The Cold War Timeline

Hitler invaded the Soviet Union

Mar 31, 1941

After this invasion The Soviet Union and the United States formed an unlikely alliance regardless of their past relationship

The Government of Greece and Turkey were fighting off Communist rebellions

Jan 31, 1945

Great Britain supported the Greek government on its fight against Communists. Eventually Britian could not afford the funding and went to U.S. for help.

Yalta conference

Mar 31, 1945

British prime minister Winston Churchill, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin agreed on a military plan to end the war and a subsquent joint occupation of Germany.

Allies defeats Germany

Jun 29, 1945

After this victory Stalin established a Soviet-controlled governments in Eastern European countries occupied by his Red Army which also included Poland.

The U.S. successfully testesd the world's first atomic bomb/a-bomb

Jul 16, 1945

U.S. first tested the atomic bomb/a bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Dropping of the atomic bomb/a bomb

Aug 31, 1945

The U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on the Japenese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands of people and ending the war with Japan.

At the end of WW2

Dec 31, 1945

Germany was placed under military rule and divided into zones broadly reflecting the positions of the occupying armies.

Churchill's visit to the U.S.

Apr 2, 1946

Winston Churchill visited the U.S. in the springs of 1946 to deliver his famous Iron Curtain Speech. This was the talk about curtain of Soviet controlled countries.

President Truman made a speech on national tv

Mar 12, 1947

His speech was telling the U.S. to "support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."

The U.S. introduced the Marshall Plan

Mar 31, 1947

This provided 17 billion dollars in aid for the economic recovery of Europe. Truman stated "We must be prepared to pay price of peace, or assuredly we shall pay the price of war.

President Truman's Security Council drafted NSC 68

Nov 28, 1947

the NSC 68 was a secret document that would be, as one historian noted, a'blueprint for American policy in the Cold War."

The new currency

Apr 5, 1948

France, Great Britain, and U.S. announced a plan to introduce a new form of currency in Germany. This caused a protest from the Soviets.

Soviet's protest

Jun 24, 1948

The Soviets protested by making a formal blockade of Berlin and Stalin cut off all supplies of fuel,power, and food to the people of West Berlin.

The U.S. aid

Aug 2, 1948

U.S. began to airlift supplies to Berlin in attempt to aid West Berlin without starting an armed conflict with the Soviet Union.

The U.S. joined the western nastions

Mar 31, 1949

These western nations included Canada, france , Great Britain, Italy,and the Netherlands to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO)

The American monopoly on nuclear weapons ended in 1949

Mar 31, 1949

It ended when the Soviets perfected their nuclear technology and developed a nuclear weapon of their own.

Reopening

May 12, 1949

Stalin reopened all the routes into Berlin after about a year of having them closed for protest of the new currency plan.

Mao Zedong

Dec 2, 1949

Mao Zedong successfully led the communist Revolution in China and his government quickly allied with the Soviet Union. They both signed a mutual defense and economic aid agreement.

Invasion

Jun 25, 1950

With the arms provided by the Soviet Union, Communist North Korea invaded South Korea. This caused the U.S. to step in and aid South Korea.

The Korean War

Jul 2, 1950

The Korean War increased American alarm over the spread of Communism in Asia.

The U.S. tested another bomb

Mar 31, 1952

This bomb called the Hydrogen bomb was stronger than the previous nuclear device

Soviet Union followed suit

Mar 31, 1953

Soviet Union followed suit due to the creation of the hydrogen bomb of the United States.

The End

Jul 2, 1953

After about 3 years of this war it ended with inastalement between these rivals.

The Soviet Union created a similar military with Eastern European nations

Mar 31, 1955

These nations were Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and romania, known as the Warsaw Treaty Organization/Warsaw Pact

Hungarian citizens

Apr 2, 1956

Hungarian citizens began rioting and demanded more freedom from their Communist government. Also they threatened to return to a parliamentar democracy.

The wall

Apr 2, 1961

The Soviet Union build a wall called the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin to prevent people from escaping the West.

Uprising

Apr 2, 1968

Similar to the rioting of the Hungarian citizens the Soviet Union had to put down an uprising in Czechoslovakia.