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World War II Ends
Japanese delegates formally surrendered, ending WWII. This is important because the end of WWII marked the beginning of the Cold War. -
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The Cold War
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President Truman issued Executive Order 9835( Loyalty Order)
This made it mandatory for all federal employees to be analyzed to determine whether they were loyal to the U.S. government. This was a part of the second Red Scare and this is important because it shows how bad our relations with the Soviet Union were during the Cold War. It shows just how afraid everyone was of communism. -
The Belin Blockade/Airlift Began
The Soviet Union blocked off all railway, road, and canal access to West Berlin. In response, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa organized the Berlin Airlift to fly food and supplies into West Berlin for it's people. This is important because it was one of the first major international crisis of the Cold War. -
Soviet Union Tests Nuclear Bomb
The Soviet Union tested a nuclear bomb for the first time, which made Americans even more scared. This is important because now that the Soviet Union had a nuclear weapon, the U.S. didn't have an advantage over them, and relations between the two countries became worse. -
Mao Zedong Takes Control of China
Communist leader Mao Zedong formally announced he was the leader of the People’s Republic of China. This is important because it showed that China had fallen to communism and strained relations between the western countries and the communist countries even more. -
Korean War Starts
75,000 communist North Korean troops invaded South Korea, which wasn't a communist nation, and as allies to South Korea, the U.S. sent troops to fight. This is important because communism was taking over more and more countries, which made American's even more fearful that the same could happen to the U.S., and relations with the Soviet Union continued to decline. -
Korean War Ends
The Korean War ended in armistrice.This is important because the Korean War was the first armed conflict of the Cold War. -
Space Race Begins
The U.S. and the Soviet Union were racing to see which country could launch objects into the Earth's orbit. The Soviet Union had a department dedicated to beating America to space. This is important because it shows how strained relations were between the two nations. Eisenhower had to make sure the U.S. didn't launch anything with missiles that could be perceived as a threat so a war wouldn't break out. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuban exiles aided by the US government attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow the Communist dictator Fidel Castro., but the mission failed. This is important because we were trying to move an important Communist leader who was allies with the Soviet Union. -
The Berlin Wall is Constructed
In the middle of the night, a wall was built to prevent citizens from leaving communist East Germany and going to West Germany. It extended 28 miles through Berlin and an additional 75 miles around West Germany. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union was constructing a nuclear missile base in Cuba. President Kennedy set up a naval blockade and demanded the removal of the missiles. The Russians agreed to remove the weapons and The United States agreed not to invade Cuba. This is important because we almost got in a nuclear was with the Soviet Union. -
U.S. Puts First Man on the Moon!
When the Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. This is important because we were ahead of our Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union. -
President Carter declared U.S. Boycott of Summer Olympics
The U.S. boycotted the summer Olympics that were being held in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This is important because it shows how bad relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were. -
The Berlin Wall Falls
Portions of the wall dividing West and East Berlin in Germany were torn down and the borders were opened. This reunited both sides of Germany. This is important because it showed that the Cold War was beginning to thaw (come to an end). -
Soviet Union is Disbanded
The liquidation of the Soviet Union put an end to the Cold War.
