Cold War

Timeline created by asjj2009

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Event Date:	Event Title:	Event Description:
03/05/1946	Churchill Delivers Iron Curtain Speech	This speech is essentially the declaration of war. Naturally, this speech could not exist if it were not for the vibration of the air particles surrounding Churchill. "Winston Churchill." Iron Curtain Speech. The History Place. 27 May 2009 http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/ironcurtain.htm.
03/12/1947	Truman Doctrine	The Truman Doctrine assured that the U.S. would remain committed to keeping the strength and unity of the democratic nations because it was in the best interest of the U.S. government & the Truman Administration. This would set the stage for the conflict between communism & democracy. "The Truman Doctrine, 1947." U.S. Department of State. U.S.Department of State. 27 May 2009 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/82210.htm.
04/04/1949	NATO is Established	NATO NATO, a military alliance established in 1949, organized an agreement of mutual defense. It became extremely important towards the end of the Cold War when the Soviet Union applied to join NATO to preserve the peace in Europe. Ultimately, their application was denied because the current countries felt that the Soviet's Plan was to only weaken the alliance.
08/29/1949	Soviet Union Tests First Atomic Bomb	To the Americans, the test was known as Joe 1. After its successful launch, the Soviet Union becomes the worlds second country to have nuclear weapons, and proved that the US would not win this "Cold War" without a fight. It also raised the suspense of a potentially nuclear war. Details "Joe 1." Joe 1. The Soviet Nuclear Weapons Program. 27 May 2009 http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/Sovwpnprog.html.
06/25/1950	Start of Korean War	Communist North Korea invades South Korea. Tensions rise between the US and Russia as communism seeks to gain a foothold in what the US feels should be free country. This is the first real example of enforcement of the containment policy
03/29/1951	Rosenberg's are Convicted of Espionage	Learn more about the trial & execution. Julius & Ethel Rosenberg are tried and convicted for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet's. They were executed by electric chair, sending courses of electricity through their bodies. "Government Views of The Rosenberg Spy Case." Government Views of the Rosenberg Trial. CCNY. 27 May 2009 .Edit
10/02/1952	United Kingdom Develops Atomic Bomb	The United Kingdom becomes the third known country to have nuclear weapons. The increase in weaponry world-wide leads to increased tensions and a greater focus on scientific development. The Soviets now have no allies capable of fighting with "new age" weaponry and becomes more alert towards acts of aggression.
11/01/1952	U.S. Detonates Hydrogen Bomb	11/1/1952
07/27/1953	Korean War Ends	The defeat of the United States in the Korean War leads to highly increased tensions between the US and Russia due to the success of communism after the United States' policy of "not one more inch" "WikiAnswers - What were the effects of the Korean War." WikiAnswers - The Korean War. 1 Jan. 2009. Answers Corporation. 28 May 2009 .
09/08/1954	SEATO Founded	South East Asian Treaty Organization was founded by the countries Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakiston, Thailand, Phillipines, the United Kingdom & the United States. This project was created to ensure alliances between the involved countries. This would assure that democracy remained more powerful than communism and would, in theory, prevent a communist attack.
02/24/1955	Baghdad Pact	Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey & United Kingdon sign the Baghdad Pact to combat Communist growth in the Middle East. In combination with the formation of SEATO, this would help prevent the growth of Communism by forming alliances that were intended to prevent Communist attacks on or takeovers of these countries.
05/14/1955	Warsaw Pact Signed	Eastern Europes response to NATO. Several Eastern European countries joined forces with communist Russia. This helped to create alliances, empower Russia, and prevent the expand of capitalism toward Russian borders.
10/01/1957	Strategic Air Command	The Strategic Air Command of the United States issues a 24/7 nuclear allert which is on going until its removal in 1991. This alert creates a greater fear of communism in the United States and serves to raise tensions between the US and Russia.
10/04/1957	Sputnik Sattelite Launched	The Space Race begins when Russia sends the satellite Sputnik into space. This increases tensions between the US and Russia and it shows weakness in the US as Russia achieves another victory. It also raises fear in the minds of the American people as they do not understand what capabilities the Russians have. In Depth Long Term Effects of Sputnik. 1 Jan. 2003. University Honors at the Uninversity of Maryland. 28 May 2009
12/01/1959	Vietcong	The Vietcong form in South Vietnam. This communist group seeking to dismantle the republican government in Southern Korea, served to raise tensions and would eventually become te primary enemy of American forces during the Vietnam War
05/01/1960	U-2 Incident	Starting in 1995, the US began launching U-2 Spy playnes over Russia. In May of 1960, one such plane was shot down in Russia. This allowed Russia to determine that it was definitely a US plane and tht it had been spying on Russia from its own airspace. This raised tensions as each realized the other's aviation capablilities. "U-2 Spy plane Incident - Gary Powers." American History From About. About.com. 29 May 2009 .
04/15/1961	Bay of Pigs	Kennedy initiates a plan to overthrow Castro's new government in Cuba. The CIA invaded Cuba and attempted to gain local support of a US invasion of Cuba without the appearance of US involvement. The attempt failed though as evidence was provided by Cuba that the US had planned the invasion. This not only increased tensions, but provided an enemy of the US just outside its own borders. "Bay of Pigs Invasion" Travel and History. N-W Travel Magazine. 29 May 2009
05/25/1961	Apollo Program Begins	JFK announces his administration's intention to put a man on the moon. In Depth
08/13/1961	Soviets Build Berlin Wall	The Soviets build the Berlin Wall, which seperates communist East Berlin from capitalist West Berlin. The US begins the Berlin Air-lift to anger the Russians and show that the US and capitalism will not be defeated easily.
10/31/1961	Tsar Bomba	Soviets detonate the most powerful nuclear weapon to date, as a test.
10/16/1962	Cuban Missle Crisis	U.S. & U.S.S.R. almost begin nulear war. Cuban Missile Crisis
05/14/1963	U.S./U.S.S.R. Hotline	The two countries establish a hotline making direct communication available.
08/05/1963	Partial Test Ban Treaty Signed	U.S.S.R. , U.S. & U.K. prohibit nuclear testing with the exception of underground.
08/04/1964	Gulf of Tonkin	U.S. becomes involved in the Vietnam War.
10/16/1964	China Tests Nuclear Bomb	This makes China the worlds 4th nuclear power, finally gives the Soviets a nuclear ally, and generally emphsises Einstein's observation: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
07/20/1969	First Moon Landing	Neil Armstrong lands on the moon on Apollo 11. More
07/25/1969	Vietnamization Begins	U.S. begins withdraw from Vietnam.
03/23/1983	Reagan Proposes "Star Wars"	Reagan proposes Strategic Defence Initiative to protect against nuclear bombing. The idea was to create some kind of sheild or guided missle device to prevent nuclear bombs reaching US soil.
12/08/1987	Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty	Signed in D.C. the treaty limits the production of IRBM's.
11/09/1989	Berlin Wall Torn Down
12/03/1989	Malta Summit	Begininng of the end of the Cold War
10/03/1990	Germany Reunified
12/25/1991	Cold War "Officially" Ends	George H. W. Bush delivers a speech that the Cold War has ended. Gorbachev resigns and the hammer & sickle is lowered from over the Kremlin for the last time.