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Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Franklin D. Roosevelt met and agreed to force Germany's unconditional surrender. Stalin compromised to have free elections in Eastern Europe, and entered a war with Japan. He broke his deal and didn't allow free elections. 2 months after the meeting, President Roosevelt died from natural causes. -
Berlin Declaration
Berlin DeclarationIn this meeting, the Allied side took charge of Germany, and they addressed other issues. The declaration ended the Third Reich and Hitler's reign, divided Germany into 4 parts, and established a new government system. The signing of this document changed Germany in many ways. -
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam ConferenceLast meeting during the war, the Big Three met and agreed to demand Japan to unconditionally surrender. The main point of the meeting was to decide postwar reparations. The Big Three decided what to do with defeated Germany. The country was one political system and many Nazis were placed on trial for war crimes. -
North Vietnam
North Vietnam During this time in North Vietnam, there was a revolution that seized all of the governments across the nation. From this day on, the country became known as the Democratic Repunlic of North Vietnam. The leaders sent messages to the United States government asking them to recognize North Vietnam, and offered friendship, but the United States never replied. -
Iron Curtain Speech
Iron Curtain Speech In this speech in the United States, Winston Churchill praises the U.S, and talks about how bad the USSR's actions are. Churchill described their actions as placing an "iron curtain" seperating Europe. Stalin used Churchill's words to turn his people against the Allied countries. This was an event that sparked the cold war. -
Containment Policy
ContainmentMany Americans agreed that the best option against the USSR spreading communism was containing it in the countries that it was already in. The US would do anything to prevent communism from spreading through Europe. This policy would shape American foreign affair policies for many years to come. -
Marshall Plan
Marshall PlanAt his speech at Harvard, Secretary of State George Marshall announced his plan to rebuild Europe's economy. This operation filled people with hope and confidence in their economy. The leaders of the plan modeled Europe's economy after America's economy. -
Berlin Blockade
Berlin BlockadeWith rising hostility, the USSR decides to block Berlin from West Germany and allied support. The Marshall Plan, The Iron Curtain speech, and US foreign policy were some events that led to the USSR creating the Berlin Blockade. The USSR realized the blockade didn't work, and destroyed it soon after. -
Berlin Airlift
Berlin AirliftRecognizing the Berlin Blockade and realizing the damage it could do, the US and the Allies decide to airlift supplies into Berlin. This rescue operation lasted for more than a year and resulted in planes bringing in more than 2.3 million tons of supplies into Berlin. -
NATO
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created to bond 12 nations into an alliance against Soviet aggression. The creating of this group improved America's influence in Europe. Today, there are 26 states in total filling this alliance, with countries still joining. -
Soviet Union Tests A-bomb
USSR tests A-BombAs a test, the USSR detonates an atomic bomb in Kazakhstan. The scientists that created the bomb were awarded, because if it didn't work, they would be punished. Months later, an American U2 spy plane caught radiation of the bomb, so the Americans then knew that the Soviets had an atomic bomb as well. -
People’s Republic of China founded
People’s Republic of China foundedOn this date, the communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong poclaimed the People's Republic of China. The loss of China to communism set the US back. Americans criticized their government for going too soft on the communist threat, and not taking enough action. Relations between the nations were not intact until Nixon visited China many years later. -
Korean War
Korean WarThis warfare was the first military action of the cold war. America had joined the side of the South Koreans. Many people saw it as the symbol of war against communism. The US wanted to have a treaty as soon as possible to prevent it from evolving into a greater war which might have involved the Soviet Union or China. -
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Rosenberg TrialThese two men were accused of selling nuclear secrets of the Americans to the USSR. The trial lasted a month and ended on April 4th. The Rosenbergs were sentenced to death row. If they admitted it, they wouldn't have been executed, but they deinied it until they died. -
Eisenhower Presidency
EisenhowerBefore becoming president, Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded many attacks in Operation Overlord. He was a well-loved military hero and easily slid into presidency. During his term, Eisenhower did many great things. These include: The International Highway System, Civil Rights Acts, and created NASA. His term ended in 1961 and he was succeeded by JFK. -
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita After Stalin died, Nikita Khrushchev came into power over the USSR. He came to be the communist leader over the Soviet union. Once very loyal to Stalin, Khrushchev started to criticize the leader for putting himself above the law, and bad leadership. Khrushchev resigned from being leader in October 1964. -
Warsaw Pact
WarsawThis agreement, opposite of NATO, bonded the Soviet Union with other nations as a defense against Western countries. The countries promised that if one country within the Warsaw pact was attacked, all of the countries would join in. The pact remained alive until 1991, and many countries left it during its lifetime. -
Vietnam War
Vietnam WarEven while the Cold War was escalating, the US pledged its allegiance to South Vietnam. With the help of America, South Vietnamese leaders arrested and executed around 100,000 Viet Cong members. The US wanted to do anything it could to prevent communist nations from spreading it government ideals to other nations. -
Suez Crisis
Suez CrisisThis crisis began when the Egyptian leader nationalized the Suez Canal, which was owned by England and France. It was a major site for trading through the Meditteranean. After this, Israel, England, and France landed troops, occupying the river. In March of the next year, all of the troops left and Egypt re-opened the river. -
Sputnik
SputnikThe first artificial satellitle, and it was created by the Soviet Union. The machine travelled at 18,000 miles per hour, and it transferred radio signals that could be listened to by anyone. Americans saw this launching as a threat and they decided to send their own machinery into space. This started the "space race", a race to see who could land on the moon first. -
Cuban Revlution
Cuban RevolutionFidel Castro and his revolutionary followers overthrew Fulgencio Batista's government and became its own communist state. Castro did things such as improving health care, reducing racism, education. The rest of the world criticized his government for economic and political freedoms. Revolutionaries captured and executed previous officials for war crimes. -
