-
Yalta Conference
+ Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met in conferences to decide that Germany would be divided into four zones, Russia would have to let nations in east Europe hold free elections and enter the war in the Pacific for which he was promised to get back Soviet land taken by the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War. In the future the conferences became controversial due to the secret agreements and Stalin's domination in the East. -
Berlin Declaration
+ The Berlin Declaration was one of the documents made to deal with postwar Germany. The declaration said that France, Britain, the US, and Soviet Union were to have authority over Germany after their unconditional surrender. After the war, Germany was divided into four zones to be controlled by each of the four powers, but the Soviets were communist which caused a divide between their east side and the democratic west (which was combined). -
Postdam Coference
+ Churchill, Stalin, and now Truman met to talk about the plans for postwar Europe and plans for Japan's surrender. It centered mainly on the plans for Germany (reparations, borders, economy, etc.) and how to prevent the same mistakes that caused WWII. There was many diagreements and this was the last time the 3 met together. A Council of Foreign Ministers was created with the Big Three, China, and France as well. -
North Vietnam
+ Shortly after WWII ended, Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam's independence from France. French forces (aided by the US) occupied the south in the Indochina War that followed. In '54 Vietnam was divided to communist north and anti-communist south. The south lost, even with the US's efforts and South Vietnam fell under communist rule. -
Iron Curtain Speech
+ British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivers the Iron Curtain Speech which officiated the start of the Cold War. In it, he hinted about wanting to form a strong bond between Britain and the US. US officials didn't want to be used as a tool while Stalin saw the speech as wanting to promote a war. This showed that Europe was being divided by those who promised to restore it. -
Containment Policy
+ The containment policy was a US strategy used to prevent the spread of communism any further. They used the Marshall Plan for this and was rejected by Soviet Union. Western Germany was also merged from France, Britain, and the US and an alliance called NATO was formed to promise help to any of its members in case of an attack, specifically from communism/ the Soviets. This strengthened the divide between eat and west. -
Berlin Blockade
+ Germany's capital, Berlin, was occupied by France, Britain, the US, and Soviet Union but was located in the Soviet's side. The Soviets, seeing how the west felt about communism and their plans, wanted to drive them out by setting a blockade to cut them off from the west. It was eventually called a failure. Berlin was still divided, but stronger measures seemed to have been needed. -
The Marshall Plan
+ The Marshall Plan was aid from the US to help restore postwar Europe. It was successful at a cost of over $13 billion but the economy in Europe would also benefit the US. The Soviet Union rejected the Plan in the east as they saw it as a way to interfere with communism. As a result they strenghtened their hold on the east. -
Berlin Airlift
+ The Berlin Blockade cut off the west to Berlin and prevented supplies for the Westerners from going into the city. So the west used planes to carry supplies into Berlin which became known as the Berlin Airlift. It ruined the Soviet Union's plan but showed the agression they had towards the west and making them look like a common enemy to those in the west. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
+ NATO was an alliance that included the western democracies and other nations that said that if any one of them was attacked, the others would fight with them. It made the sides clear on who was anti-communism and who was. The agreement also formed a military force that would fight communism off. The Soviets replied with their own alliance. -
Soviet Union Tests A-Bomb
+ The atomic bomb nicknamed "First Lightning" was dropped in a test site at Semipalatinsk. A spy plane was able to report back to the US of the bomb that turned out to match their own. The US then developed the first hydrogen bomb when it was found out that a spy had been giving nuclear secrets to the Soviets. This started a nuclear arms race between the superpowers. -
People's Republic of China Founded
+ On October 1949, China became communist after the communist party won control, creating a huge wedge between the US and China. As the biggest country in Asia it was a great loss because fell into communism.The US blamed the loss on the Nationalist regime being too weak to prevent it and officials who did not try their best to supress communism and were even accused them of supporting it. The US and China were further separated by supporting each other's enemies during the Korean War. -
Second Red Scare
+ Like the first Red Scare, the Second Red Scare was also the far of communism spreading. People in the governement, media, or general public were arrested when they were suspected of being communists, true or not, especially by the Ohio UnAmerican Activities Comittee made by the Ohio General Assembly. The Scare ended when the comittee lost popularity by violating the people's freedom. Though people were still scared of communism and were still hysterical. -
US Involvement in the Korean War
+ The US only got involved in the Korean War when they saw it as a sign of communism spreading as North Korea was communist. They managed to push them back to China but China was also communist and threatened the US to back away. Not wanting to start another war with China or the Soviet Union, a negotiation was made that divided North Korean and South Korea. The division still exists today. -
Execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
