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The Yalta Conference
As the European side of World War II came to a close, the current American, British, and Soviet leaders - FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin - met in Russia to discuss the end of the war and its repercussions. The superpowers agreed on most things at this meeting, such as how to govern Germany and the allowance of communism under Soviet rule. At this time, the USSR and United States had a good relationship. -
Harry Truman Becomes U.S. President
When Franklin Roosevelt died, Vice President Truman assumed the role of the nation's leader. While Roosevelt had maintained good relations with Stalin, tensions were to come about between the U.S. and Soviets under Truman's Presidency, -
The Potsdam Conference
At the Potsdam Conference, the American, British, and Soviet leaders met once again to discuss postwar Europe and how Germany was to be governed. At this conference, Truman also told Stalin about the atomic bomb that the United States had developed. Apparently, tensions ran high between the two leaders during this time. Their postwar ideas differed, and they grew untrusting of each other, erasing the good relationship that FDR and Stalin had maintaind during World War II. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are Bombed
Before the war, the U.S. heard rumors that the Nazis were creating atomic weapons. So, they began to develop their own - an successfully created an atomic bomb in the infamous "Manhattan Project" by July 1945. When the Japanese refused to surrender at the end of World War II and any more fighting guaranteed high rates of American deaths, President Truman decided to use this bomb on the current enemies. One atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and, 3 days later, one was dropped on Nagasaki. -
Churchill's "Iron Curtain" Speech
In an infamous speech, Wiston Churchill recognized the imaginary boundary between Western and Eastern Europe as a result of beginning Cold War tensions. In addition to showing which countries were separated, the Iron Curtain concept symbolized freedom versus terror and democracy versus communism. -
The Truman Doctrine
As the Soviets looked to expand their control in Western Europe, the US wanted to intervene - but could not engage in war so quickly after World War II. As a result, Truman publicly stated that the nation would offer financial aid to Greece and Turkey, which were highly threatened for takeover. Later, this aid expanded to multiple European countries. The increased power that this money gave them protected them from being taken over by communist forces. -
Berlin Airlift
When the Allies took control of Germany after World War II, the country and city of Berlin were divided into American, British, French, and Soviet zones. However, Berlin itself was located within Soviet territory. In an attempt to claim Berlin as their own, the Soviets cut all transportation sources from west Germany into west Berlin. This was an attempt to force the other Allies out of the city. However, they combatted this by airlifting supplies into west Berlin. -
NATO is Created
On this date, Western nations finished and signed the "North Atlantic Treaty" which famously allied them against the rest of the world. Within the contract, it stated that any act of war on one treaty member would be seen as an act of war on all of them. As the globe recovered from World War II, this was seen as a great act of protection since it would be a huge gamble to cause yet another worldwide crisis. -
The Korean War
As Korea's halves, which had been divided at the Potsdam Conference, went to war, the US and USSR became involved. Although this war was not a direct conflict between western and eastern Europe, it was the first significant even to occur between the United States and Soviet Union. While the two never physically fought in the Cold War, a standoff ensued as America supported South Korea and the USSR supported the North. Each superpower backed who they supported with military and financial aid. -
The Warsaw Pact is Created
In (delayed) response to the formation of NATO, the Soviet Union and other Eastern nations joined together to make their own treaty. The creation of the Warsaw Pact was a defense mechanism against the West, but also allowed the Soviets to have even tighter control over the East. The contract allowed them to spread communism even further, and use military force as they pleased. -
The Vitenam War
Just like the Korean War, the European involvement in the Vietnam War was another indirect battle between the US and USSR. Once again, the United States backed democratic South Vietnam while the Soviets supported the communist North. Eventually, too many casualties and the difficulty of Vietnamese geography prompted the United States to withdraw and "lose" to the Soviet influence. -
Sputnik and Explorer I
As the Cold War continued, so did competition for a presence in space. The Soviets succeeded in sending the first artificial object/satellite into space by launching Sputnik. The Americans retaliated immediately, by sending a satellite named Explorer I into space one year later. They then created NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It was a program dedicated to space exploration. -
Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Soviets began to build a barbed wire fence dividing East and West Berlin with the intention of keeping Western, non-socialist powers out of their territory. In addition, they wanted to stop Germans from fleeing and/or entering their side of the city. People could only pass the border at select checkpoints and under specific circumstances. The fence soon became a tall, concrete wall. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
In thirteen days of tension between the US and USSR, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. This standoff began when American espionage observed the placement of missiles in Cuba, a Soviet ally. The Soviets' nuclear missiles could threaten the physical existance of America. After the threat of war and a blockade by the US navy, the Soviets finally removed the missiles with the guarantee that the US would not attack Cuba. This event was the closest the world had ever come to nuclear war. -
Americans Win the Space Race
As the Space Race continued, the Soviets sent the first man into space and the Americans followed suit. However, the Americans won perhaps the most significant victory: they sent the first manned mission to the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first person to step on its surface. -
Gorbachev
The Cold War finally began to thaw when Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR. With "glasnost" (openness towards the Western ways and ideas) and "perestroika" (a change in governmental and communist structure). While these policies were intended to revamp the economy, they changed the vibes and desires of the USSR as a whole. Freedom of speech and religion came about. Although it had been years since Stalin was in power, only now did they begin to recover from Stalin's years of terror. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
As the Cold War drew to a close, the leaders of East Berlin relaxed their regulations of the wall. People were allowed to come and go through the entire city as they pleased. People rushed through the checkpoints and partied for many days, tearing down and vandalizing the wall. -
The Collapse of the USSR
As Gorbachev publicly expressed a desire to end the Cold War and implement overall peace in Eastern Europe, it was clear that the USSR was going to crumble. Their terror-ridden grip on Eastern nations loosened, and many of these countries began to revolt against communism. As a result, the union between Russia and its conquests dissolved. All of the nations bound together divided, and the USSR disappeared forever.
