-
- 11 Feb 1945, Yalta Conference
it was a meeting of British Prime minister Winston Churchill, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They agreed to get Germany’s to surrender and to meet to set up the United Nations. Stalin also agreed to allow free election and go to war against Japan. -
- 2 August 1945, Potsdam Conference
It was a meeting with President Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to demand surrender from Japan. They also discussed Germany's economy, and getting rid of nazis and war criminals being brought to trial. Truman got news that the atomic bomb test was successful. -
First A-bomb dropped on Japan
US President Truman had the US drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima killing around 80,000 people. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing another 40,000 people. 100,000 more people died due to horrible deaths because of radiation poisoning. This caused Japan to surender and ended WW2. -
V-J Day
Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945 ending World War II after six years of horrible fighting. Emperor Hirohito of Japan got his people to surrender blaming the use of the atomic bombs. He said that if they hadn't the whole Japanese nation and human civilization would be totally destroyed. -
“Iron Curtain Speech”
This was a speech given by the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Fulton Missouri and it started the Cold War. In this speech Churchill was praising the U.S. and joining them to go against the Soviet Union. The Iron Curtain is actually a battle line dividing the countries that sided with the US and Britain against those that stuck up for the Soviet Union. -
Truman Doctrine announced
The Truman Doctrine was the official declaration of the Cold War. Greece and Turkey wanted to remain a free democracy and the Soviet Union wanted them to be communist countries. Truman was going to provide money and military help to these countries to help them fight against the Soviet Union taking them over. -
Marshall Plan announced
The Marshall Plan was a plan to help the economic recovery of Europe by investing $13 billion into their economy. The Soviet Union wasn't happy because they thought the U.S.was interferring an didn't want any part of it. The plan was successful because it helped the people feel like they had a future. -
Berlin Airlift begins
The Soviet Union was angry at the United States and Britain because they wouldn't allow them to be part of the economic future of Germany. So they blocked all roads going into West Berlin. The United States had to use airplanes to drop food, water, and medicine to help over 2 million German people. This only made the Soviet Union look like bullies. -
NATO treaty ratified
The U.S and 11 other nations created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was an agreement to stop the Soviet Union from pushing communism in Europe. President Truman called it a "shield" protecting each other against possible attacks. -
End of Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union realized they were losing the battle because of the U.S. and the British bringing supplies to Western Berlin. They gave up after 11 months. The Soviets met with the Western Allies and agreed to end the blockade, -
Soviets explode A-bomb
-
Communist takeover in China
Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong took over China and made the country an ally of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union gave Mao money and they promised better farmlands to the poor people. So the people supported the takeover. -
Beginning of McCarthyism
McCarthy claimed that Communists were taking over the government. He took advantage of people's fear of this happening and he accused them of being unloyal or un-American without any proof. -
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed
They were accused of helping Klaus Fuchs with the building of the atomic bomb for the Soviet Union. They denied being Communists and pleaded the Fifth because they were Jewish and they had radical beliefs. They were sentenced to death because of being spies. -
Geneva Summit
Eisenhower visited Geneva and there he made the "open skies" proposal . This allowed the flying of airplanes over the U.S. and Soviet territory so there would be no surprise nuclear attacks. The Soviet Union didn't agree but the world saw it as a step toward peace. -
Warsaw Pact
There were tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union got better when Stalin died. West Germany, Austria, and Japan made peace treaties but then the Soviet Union became fearful. So the Soviet Union made the Warsaw Pact with seven other Eastern European countries. -
Suez War
Egypt built and controlled the Suez canal. They refused to let ships going to Isreal pass through even though it was to be open to everyone. It started a war but the U.N. stepped in and stopped it but let Egypt to keep control of the canal. -
Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian people revolted against the Soviet Union and wanted a democratic government. Imre Nagy formed a new government which gave the people free elections and told the Soviet to leave. The Soviet got mad and killed people and took back control of Hungary. -
Launching of Sputnik
There was a race to see which nation would launch the first satellite into space. The Soviets were the first and they launched the Sputnik that traveled around the earth once every ninety six minutes. The U.S. was shocked that they were beat by the Soviets. -
U.S. U-2 plan shot down
Eisenhower's proposal for open skies was "shot down" so the CIA started making secret flights over Soviet Union. They used a plane called the U-2 which could fly without being detected. It took pictures of troop movement and missile sites.
