The Cold War - 1945-1991

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

Meeting between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin towards the end of WWII

Communism in Poland

Jul 5, 1945

It became recognized that Poland took on a Communist government.

Postdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

Meeting for the negotiation of the end of World War II between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Harry Truman, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin

Truman Doctrine

Mar 12, 1947

U.S. President Harry S. Truman created the Truman Doctrine which stated that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey to avoid falling under the Soviet's Union's influence.

Berlin Airlift Begins

Jun 24, 1948

All of the Allied-controlled areas of Berlin were restricted rail, road, and water access by the Soviet Union, so the U.S. and the UK airlifted food and fuel to them.

NATO

Apr 4, 1949

The North Atlantic Treaty was signed to serve as a collective defense system for 28 different states.

Soviet Union Explodes Its First Atomic Bomb

Aug 29, 1949

The bomb was called "First Lightning" and was set off in Kazakhstan.

Warsaw Pact Formed

May 14, 1955

A mutual defense system set in place by the Soviet Union that protexted 7 of its satelite states.

First Satellite is Launched by Soviet Union

Oct 4, 1957

The world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was successfully launched on this day.

Cuba becomes Communist

Feb 16, 1959

Fidel Castro becomes premier of Cuba, making Cuba a communist country.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Apr 17, 1961

The CIA sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 attempted to invade Cuba, but failed.

Berlin Wall Built

Aug 13, 1961

Eastern Germany (Communist) constructed a wall to surround the Allied-controlled Western Germany to keep Eastern Germans from fleeing.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 14, 1962

A 13-day long confontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over missiles stationed in Cuba aimed at the U.S.

Solidarity Union

Aug 14, 1980

Approximately 17,000 Polish workers led a strike against their work places.

Mikhail Gorbachev Becomes Leader of Soviet Union

Mar 15, 1985

Berlin Wall Destroyed

Nov 9, 1989

The Berlin Wall was demolished after Eastern Germany allows unrestricted migration to Western Germany.

Soviet Union Abolished

Dec 8, 1991

The USSR was set in place rather than the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev was taken down along with his Communist policies.