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Yalta Conference
In February 1945, "The Big Three", Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt met to discuss the surrender of Germany after WWII and to establish plans for a post-war world. This would be referred to as the Yalta Conference, although at the time most of the matters discussed during this conference were kept secret, they were revealed once the Cold War began and tensions ran high. Conditions were established and plans to divide Germany were in the works. -
President Franklin D. Roosevelt Dies
Just months after the Yalta Conference, Franklin D. Roosevelt unexpectedly passes away after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving vice president, Harry S. Truman, to assume office as the new president of the United States. -
Founding of the United Nations
On this day in San Francisco, representatives from 50 different nations around the world attended this conference in order to establish the United Nations Charter. Creating the UN was done in hopes to continue the joint war effort and to reach peace together instead of separately. The creation of the United Nations not only provided peace of mind, but security. -
Postdam Conference
"The Big Three" meet once again, this time in Postdam, Germany to finish discussing plans made during the Yalta Conference. Halfway through, Churchill is replaced with the new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. Together, plans of keeping peace were further discussed as well as establishing punishment for Nazi leaders and their war crimes committed during WWII. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The United States use an atomic weapon for the first time on a Japanese city, Hiroshima, destroying the city and killing thousands This was the start of using atomic weapons in war. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Only three days after the last atomic bombing on Japan, the U.S. strikes Nagasaki, further devastating Japan. It is said that this atomic bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man", destroyed nearly 40% of the Japanese city. -
Japanese Surrender
Aboard the USS Missouri, the Japanese surrender to General Douglas McArthur days after the two bombings over Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Ho Chi Minh
A Vietnamese nationalist, Ho Chi Minh, declares Vietnam's independence from France. -
The Iron Curtain
Winston Churchill gave his now famous "The Sinews of Peace" speech in Missouri at Westminster College's graduation ceremony stating "an iron curtain has descended across the Continent". This completely changed the way the West viewed the East and shed light on Communism across seas. -
Truman Doctrine
Many people think of the Truman Doctrine to be the official declaration of the Cold War. In this doctrine, President Truman asks for the U.S. to help Greece and Turkey prevent communist domination of the two countries. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, or otherwise known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), was an American funded effort put into effect in order to help Europe rebuild European economies after the end of World War II as to prevent the spread of communism across Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
In an effort to starve the population and gain supremacy, the Soviets blockaded the allied sector of Berlin. This led to the allies sending a massive air supply of food and water to starving people on the other side of the blockade. -
NATO Formed
In 1949, the United States and 11 other Western nations decided to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in order to stop future spread of communism. -
Joseph Stalin Dies
The death of Stalin left many shocked as well as relieved. While he helped protect his nation from Nazi takeover, he also oversaw the deaths of nearly 10 million of his people. -
The Vietnam War
Vietnam became increasingly hostile and separated between North and South Vietnam. The North was supported by China and The Soviet Union, seeing as they were communist as well. The United States supported the South as well as other countries against the spread of communism. Ultimately, the United States lost the war. -
Launch of Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. This panicked the United States and led to the Sputnik Crisis. Even though Sputnik ended up harmless, Americans were outraged and terrified. -
U-2
The USSR shot down an American spy plane, U-2, and captured the pilot. The Soviets questioned president Dwight D. Eisenhower until he eventually admitted it was a spy plane being used by the U.S. for years. The pilot served two years in prison before being released in a trade for a captured USSR spy. -
Bay of Pigs
Working to get rid of Fidel Castro, a Cuban nationalist, the U.S. decided to invade Cuba with trained refugees and ultimately surrendered after less than a day of fighting. U.S. troops were far outnumbered by Castro's troops and the attack was a total failure. The troops were held captive for 20 months in Cuba and were finally released after Kennedy worked on a deal with Castro -
The Berlin Wall
Symbolizing the "iron curtain" Winston Churchill so famously spoke of, the construction of the Berlin Wall sealed off access between East and West Germany for 28 years. During the night on August 13th, East German authorities laid barbed wire down to separate the two German lands. Eventually an actual concrete wall was built, forbidding anyone to cross. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13 day battle, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense time in America. Fearful of nuclear war, the United States worked to get nuclear missiles out of Cuba, only 90 miles from the United States, on the condition that the U.S. did not invade Cuba. The missiles were removed by The Soviet Union and potential crisis was averted. -
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
On this night in November, it was announced by a German official that checkpoints were open and thousands of people travelled to the wall and began crossing between East and West Germany, some smashing the wall until eventually the Berlin Wall fell. Eventually, East and West Germany reunified into a single German state on October 3, 1990. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
During December of 1991, everyone watched as the Soviet Union crumbled. Nations claiming independence and seperating into their own nation once again. The Soviet Union turned into 15 seperate countries that we know today. This marked the end of the Cold War for the United States and communism seemingly had been defeated after so many years.