+ The married couple were accused of being spies who leaked nuclear information to the Soviet Union. Though they protested and claimed innocence, they were put to death on this day. Those who believed their innocence pointed out the death sentence as a result to the exxagerated fear of communists in the US. But due to that, most of the population did not see any problem with their execution as it seemed necessary. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower's Presidency
+ Eisenhower became the president for two terms. While in office, he signed the Korean War armistice, created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization to prevent communism in that area, and dealt with nuclear weapon tensions with the Soviet Union. Because of the SEATO, the US would enter the Vietnam War to fight against the communist North Vietnam just like in Korea. -
Nikita Krushchev in Power
+ Krushchev succeeds Stalin in 1953 and tried to better the lives of the Soviet Union's civilians and tried for a peaceful coexsistence with the west. He released prisoners, eased censorship, and even reduced the secret police's power. However he was the one who agreed the building of the Berlin Wall and dealt with the removal of missiles in Cuba. His credibility fell when the country suffered from food shortages and was asked to retire. However Krushchev gave hope to reform in the Soviet Union. -
Warsaw Pact
+ The Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact consisting of itself and its seven satellites as a response to the NATO. The Soviet Union saw NATO as a threat and the Warsaw Pact was used as defense against it, though it was similar to NATO. If any of the members was attacked, everyone would defend them. Though the Cold War was between the US and Soviet Union, the alliances showed who their enemies were, -
Sputnik Launched
+ Sputnik is the first man-made satellite, launched by the Soviet Union. Its purpose was to map the Earth's surface. The satellite also scared the US as it showed that the Soviets are able to luanch missiles all the way to the US. The US decided to start on their own project which resulted in the Explorer. Sputnik sparked a space race between the Soviet Union and US. -
The Cuban Revolution
+ Fidel Castro led a revolution when he saw how corrupt the government was when the former president stole presidency for the next term. Many Cubans saw this and supported Castro as he led the Cuban Revolution which was a success. Castro won power but it wasn't until later that he became communist. Unfortunately, Cuba is near the US and led to the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis which resulted in a trade embargo on Cuba. From there on, life for the civilians became difficult. -
U-2 Spy Plane Incident
+ A US U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying over Soviet Union and caught its pilot Francis Gary Powers. Eisenhower, who lied at first, had to reveal in the Summit meeting that the CIA had been using spy planes to keep track of the Soviet's military activity. Khrushchev saw that he could not trust him and nuclear disarmament negotiations stopped. -
JFK Presidency
+ John F. Kennedy is one of the most popular presidents in the US. During the Cold War, he made it his mission to stop communism around the world and create peace. He tried to start a rebellion against the communist government in Cuba but it failed. But he managed to make the Soviet Union withdraw missiles that were placed in Cuba. He also got the US, Soviets, and Britain to agree to the ban of nuclear weapons tests. He also launched the Peace Corps. -
First Man In Space
+ The Soviet Union sent the first man in space named Yuri Gagarin on the Vostok 1. It was a success in the hour and 48 minutes he spent orbting Earth and he was honored when he came back. Now, not only did they launch the first satelitte in space but also the first man which irked the Americans. The US worked hard to beat the feats of their rivals when they were dominated by the Soviet Union's achievements in space. Apollo 11 did just that. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
+ The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a plan to overthrow the communist government in Cuba. It was made up of Cuban exiles and was expected to fail but it was launched anyway. It was a quick failure and the rest of the plan was never carried out. Cuba asked help fromt the Soviet Union against the US and Cuba was supplied with missiles. The missiles led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. -
The Berlin Wall
+ The Berlin Wall separated West and East Berlin to prevent Easterners to flee to the West and to block of the democracy and capitalism in the West. Many were fleeing from the communist East, most of which were people who affected the East's economy. The Wall became the literal iron curtain. Over the years it grew in size and strength. But the Wall didn't just divide Germany; it divided Europe. -
JFK Assassinated
+ US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in his convertible in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice President Lydon Johnson became the 36th president around two hours after Kennedy's death. Oswald was eventually shot by Jack Ruby. The assassination led to many conspiracies such as Ruby's motive was to prevent information from being leaked by Oswald. In the end it was concluded that Kennedy's assassination was a result of conspiracy theories, which was common in the Cold War. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
+ The Gulf Tonkin Resolution was made for the US to take military action against Vietnam when they were reported to have launched a torpedo on a US battleship. It was to prevent agression from spreading in southeast Asia and to the US. The resolution made the US involved in the Vietnamese War. -
US Involvement in Vietnam War
+ The US was scared that if South Vietnam fell under communism, it would spread throughout Southeast Asia so decided to aid the South to help them fight against the communist north. The involvement was soon heavily protested by Americans until troops started to be pulled out. The costs of war in Korea and Vietnam caused inflation in the US and many doubted the superiority of the US since it was seen that they had lost the war. -
