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Period: to
Cold War
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Potsdam Conference
The participants in the Potsdam Conference were political leaders from the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The goals of the conference was to decide how to punish Nazi Germany, establish post-war order, peace treaties, and other effects of the war. -
Formation of United Nations
The main goal of the UN was peacekeeping and representing all of the world's population. The UN came into existance after the five then permanent members, the U.S., the Soviety Union, France, the UK, and th Republic of China all ratified the charter. -
The Iron Curtain Descends On Europe
"Iron Curtain" is a term used by Winston Churchill to describe the physical border and ideological conflict between the Soviet Union and the rest of Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a policy set forth by President Truman during a speech. This policy stated that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey economicaly and with military force in order to prevent the Soviet Union gaining control of the countries. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall plan was a program where the United States economically aided Europe and rebuilt European economies after World War II. The U.S. did this to prevent Communism spread by the Soviet Union. The main goal of this program was to rebuild areas that were destroyed in the war, remove trade barriers, make indusrty modern, and help Europe prosper again. -
Creation of Israel
After the last British forces left, Ben-Gurion read the Isreali Declaration of Independence. This declared Israel an independent state. Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin recognized the state immediately. -
Berlin Airlift
After World War II the capitol of Germany, Berlin, was divided into four sections. There was a Soviet, a British, an American, and a French zone of the city. The Russians wanted Berlin all to themselves so they closed off all highways, railroads, and canals cutting off all food supplies in hopes to drive everyone out. This didn't work however, the Allies supplied their people by air instead of retreating. -
Formation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty was created to counter the military power of the USSR and to prevent nationalist millitarism, it was signed in Washington D.C. The organization's first secratary stated that their goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down. -
Korean War
The Korean war was a war between South Korea, supported by the United Kingdom, and North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union. It was the result of political division agreed by the Allies at the end of World War II. U.S. provided 88% troops for South Korea. -
Stalin Dies
Many were relieved ,after his reign of terror, when Joseph Stalin died of a major heart attack. Although he saved his nation from Nazi Germany, he was also his nation's mass murderer. It is estimated that he killed 8 million to 10 million of his own people. -
Warsaw Pact Formed
The Soviet Union and 7 other European countries signed the Warsaw Pact that created a mutual defense organization where the Soivet Union was the leader. The Soviet Union made this pact after NATO agreed to make West Germany a member of NATO and let the country remilitarize. -
Suez Crisis
When Egypt formed new ties with the Soveit Union, and recognized the People's Republic of China, The United States and Britain withdrew their offer of building the Aswan Dam. This caused the President to nationalize the Suez Canal. This resulted in a diplomatic and military confrontation between Egypt, Britain, France, and Isreal. -
Vietnam War
Fought between North Vietnam, supported by Communists, and South Vietnam, supported by anti-communist allies. The U.S. conducted strategic bombing against North Vietnam. The U.S. viewed involvment as protecting South Vietnam from being taken over by Communist Rule. -
Sputnik I and Sputnik II
Sputnik I was the world's first artifical satellite launched by the Soviet Union. This surprised the U.S. and triggered the Sputnik Crisis, and the Space Race. The satellite ushered new scientific and political developments in the United States. Sputnik II was the first satellite to carry an animal, a dog named Laika. -
Creation of NASA
After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, the U.S. became alarmed and decided they needed a federal agency to conduct non-military activity in space. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act which established NASA. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs invasion was a military invasion by the CIA that failed. They tried to overthrow the left-wing government of Fidel Castro but was defeated 3 days later by the Cuban armed forces. Cuba's former president was allies with the U.S., but he was replaced with a president who had ties with the Soviet Union. -
Berlin Wall Constructed
On August 13th, 1961 the German Democratic Republic started construction of the Berlin wall, a barrier that seperated West Berlin from East Berlin. Eastern Germany claimed they built the wall to protect its population from facist elements and that West Germany still had Nazis. The Berlin wall restricted movement and symbolized the "iron curtain" that kept Western Europe and Eastern Germany seperate. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis is known as the moment in the Cold War where the U.S. and the Soviet Union came closest to actually starting a nuclear war. The Soviet Union decided to place missiles in Cuba after the U.S. had placed missiles in Turkey and Italy. The U.S. demanded Cuba to dissmantle the Soviet Union weapons they had and would not allow weapons to be delivered to Cuba. This ended when the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle weaons if U.S. agreed to never invade Cuba. -
