-
Yalta Conference
Citation: Yalta Conference meeting of FDR, Churchill, Stalin - the 'Big Three.'
Leaders agreed to give the Soviet Union control of Eastern Europe in exchange for helping to end the war with Japan. Leaders also decided that Germany would take most of the responsibility for the war. The Cold War Begins. -
US Drops Atomic Bombs
CitationAugust 6: The United States drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima (20 kiloton bomb 'Little Boy' kills 80,000) 1945 August 9: The United States drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki (22 kiloton 'Fat Man' kills 70,000). The dropping of the Atomic bombs led to the surrender of Japan and the end of the war in the Pacific. -
Truman Doctrine
CitationPresident Truman changed US foreign policy to one that would intervene in countries struggling against the threat of communism. -
Marshall Plan
CitationSet a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutrition. The plan called for foreign aid to help boost the European economy after it’s destruction following the war. -
Berlin Blockade Begins
CitationSoviet forces blockaded allied-controlled areas of Berlin, cutting them off from supplies. In response allied powers began airlifting supplies past the blockade. The crisis lasted 11 months. -
Korean War Begins
CitationThe war began as a Korean civil war, but Russia supported North Korea and the United Nations supported South Korea. The cold war was brought into Asia with the Korean war, and as a result Korea was divided. -
Vietnam Split at 17th Parallel
CitationVietnam was split and a temporary ceasefire was called to stop warfare in Vietnam between the North and the South over the spread of communism. -
Warsaw Pact Formed
CitationThe Soviet Union responded to the formation of NATO by creating an alliance with other countries that stated if any of them were under attack the others would come the their aid. However, they would stay uninvolved in eachother’s foreign policy. -
Suez Crisis Began
CitationIsraeli attack led by Moshe Dayan against Egyptian forces in the Sinai. It was an ongoing power struggle over the Suez Canal, which is a critical trade route for many nations. -
Sputnik Launched Into Orbit
CitationThe Soviet Union launched Sputnik, which was the first satellite to be successfully launched into orbit. The fact that the Soviet Union was the first to have this technological advance fueled fears that the US had fallen behind in the Cold War. -
Khrushchev demands withdrawal of troops from Berlin
CitationBerlin had been divided between the Western Powers and Germany, so the Western controlled portion was constantly under the threat of communism. To counteract this there were Western troops stationed there. Khrushchev’s ultimatum sparked a three year crisis in Berlin, which eventually ended with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
CitationThe US invaded Cuba with the intention of ending the communist regime there, however US forces were defeated and the stronghold that Fidel Castro (the new Cuban dictator) had, became even stronger. -
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Ratified
CitationNuclear Test Ban Treaty ratified. The first arms control agreement of the Cold War was the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which allowed for only limited development of nuclear weapons. -
Berlin Wall is Demolished
CitationThe tearing down of the wall was symbolic of the destruction of the Iron Curtain, as well as the end of the cold war. East Germany allows unrestricted migration to West Germany, and the fall of communism began. -
End of Soviet Union & Cold War Ends
CitationThe Soviet Union dissolved and began to move towards a democracy and a free-market economy. The end of the Soviet Union was also the end of the threat of communism, so the cold war also came to an end.
