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Yalt Conference
Soviet army marches into Berlin; the German capital city falls. World War II ends. Soviet Union, United States, Great Britain, and France divide Berlin and Germany into four zones of occupation, a decision made during the Yalta conference. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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The Iron Curtain and Containment
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's “Iron Curtain” speech marks beginning of the Cold War. -
Truman doctrine
U.S. President Harry Truman requests funds to support Greek and Turkish efforts to fight communism. It marks the beginning of the Truman doctrine. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin airlift supplies West Berlin with basic necessities after the Soviet Union blocks off the city in an effort to force the West to give it up. -
Atomic Bomb
The Soviets detonate their first atomic bomb. -
Korean War
The Korean War begins, the first armed conflict in the Cold War, the global struggle between communism and democracy. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact is formed by the Soviet Union and communist countries in eastern Europe as a military defense organization to counter NATO. -
The Cuban Missle Crisis
The Cuban Missile crisis sparks a major confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union when the U.S. discovers the existence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The United States Congress approves the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which grants President Johnson authority to send troops to South Vietnam. -
Richard Nexion
U.S. President Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. leader to visit communist China, leading to a thaw in Cold War relations. -
"Star Wars"
US President Ronald Reagan announces the development of a world-wide "Star Wars" missile defense system with his Strategic Defense Initiative. -
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, beginning a decade-long war that ends with their withdrawal in 1988. -
INF Treaty
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign INF treaty, which removes medium and short-range nuclear missiles. -
The Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin wall was separating families and keeping the people from job and opporunity in the west. -
End of Soviet Union and the Cold War
US Presidnet George H.W. Bush, delivers a Christmas Day sppech acknowledging the end of the cold war.