Prague Spring Begins
+ The Prague Spring was a period of reforms in communist Czechoslovakia when a man named Antonin Novotny. His reforms included freedom of speech and other political and economical things. This was a red flag for the Soviet Union as and invaded the country with tanks and other weaponry. Novotony was replaced with Gustav Hustak who brought back the strong communist control on Czech. Similar Pragues were made across Eastern Europe but were also subdued. -
Richard Nixon Presidency
+ Richard Nixon had a rough political career before and towards the end of his presidency. Nixon won presidency for promising peace. This included withdrawal of troops in Vietnam, reducing communist tensions with the US, and agreeing to reduce nuclear arms production. However during his second term, he resigned due to the Watergate Scandal where he was found to have helped over up a burglary. -
Apollo 11 Takes Off
+ + The Apollo 11 mission was created by JFK with a goal to land on the moon and return. This goal was made during the space race between the US and Soviet Union. The moon landing on July 20 where Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins became the first men on the moon became a historical milestone of the world. The US beat the Soviets to the moon at a very high cost, especially since many other missions became less important. -
SALT I
++ Strategic Arms Limitation Talks were discussions on managing nuclear arms in the US and Soviet Union. Since the end of WWII, the two began a nuclear arms race that lead to a nuclear war scare. The first phase, SALT I (1969- 1972), talked about the quantity and limitations of ABMs and MIRVs. However ABMs were the only one with official agreements. The agreements were signed in 1972, ending the phase. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
+ When the nuclear arms race brought nuclear war scare across the US and Soviet Union, the leaders of the two made treaties to avoid such a thing. One of them was the NPT was made to stop nuclear weapons from spreading as well as their development. It also encouraged using nuclear power for good (nonviolent) reasons. Many countries signed the treaty and the tearty today includes 190 countries. -
Détente
+ The detente was a period of lessened tensions between the Soviet Union and US during the Cold War. At first, the two had been developing nuclear weapons in a race but both sides saw nuclear threats from them. The two agreed on treaties on the rules of nuclear technology. It showed the two willing to try for peace, but the new US president Reagan pushed for military strengthening and the Sovet's invasion on Afghanistan ended the Detente. -
Paris Peace Accords
+ The Paris Peace Accords was made to end the war in Vietnam signed by the US, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Vietnamese communists dubbed "Viet Congs." Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel with no military supervision. North Vietnam was not allowed to enter with military force to try to take South Vietnam. The South was allowed to make its own future as well as deciding how to peacefully reunite with th North. -
Korean Airlines Flight 007
+ While on its way to Korea from the US, the Korean Airlines passenger flight accidentally flew over Russian miliitary space and was shot down. A total of 269 people were killed. The incident increased tensions between the powers and passenger planes were temporarily banned from entering the US. The ones responsible were punished, but how the flight ended up so off course is still a mystery. -
Reagan and Gorbachev Meet
+ The two met in Reykjavik, Iceland to further discuss nuclear weapons negotiations. Unlike the last one, this was was a failure and did not end well. During the talks, Reagan refused to limit the missile defenses in the US and wanted to continue his SDI. Due to the disagreements the meeting ended the next day without any agreeements made. Though fruitless, the meeting made it possible for the two to agree to work together in the future to provide the world security. -
“Tear Down This Wall” Speech
+ Ronald Reagan held a speech in West Berlin on the separation of the city and Europe that the Berlin Wall had made. He spoke out that there is only one Berlin and that the Soviet Union governement was separating them for their own reasons and that the Berlin Wall takes away the citizens' freedom. Here he said his famous quote, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Two years later, the communist party in Berlin allowed access to West Berlin and the wall was taken down by Berliners. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
++ A million protesters in China had been gathering in Tiananmen Square, Beijing to demand and end to the corrupt government and political reform. However, military force arrested and killed protesters, the true estimate of the latter running from 300 to the thousands. Enemies and allies were shocked, and the US placed economic sanctions on China. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
+ By 1989, the Cold War was coming to an end. When it was announced by the East that people were allowed to freely cross the wall that separated Berlin, over 20 millon people fled to the Berlin Wall to celebrate. After 30 years of separation, and two years after Kennedy's speech to "tear down this wall", people climbed the walls and began to tear it down. This day was know as the true end of war to the citizens. The two sides were officially reunited on October 3, 1990. -
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
+ Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, decided to build a better nation by weakening the communist party's power and giving back more freedom and rights to the citizens. He also pulled out troops from Afghanistan and reduced militia in the satellite states before they started to claim independence. The Soviet Union fell and became Russia.