Kennedy Assassination
Kennedy was shot by a sniper while riding in a car with his wife during a presidential motarcade. After an investigation, police concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sniper and that he had acted alone. Before he could stand trial, Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby, who had also acted alone. -
USS Pueblo Incident
On January 23rd, 1968 the USS Pueblo, an American technical research ship, was borded and captured by North Korea. North Korea said that the ship was in their territorial waters, but the ship's crew members claim that they were in territorial waters at the time of the capture. Pueblo is still being held in North Korea today and is the only U.S. ship currently being held captive. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
International treaty who's objective was to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. 190 states have joined the treaty, except for North Korea, India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan. The five permanent members of the UN are all known to have nuclear weapons. -
Salt I & Salt II Agreements
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks were talks involving the Soviet Union and the United States concerning restricting mass destruction weapons. SALT I ended with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. SALT II ended with the U.S. not ratifying the treaty because of the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan. -
UN Resolution 2758
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 stated that the People's Republic of China was the only legitamate representation of China to the UN. They then expelled Chiang Kai-shek's representatives. This ended the People's Republic of China's membership at the United Nations. -
Nixon Visits China
President Nixon visiting China normalized relations between the U.S. and the PRC. The two countries have long viewed each other as foes but this visit ended the 25 year seperation. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords established peace in Vietnam, ending the Vietnam war, and ending U.S. military involvment. South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the U.S. signed this agreement. The U.S. Senate did not ratifythe agreement. -
South Vietnam Falls
After the U.S. had all military units leave Vietnam, both sides continued to argue thate other side wasn't following the peace agreements. The U.S. continued to try to help South Vietnam, but their influence wasn't strong enough. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
On November 4, 1979 a group of Iranian students who were members of the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. While doing so they held fifty-two American diplomats and citizens hostage. After many failed rescue attempts, the U.S. and Iran completed negotiating and the fifty-two hostages were released on January 20, 1981, after spending 444 days in captivity. -
USSR Invades Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to help aid the communist government in its conflict with small anticommunist groups. The troops remained in Afghanistan until 1989 and angered a lot of other countries. -
U.S. Boycotts Summer Olympics
The U.S. boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow due to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Jimmy Carter decided the U.S. would not participate in the Olympics if the Soviet Union did not withdraw its troops in one month. -
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
This flight from New York City to Seoul was shot down by a Soviet intercepter, all 269 passengers were killed. The Soviets claimed the plane was on a spy mission to test the Soviet Union's military preparedness. This event allowed world wide access to military's GPS. -
U.S. Invades Grenada
The US sucessfuly invaded Grendada after the government was overthrown. Although the UK, Canada, and the UN disagreed with the invasion, Grenada now views Oct. 25 as a holiday called Thanksgiving Day. -
Iran Contra Affair
Political scandal in U.S. where Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran, who had an arms embargo. U.S. officials did this to help release several hostages. -
Chernobyl Disaster
An explosion and fire in the Ukranian Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sent radioactive particles into the atmosphere and effected much of the USSR and Europe. Thirty-one people died and many cancers and defmorities are still being acounted for. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Protests were triggered after the death of former Communist Party General Secretary, Hu Yaobang. People marched the square to mourn. They wanted freedom of speech, freedom of press, and worker's control over industry. The government brought troops and tanks on the unarmed protesters who were blocking them from entering teh square. Due to little information from the Chinese government the total amount of deaths is unknown, estimated death toll ranges fro a few hundred to a thousand. -
Dissolving of the Soviet Union
The end of the Soviet Union was finalized by declaration no. 142-H of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, which stated the independence of the 12 republics of the Soviet Union. It also formed the Commonwealth of Independent States. This marked the end of the Cold War.
