The Cold War

By Colin

  • Red Scare

    Red Scare
    America was in a state of panic and conufsion. It was thought that there were communists in America that were going to try and convert other Americans into communists.

  • Formation of USSR

    Formation of USSR
    The Bolsheviks, lead by Vladmir Lenin stage a revolution to overthrow the Russian government in November. A conference is later held and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed.

  • Lenin Dies

    Lenin Dies
    Lenin dies in his house, Leninsky District, to a heart attack.

  • Stalin takes control

    Stalin takes control
    Despite Lenin's warnings that Stalin is becoming to powerful and corrupt, Joseph Stalin takes over control of the Soviet Union.

  • US doesn't recognize Ruia

    US doesn't recognize Ruia
    The United States refuses to acknowledge the communist government of Russia

  • Lend-Lease

    Lend-Lease
    The program with which the United States supplied war materials to allied nations. During debates, Senator Harry Truman says that if the Soviets begin to the win the war (WWII), we should give the Germans supplies, but if the Germans begin to win the war, we should give the Soviets supplies.

  • Atlantic Conference

    Atlantic Conference
    A conference held upon warships in Ship Harbour, Newfoundland. It was a conference to discuss the terms and conditions of WWII. However, the Soviet Union was not invited to attend this conference.

  • Casablanca Conference

    Casablanca Conference
    A conference to discuss what the plans of the Europeans during WWII would be. Stalin was invited, but declined. It was decided in the meeting that:
    1. Allied powers want full surrender from the Axis Powers
    2. Allied powers will help aid the USSR in an invasion of both Sicily and Italy.

  • Cairo Conference

    Cairo Conference
    The Cairo Conference was attended by FDR (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Chiang Kai-Shek (China). The purpose of the Cairo Conference was to discuss the Allied powers position against Japan, and to discuss what will happen with Asia after hte war. It was decided that:
    • Japan will be stripped of its colonies.
    • Any territory taken from China must be returned.
    • Korea will become independant (It had been ruled by Japan before)

  • Tehran Conference

    Tehran Conference
    The Tehran Conference (Nov. 28 - Dec. 1). This was the first World War II conference the Big Three (Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill) were all present. The purpose of this conference was to discuss the second front of the war (one topic of interest was the discussion of the Normandy Landings). However, the main purpose of the discussion was to form a plan to defeat Hitler and Germany.

  • Yalta Conference

    Yalta Conference
    The Yalta Conference (Feb 4 - Feb 11) was the second conference attented by the Big Three. The purpose of this conference was to discuss war torn Europe. It was agreed that:
    • USSR would enter the war against Japan
    • Berlin to be divided into three sectors,
    • Germany to be split into 4 sections, also Germany must be demilitarized and forced to pay reparation
    • There must be a buffer zone between Poland and Russia
    • Stalin requested all 16 Soviet Republics will be granted membership into UN

  • VE Day

    VE Day
    (Victory in Europe) Germany gives unconditional surrender in Berlin.

  • Potsdam Conference

    Potsdam Conference
    The Potsdam Conference (Jul 16 - Aug 2) was attended by Stalin, Truman, and Churchill (and later Attlee, who replaced Churchill as Prime Minister). It was to discuss how to deal with the Germans, and how to bring about peace after the war. Some important decisions were:
    • Germans stripped of all military power
    • Discussion of what to do with the nazi war criminals
    • How to divide up Germany and Austria
    • Revelation that the Allied powers had the Atomic Bomb

  • Atomic Bomb / Russia declares war

    Atomic Bomb / Russia declares war
    The United States of America launches two nuclear bombs. The first bomb hit Hiroshima on August 6th, and the second hit Nagasaki on August 9th. Russia declares war on Japan on August 8th, breaking their peace treaty.

  • World War II Officially ends

    World War II Officially ends
    With two nuclear bombs being dropped upon them, and a Soviet Invasion of Manchuria, Japan was facing total destruction. Emporer Hirohito sent out a radio broadcast to his nation of Japan that they surrender. With the surrender of both Germany and Japan, the war comes to a close.

  • "Sinews of Peace"

    "Sinews of Peace"
    Winston Churchill comes to America to deliver his "Iron Curtain Speech" in which he says that Europe has been divided into a communist section and a democratic section. "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an "iron curtain" has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; "

  • Truman Doctrine

    Truman Doctrine
    Greece is having a civil war, and might face turning communist. If Greece were to turn communist, Italy or France might be next. To counter this, Truman released the Truman Doctrine. This doctrine gave a total of $400 million between Greece and Turkey. This was the first example of Containment, the idea that although you cannot wipe out communism, you must not let it spread.