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Potsdam Confence
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (replaced on July 26 by Prime Minister Clement Attlee), and U.S. President Harry Truman—met in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945, to negotiate terms for the end of World War II. -
Iron Curtain speech
Winston Churchill gives a speech to the world, describing the situation in eastern europe, warning the world that the soviet uniion is forcing it's communist influence throughout nearby countries, and that an "iron curtain" has been run through europe. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy to stop Soviet imperialism during the Cold War. It was announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947 when he pledged to contain Soviet threats to Greece and Turkey. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave $13 billion (approximately $130 billion in current dollar value as of August 2015) in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War 2. -
Berlin Blockade / Airlift
With the Soviets putting a blockade around East Berlin, cutting off supplies and food being shipped into the city, the American forces began to airlift supplies into East Berlin. This was very succesful, and eventually caused the blockade to be revoked. -
formation of NATO
In 1949, the prospect of further Communist expansion prompted the United States and 11 other Western nations to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). -
Communist China created
The decades-long struggle between the Chinese political parties ended at this date with the Communist party taking control. -
Korean War begins
The aggresive communist Northern Koreans invade Southern Korea, Stimulating a response from the United Nations to send forces to stop the invasion and help push back the communist forces. However with Chinese involvment, the forces on both sides become strained. -
Korean War ends
The Korean War draws to a cease-fire at this date. -
Warsaw Pact Creation
The Warsaw Pact was a collective defense treaty among eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe in existence during the Cold War, led by the USSR. -
The Hungarian Rising
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 or the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 was a nationwide revolt against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies. -
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also named the Tripartite Aggression, and the Kadesh Operation was an invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, followed by Britain and France. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and to remove Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser from power. -
Sputnik Launched
On October 4th 1957, the first orbital sattelite was launched from Russia into space. This was a momentous event that started the 'space race' between the Soviet Union and America. -
U-2 Incident
a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down from Soviet airspace. The aircraft, flown by Central Intelligence Agency pilot Francis Gary Powers, was performing aerial reconnaissance when it was hit by a missile and crashed in Sverdlovsk and was captured by the Soviets. -
Berlin Wall built
On this date the wall buil through East and West Berlin, known as the Berlin wall, began construction by the Soviet Union. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. The event was signifigant because it brought the cold war dangerously close to a nuclear exchange. -
U.S. Invlolvment in Vietnam
With the Northern communist Vietnamese soldiers making their way down Vietnam, the American's began Operation Rolling Thunder, bombing thousands of sqaure miles of jungle. And deploying American soldiers into enemy territory via helicopters. -
End of Vietnam fighting
With the recent removal of American forces from Vietnam, The southern Vietnamese forces didn't stand a chance alone, and were quickly overwhelmed by the communist forces from the North. With the capital, Saigon, captured, the country was in control of the communists. -
USSR Invades Afganistan
The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years from December 1979 to February 1989. Insurgent groups who received aid from several Western countries and several Muslim countries, fought against the Soviet Army and allied Afghan forces. -
Gorbachev Becomes leader of USSR
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman. He was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 when the party was dissolved -
Abolishment of the USSR
Under the command and leadership of Gorbachev, The Soviet Union was disbanded along with it's government and polotics.