U2 Incident
U2 Incident On this day, the USSR shot down an American U2 spy plane, causing Eisenhower to admit to the world that he had been spying on the USSR for years. This event caused more tension between the world superpowers and their respected alliances. The pilot was sentenced to prison by Soviet officials. -
Kennedy Presidency
JFKAs President, John F. Kennedy faced many hardships, such as the Cold War, and tensions in Cuba and Vietnam. Known as one of the most known and loved presidents in history, JFK led the nation into and out of many hard times, and his assassination shocked the world. He was shot and killed on November 22, 1963. -
Bay of Pigs
Bay of PigsIn this operation, the US government sent some soldiers to Cuba to try and kill the communist leader Fidel Castro. Castro had many problems with the United States, and his ties with the USSR grew stronger. This invasion failed miserably as 1200 troops were captured or killed. Castro used the attack to gain support against the US side of the Cold War. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin WallTo seperate East and West Berlin indefinitely, the USSR built a wall of concrete and barbed wire. To escape from communist rule, many East Germans tried to cross the wall and escape to the West. Walls up to 15 feet high, topped with barbed wire, prohibited anyone from emigrating to the other side. in 1989, the wall was taken down. -
JFK Assassination
JFK AssassinationOn this day in Dallas, Texas, Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots, killing the president at the age of 46. Lyndon Johnson became president after Kennedy's term ended. His first act was to create a monument to JFK, where hundreds of people came to support. The news of his death shocked and saddened the United States of America and the world. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution This agreement allowed President Johnson to oppose communist aggression in Southeast Asia. It meant that the US could have a bigger military role in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.The US joined the side of South Vietnam, and aimed to repel any aggression toward their side. The US engaged in a great amount of warfare, including bombing the nation. -
Nixon Presidency
NixonRichard Nixon is best known as the only President in American History to resign as President. He also served two terms as vice president under Dwight Eisenhower. He did many great things including: securing relationships between the USSR and China, and taking US troops out of the Vietnam war. His most famous downfall is the Watergate Scandal, and it haunts his presidency. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11On this infamous date, Neil Armstrong became the first person to land and walk on the moon. The news sparked the world and went down as one of the greatest days in American history. The astronauts took pictures, placed down a US flag, and conducted a couple of expermients before finishing. But more importantly than science, the US beat the Soviets in the space race. -
SALT I
SALT 1To cool things down, US and USSR officials meet to discuss the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. They focused on weapons like ABM's and MIRV's. The arms race took its first step into the direction of agreement in this meeting, yet the talks took 3 years to complete. -
Nixon Visits China
Nixon Visits ChinaEven though it was a risky action, president Nixon delivered speeches in Beijing to try and normalize the relations between the US and China. Becoming friends with China meant that they had a better chance to win a war with the USSR if it came to that. These bettered relations led to more trade between the two nations. -
Fall of Saigon
Fall of SaigonAs communist forces marched into this city, they faced little resistance. Despite promises, the US never helped out South Vietnam. North Vietnamese troops kept advancing without resistance, and still, the US didn't do anything. North leaders explained that no Vietnamese people lost, only the US took a loss. -
SALT II
SALT IIAs a sequel to SALT I, president Jimmy Carter and USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev sign an agreement making limitations on nuclear weapons. Although SALT I was effective, it still left many things unresolved. The USSR was eager to sign the agreement because it noticed that the US and China were becoming friends, which would be a major war threat to the Soviets. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
Iran Hostage CrisisOn this date, Iranian students captured more than 60 American hostages. This was done to send a message to the US to end American involvement in their affairs. Another reason was to gain popularity to the new revolution's leader. Many people believed that this crisis led to Jimmy Carter not winning the election for his 2nd term. -
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
Korean Air Lines Flight 007A Korean flight, carrying 269 people was shot down by Soviet fighter jets. This action greatly increased tensions between the US and the USSR. Communications were sent to the pilots, but they never responded. After careful evaluation, it was known to be as a very bad misunderstanding. No people in either country were punished. -
Reagan and Gorbachev Meet
Reagan and Gorbachev meet in ReykjavikAfter their effective meeting in Geneva, the leaders of the US and USSR meet again in Reykjavik, Iceland. The talks were to be about missle arsenals in Europe. The talks fell apart and the relations between the two nations fell backward. Both sides accused the other for many different things. The next time they met was more than a year later. -
“Tear Down This Wall” speech
Tear Down the WallIn Ronald Reagan's speech, he challenged the Soviet leader by demanding the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall. He presented this speech in West Berlin, and added that he wanted to renew nuclear arms talks with the Soviets. A couple of years later, the Berlin Wall actually did come down. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
TiananmenOn this date, Chinese armed forces storm Beijing harming protesters. Young Chinese citizens were protesting against their communist government. They wanted a democratic government. Many protesters were killed, and even more were arrested. This act shocked the world, and the US knew it had to take action. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Fall of Berlin WallOn this date, the wall seperating East and West Berlin finally came down. People celebrated and drank alcohol excited for the barrier to come down. Many people did their part with hammers and tools to take down their own part of the wall. After it came down, the celebration is described to be as one of the best ever. -
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Fall of USSRStarting from this day on, many countries decided that they wanted to exit the Soviet Union. Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev was very disappointed that his union was falling apart, but it was due to his rule as leader. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended a long period of bloody and tyrant rule.
