Coldwar

Cold War (1945-1989)

By 19mwise

  • The Yalta Conference

    The British, Soviets, and the US begin making plans for the postwar world. The main terms of the agreement were: Divide Germany into 4 zones of occupation. The Soviet Union agrees to go to war with Japan.
  • Period: to

    Cold War

  • Harry S. Truman

    US President Harry S. Truman gives an angry rebuke to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. He indicated that he was determined to take a "tougher" stance with the Soviets than his predecessor had.

  • Potsdam Conference

    Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. The three powers were represented by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, and President Harry S. Truman. US President Harry S. Truman informs Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin that the United States has nuclear weapons.

  • Project Venona

    A counter-intelligence program initiated by the U.S. Army’s Signal Intelligence Service. In 1946, Project Venona cracked the Spy Code and enabled the US to read thousands of messages from Moscow and the US during the Cold War.

  • Loyalty Review Program

    President Harry S. Truman established a loyalty review program to screen all federal employees. The order established the first general loyalty program in the United States, designed to root out communist influence in the U.S. federal government.

  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift

    After creation of the Soviet East Germany and West Germany. the Soviets take hostage of West Berlin. West Berlin faced starvation so the U and British step in, both countries fly in supplied and food to West Berlin for 11 months.

  • NATO

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created as a defense alliance. It promised to meet an attack on any NATO member with armed force. Includes the US, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal. West Germany joined in 1955 after East Germany joined the Warsaw Pact.

  • Soviet Blockade Ends

    The Soviet blockade of Berlin ends with the re-opening of access routes to Berlin. The airlift continues until September, in case the Soviets re-establish the blockade.

  • Red Scare

    In 1949 the Red Scare intensifies as the Soviet Union successfully tested their first atomic bomb and China fell to Communism. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy proclaimed that communits were a danger at home and abroad.

  • McCarthyism

    McCarthy spent a great deal of time accusing government officials of being Communists or Communist sympathizers and of subversion. This tactic of damaging reputations with vague charges became known as McCathyism.

  • Soviet's Atomic Bomb

    The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb. The test, known to Americans as Joe 1, succeeds, as the Soviet Union becomes the world's second nuclear power.

  • Konrad Adenauer

    Konrad Adenauer becomes the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. During his years in power West Germany achieved democracy, stability, international respect and economic prosperity.

  • Korean War

    North Korea launches an attack on South Korea in an attempt to reunite the nation under one communist government. In response, South Korea asks the U.N. to intervene.

  • MacArthur

    MacArthur is taken out of command in 1952. In 1953 the UN and North Korea sign a lease fire and create a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel.

  • McCarthy's Rise

    In 1953 McCarthy became chairman of the Senate subcommittee on investigations. Many of these investigation became witch-hunts, but the fear of communism had given McCarthy the support he needed to question government officials and even Army officers.

  • McCarthy's Fall

    At one point, the army's lawyer Joseph Welch called McCarthy out on his ruthless tactics and cruelty. Following this, the Senate passed a vote of censure which is formal disapprival, against McCarthym which took away his influence.

  • War in Vietnman

    During WWII, French Indochina had come under control of the Japanese, but after the war, Vietnam expected their indepependnce. France wanted to re-establish their control over the region. At Dien Bien Phu the French are defeated and decide that Vietnman is not worth of the loss of life or money.

  • War in Vietnman - The US Gets Involved

    After a series of "unprovoked" attacks on US destroyers of the Coat of Vietnman in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson convinces congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, This expands Presidential power and sends troops to Vietnman without an official declaration of war.

  • Space Race

    One of the major focus points is space and aviation - this becomes known as the Space Race. In 1957 the Soviets are the first to reach space via satellite Sputnik I using an intercontinental ballistic missile. In response, the US pours money into science, mathematics, and language education and succesfully launches its first satellite in 1958.

  • Conflict in Cuba

    Cuban rebels overthrow the Cuban ruler and Fidel Castro installs a communist government and became dictator. Castro seizes control of US Sufar Factories so the US outlaws all trade to Cuba in the Cuban Embargo.

  • U-2 Reconnaissance Plane

    The CIA authorized secret high altitude flight over the Soviet Union using U-2 planes. The Soviets shot down one of the U-2 planes (U-2 Incident) which leads to more distrust between the two nations.

  • Bay of Pigs

    The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed attempt by the CIA to start an uprising in Cuba and take poer from Castro. This humiliates the U.S. and J.F.K.

  • The Berlin Wall

    The number of people trying to leave East Germany and flee to the west was becoming an issue for Soviets. In an effort to stop this, the Soviets built the Berlin Wall. It divided the democratic side of Berlin from the Communist controlled side and the two different ways of life were even more evident.

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    With tensions increasing, the Soviets build 42 missile sites in Cuba and in 1962 a U-2 spy plane discovers them. The Cuban Missile Crisis refers to the two-week standoff between the Soviets and the US. Soviets have missiles in Cuba and the US have missile in Turkey.

  • The End of the Cold War

    The Cold War comes to an end as many communist governments in eastern Europe begin to fall apart. As reform takes place in the Soviet Union, many Eastern European coutries redorm as well which leads to the fall of communism, One of the lasting marks of the fall of communism was the fall of the Berlin War.