Cold War Timeline

  • Marshall Plan

    Marshall Plan
    The Marshall Plan was a plan of the United States to help rebuild Allied countries after WWII. These countries included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and western Germany. Its main goal was to stop the spread of Communism. It was connected to the Containment Theory, it was a victory for Capitalism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Chinese Revolution

    Chinese Revolution
    The Chinese Revolution of 1949 was a revolution in China led by Mao Zedong to overthrow the Qing Dynasty in order to establish China as a Communist nation. They established the People's Republic of China. It was not connected to the Containment theory, it was a victory for Communism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Korean War

    Korean War
    The Korean was a war between North and South Korea, and began when the communist North Korean army invaded non-communist South Korea. Causes of the war include the spread of Communism, American containment, and Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII. It was connected to the Containment Theory, no one won the war, and it is still going on to this day. It was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Cuban Revolution

    Cuban Revolution
    The Cuban Revolution was a revolt against the Cuban President Fulgencio Batista led by Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro believed that Batista was a tyrant and accused him of corruption. It was not connected to the Containment Theory, it was a victory for communism and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Formation of the Soviet Bloc

    Formation of the Soviet Bloc
    After WWII, the border to the Soviet Union was left vulnerable, so the pact was created to secure it. The Eastern Bloc was formed during WWII with the common goal of fighting Nazi Germany. These European countries formed the Warsaw Pact with Russia. They included The Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. It was connected to the containment theory. It was a communist victory and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Vietnam War

    Vietnam War
    The Vietnam War began when the Viet Cong began attacking South Vietnamese military units. The United States feared that communism would spread to South Vietnam, which would then spread to the rest of Asia, which posed a great threat to America. The United States began aiding the South Vietnamese. It was connected to the Containment theory, it was a victory for the North Vietnamese, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Bay of Pigs Invasion
    A group of CIA funded Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro proposed an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in order to overthrow him. The Americans were trying to prevent the spread of communism into the Americas. It was connected to the Containment Theory, it was a victory for communism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Building of the Berlin Wall

    Building of the Berlin Wall
    The communist government of East Berlin began building the Berlin Wall in order to stem the tide of refugees attempting to leave East Berlin. It came to symbolize the Cold War and the lack of freedom under communism. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for communism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    Cuban Missile Crisis
    The Cuban Missile Crisis was a direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was caused by the Soviet Union putting nuclear weapons in Cuba. This was the moment where the two powers came closest to nuclear war. This issue was connected to the Containment Theory, it ended when the Soviet Union agreed to remove nukes from Cuba as long as the US agreed to respect Cuba's territorial sovereignty. It was a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Prague Spring

    Prague Spring
    The Prague Spring was a period of protests in Czechoslovakia against the communist rule of Alexander Dubcek after WWII. It continued until the Soviet union and other members of the Warsaw Pack suppressed the protests. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for communism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

    Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
    After the Soviets heard of growing unrest in Afghanistan over communism, they invaded in order to expand their influence in Asia. They also wanted to preserve the communist governments there. This event was connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for communism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Solidarity Movement

    Solidarity Movement
    The Solidarity Movement gave rise to a broad, non-violent, anti-communist social movement in Poland. At its height, it claimed more than 9.4 million members and it greatly contributed to the fall of communism. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for capitalism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Tienanmen Square Massacre

    Tienanmen Square Massacre
    The Tienanmen Square Massacre was a large, peaceful, student led demonstration in Beijing against the Communist Chinese government and for the establishment of basic human and press rights. It was met with force from the government and hundreds were killed. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for capitalism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Fall of the Berlin Wall

    Fall of the Berlin Wall
    After several weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announces that East German citizens could pass over to the other side of the wall. It symbolized the end of the Cold War. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for capitalism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.
  • Fall of the USSR

    Fall of the USSR
    The USSR fell after the reforms made by Mikhail Gorbachev when he came to power in 1985. He wished to give Russian people a louder voice and more expression in government. These reforms only hastened the fall of the Soviet Union. It was not connected to the containment theory, it was a victory for capitalism, and it was not a nuclear weapons issue.