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Period: to
The Cold War and events throughout
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Yalta Conference
As WW2 came to a close in Europe, British Prime minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and U.S President Franklin D. Roosevelt met for second their time. The three officials demanded Germanys’ surrender and talked of plans for post world war. Agreements were secret, and conference ideas became controversial which resulted in unmet demands. These unmet demands and conflicts would be the introduction to the Cold War. -
Potsdam Conference
- Potsdam conference July 17-August 2, 1945 President Harry Truman, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s meeting to divide and the demilitarization of Germany. Trials were to be held for the Nazi War Criminals. The release of the Potsdam Declaration which, “prompted the utter destruction” of Japan if they did not immediately surrender. The Soviet Union did not sign the declaration as they had not declared war on Japan.
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Dropping Atomic Bombs on Japan
The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima, and Nagasaki Japan. The reason for dropping the two A-bombs were to bring the war with Japan to a speedy end and save American lives, according the U.S President Truman. The weapon of mass destruction could have also been a way to demonstrate to the Soviet Union the weaponry the U.S. had in its possession. This event led to the end of WW2 and the start of the Cold War. -
Thruman Doctrine
President Harry S. Truman’s plan to contain Soviet threats to Greece and Turkey. Foundation of the American foreign policy, implied that Americans should support other nations’ threatened by Soviet Communism. The Truman Doctrine would lead to the formation of NATO, which is a military alliance that is still in effect. -
NATO Established
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization otherwise known as (NATO) was an organization designed to prevent Communist expansion. Twelve nations joined NATO of which was implemented by the United States. The Treaty was a pact signed by all nations that if one nation came under military attack, then all nations were considered under attack. Original members of NATO were Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States. -
Soviets detonate A-bomb
The USSR successfully detonates their first atomic bomb, named “First Lightning.” The atomic explosion was roughly the same as “Trinity” (The first U.S. atomic explosion test). The detonation of the A-bomb would lead to a nuclear arms race of which President Truman ordered the development of the Hydrogen bomb. Nov 1, 1952 the U.S. successfully detonated world’s first hydrogen bomb on the Bikini Atoll near the Pacific Marshall Islands. Three years later the Soviet Union would do the same. -
SEATO formed
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was a formal treaty between the nations of the United States, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan. The treaty based around the region of which the United States hoped to prevent communist expansion. Some countries joined not only because of the threat of Communism, but finding it geographically sound to join for common economic interest alone. Members began to withdraw in 1970’s and SEATO disbanded by 1977. -
Warsaw Pact
Similar to NATO, The Warsaw Pact was a pact by seven European nations in a mutual defense organization to help by military force if they should come under attack. Signed nations were the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. From the NATO formation adding West Germany and allowing the country to militarize under, the Soviet Union took this as a threat and responded with the Warsaw Pact. The Pact would begin its dissolve in 1991. -
Sputnik 2
Soviets launch the spaceship Sputnik two into space, of which contained the first dog into space. Its mission upon successful was to orbit Earth. The mission of the Sputnik 2 launch would be to send Laika on a one way mission with no capability of returning to orbit. It was assumed Laika only survived a day or two. The Sputnik satellite mission provided scientist with the first data on the behavior of living organisms orbiting in the environment of space. -
Fidel Castro assumes Prime Minister
Fidel Castro took oath into office as Cuba’s Prime Minister. He would retain his reign for almost fifty years. During his reign Fidel Castro would send messages that he was a communist. The relations of Cuba and the United States would worsen when Castro seized assets of several U.S. companies and tilted toward the Soviet Union. The U.S government canceled trade agreements with Cuba soon after. Castro would go on to establish a communist government. The U.S placed an embargo trade with Cuba. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The American CIA under President John F. Kennedy launched an attempted invasion to push Fidel Castro from power. The invasion used Cuban-Americans to storm across and take over on a location of Cuba known as The Bay of Pigs. The invasion was a complete failure in many ways, due in majority to a radio station on a beach in Cuba broadcast the whole detailed mission to the Cuban people. The Invasion lasted less than a day, and the Cuban-American invaders had to surrender. Roughly 114 were killed. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built by the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The assumed purpose was to keep Western Fascists from entering East Germany, but in reality it served for the purpose of East Germans defecting to West Germany. The Divide would later lead to the Berlin Airlifts. The Berlin Airlifts was economic and health support to the people of West Berlin of whom were divided by the Berlin Wall. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day confrontation after the Soviet Union had installed missiles on the island of Cuba. The United States under President John Kennedy notified Americans about the missiles, and enacted a naval blockade around Cuba. This event brought many to believe nuclear war was on the brink of reality. War was prevented and subsided when the Soviet leader agreed to the U.S. that the missiles on Cuba would be removed in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba. -
JFK Assasinated
This was the day that the sitting United States President John F. Kennedy was assasinated. The president was shot in the head during a ride through in Dealy Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. To this day evidence has been found of whom the shooter was, some believe it was a CIA cover up or even a planned hit by the Soviet Union. -
Nixon Visits China
The first visit by a U.S. President since the establishment of the Peoples Rpublic of China (PRC). President Nixon visited China to talk relations with Prime Minister Mao Zedong. The visit ended 25 years of seperations between the two nations. The meeting was a significant shift in the balance of The Cold War, as it pitted the PRC with the U.S. against the Soviet Union -
1980 Olympic boycott
President Jimmy Carter of the U.S. announced that the United States would boycott the Summer Olympics to be held in Moscow. The decision was enacted after the Soviet Union refused to comply with Carters deadline to withdrawl its troop from Afghanistan. In retaliation the Soviet Union wuold boycott the Olympic games held in Los Angeles in 1984. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
East Germany allowed citizens to migrate to West Germany without restriction. More than two-million people would visit West Berlin that weekend, and a party began to ensue. The people of East and West Germany decided to use picks and hammers, as well as their bare hands to dismantle the Berlin Wall. The dismantling of the wall would symbolize a unification of Germany, and the end of the war. -
Reunification of Germany
Germany was reunified almost one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. East Germany conservatives that supported reunification won the elections, and the new government proceeded to dismantle the state. The reunification led Germany into economic poverty as East Germany had been battling a recession. Germany has sense slowly made the economic climb after the reunification. -
Soviet Union abolished
The Soviet Union was abolished by government and public authority. The Soviet Union Prime Minister’s Mikhail Gorbachev resignation of December 25, 1991 led to the dismantling of the Soviet Union. The new country was to be named “The Commonwealth of Independent Republics”. The new country would compose of countries of the former Soviet Union. The Commonwealth of Independent Republic countries would have political independence, but were linked to other commonwealth countries by economic and milita -
Resoucres 1
http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cold-war-history http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1765.html http://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/16-october-1964-first-chinese-nuclear-test/ http://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/16-october-1964-first-chinese-nuclear-test/ -
Sources2
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carter-announces-olympic-boycott http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall http://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Germany
http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/atomic_bomb.htm http://funfront.net/hist/total/s-russia.htm http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-doctrine-is-announced http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-doctrine-is-announced http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm
