cuban exiles invade Cuba with US support in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. The attempt failed. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Nuclear missiles found in Cuba lead to increased tensions between the Soviet Union and the US. After two weeks, the USSr and US reach an agreement that the USSR will dismantle and ship the missiles in Cuba back to the Soviet Union, and the US will dismantle missiles in Turkey and Italy. -
Apollo 11
The Apollo 11 lands on the moon, making the United States the winner of the Space Race. -
SALT I
The Strategic Arms Limitations Talks between the United States and Soviet Union freeze the number of ballistic missile launchers and only allow the construction of submarine-launched ballistic missiles if the same number of ICBM's were dismantled. -
The Vietnam War ends
The Vietnam War ends as US forces withdrfaw from Vietnam, allowing communist forces to take over the remainder of Vietnam. -
SALT II
SALT II reduced the amount of missile delivery vehicles the Soviet Union and United States could have to 2,250 and banned any new missile programs. -
USSR Invades Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to support the pro-communist government in the Afghan civil war. The United States unnofficially aided the Mujahideen guerilla forces. -
Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan
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Hungary becomes democratic
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Chile becomes democratic
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McDonald's in Moscow
The first McDonald's in Moscow, Russia opens, signifying the Soviet Union's shift to capitalism. -
The Berlin Wall falls
The Berlin Wall is demolished, which signifies the end of the Cold War. -
The Warsaw Pact is dissolved
After several other countries declared their independence from the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union officially dissolves the Warsaw Pact alliance. -
The Soviet Union dissolves
The Soviet Union dissolves into the fifteen seperate nations of Armenia, Azerbajian, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
