-
Period: to
Cold War 1947-1966
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, lasting from 1947 to 1991. It involved ideological and economic rivalry, an arms race, and technological competition, but primarily lacked direct military conflict between the two superpowers. Instead, they supported opposing sides in regional conflicts. -
Truman Docterine
A US policy that wanted to stop the spread of communism due to the feeling of threat from the Soviet union -
Marshall Plan
A program to prevent the spread of Communism in Europe by bolstering and fostering its intuitions. involved a total of $13.3 bill in aid over 4 years. Helped economies stabilize. -
Cominform
Used to repel the expansion of anti-communism after world war II. Organized propagation and unified the Soviet union with eastern European coutries. -
Communists Takeover Czechoslovakia
Communist coup begin and followed increasing tension in economies. led suppression of a totalitarian regime and begin the communist rule that lasted 40 years. -
Brussel Pact was Organized
Established the Western Union and paved the way for NATO to demonstarte European unity and encourage the us to join the alliance. -
Berlin Blockade
Soviet union blocked both water and land traffic in and out of west Berlin. The allies launched the Berlin airlift to resupply goods due to the isolation. -
NATO formed
NATO was formed to create security against aggresion from the Western countries. NATO was the threat of choice to address aggresive threats. -
Berlin Blockade ends
After an 11 month effort to cut off land access, the airlift showed the ability to remain stable beside the Soviet union. -
Russia Tested its 1st Bomb
The event named " First Lightning " was a major shock to the US as they thought it would take longer for them to develop a weapon. Soviet union developed the bomb to hit Stalin. -
Truman Approved H-Bomb
response was due to the first testing of the Soviet unions atomic bomb, and was 1000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb which gave us an advantage. -
Communist Witch Hunt
Communist infiltration was a big scare in the coldwar, it grew paranoia and fueled deportation and accusations. McCarthyism begin. -
Korean War Begins
The Soviet union and China invaded South Korea and supported by the United States. The US sent their military as allies for the Soviet unions and built up their defense. -
Chinese Capture South Korean Capital
The Chinese peoples volunteer army captured Seoul and forced evacuation to show their capabilities. The city changed hands many times while in war. -
Truman Fires MacAurther
Truman believed MacAurther allied with powers in Korea. the disagreements they had led to Truman's decision and showed tension for the need of military action. -
Operation Greenhouse Begins
a series of nuclear bomb tests helped pave its victory for the cold war, fueled the arms race and altered the landscape. -
Marshal Plan comes to an End
A key event the contributed to the ending of the coldwar, it increased tensions and formalization while rebuilding the war-torn countries and bad economic situation. -
US detonates "Ivy Mike" in the Marshal Islands
Part of operation ivy, it marked the first full scale test for the thermonuclear devices. -
Eisenhower is Elected President
Dwight was elected for his efforts to contain the spread of communism and address the escalating problems with the Soviet union. -
Joseph Stalin dies
Statlins death was a big moment, it ended his autocratic rule and begin socail and political change while also creating power struggle within the leadership and negatively consequences his policy. -
Construction workers in East Berlin go on strike
Workers went on strike to protest increased work quotas and pay deductions. This strike focused on economic demands and spread against the east German communist government. -
Korean War Ends
As the Korean war ended, it didn't end the Col war and focused on the tensions between the Soviet union and the US. this shoed the signifagance for the development for future wars. -
The launching of the USS Nautilus,
The first nuclear submarine, This launch and era gave the US a big advantage, as they were able to travel unnoticed, for extended periods, and gave the US a big leap in the arms race. -
CIA helps overthrow unfriendly regimes in Iran and Guatemala
The CIA and many other agency's were apart of an overthrowing of Iran and Guatamala because they seemed unfit for the US. The CIA overthrew Guzman and nationalized special assets. -
The formation of the South East Asian Treaty Organisation
several countries and southeasr Asia formed a military alliance and aimed to prevent the spread of communism. -
West Germany is granted membership of NATO
following the end of the allied occupation, the integration grew the cold war rivalry, and solidifying the separation of Europe into military blocks. -
Warsaw Pact Formed
this was the treaty of friendship a military alliance formed and they aimed to get a defense mechnisim that helped gain power. -
An American U-2 spy plane makes its first flight over Soviet territory.
plane was designed and manufactured to collect information from soviet territory. focusing on photagraphy naval shipyard and military airfields. -
USSR sent military aid to Afghanistan
aid sent to Afghanistan helped the broader stratagy to support peoples decromatic party of Afghanistan a communist policy and to counter the influence of the US and its allies. -
Sputnik launched into orbit
this major event had signifigance because it symbolized the Soviet unions andvancment in technology cause the US to get nervous and launch the "space race" -
Hungarian Revolution
An increase against communist rule, highlighting the tensions between the Soviet union and the west over control of eastern Europe. -
Egypt took control of Suez Canal
the crisis showed the decrease of French and british power. straining relations between the US and its European allies. -
Vostok rocket launched 1st ICBM
this rocket based on the R-7 design but specifically adapted for human spaceflight. They launched the Vostok spacecrafts, including Vostok 1 which carried Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. -
Sputnik II launched - Laika died in space
The mission was part of the Cold War space race, and Laika was the first living creature to orbit the Earth. However, the mission was a tragedy; Laika died shortly after launch due to overheating and panic -
Explorer I launched
Explorer 1, the first American satellite, was launched, during the Cold War's Space Race. This launch was a significant step for the US, which was competing with the Soviet Union in the space race after the Soviet's successful launch of Sputnik 1. -
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is formed in the US.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was officially formed in the United States, The agency was created in direct response to the Soviet Union's successful launch of Sputnik. which sparked fears about Soviet technological superiority and prompted the United States to strengthen its space program. This event also marked the beginning of the Space Race. -
US military personnel are withdrawn from Lebanon.
The US military withdrew its personnel from Lebanon, due to a combination of factors including the devastating loss of 241 Marines in the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, increasing congressional opposition, and the lack of progress towards a peaceful resolution to the Lebanese Civil War. This event was a significant turning point in the Cold War, as it marked the withdrawal of US forces from a region where they had been engaged in a proxy conflict with the Soviet Union. -
Antarctic Treaty.
The Antarctic Treaty, played a crucial role in migrating the tensions of the Cold War by demilitarizing Antarctica and designating it as a zone for peaceful scientific cooperation. This agreement, considered the first international arms control agreement of the Cold War era, banned military activities and weapons testing on the continent. The treaty also promoted international scientific cooperation, with participating nations sharing research data and personnel. -
Cuba taken over by Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro overthrew the dictator Batista and seized power in Cuba, marking the end of Batista's rule and the beginning of a new era for Cuba. This event, known as the Cuban Revolution, was a key factor in escalating Cold War tensions. -
‘Kitchen Debate‘
Debate between Nixon and Khrushechev. The two men discussed the merits of each of their respective economic systems, capitalism and communism. The debate took place during an escalation of the Cold War, beginning with the launch of Sputnik. -
Cuba openly aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies
During the Cold War Cuba openly allied itself with the Soviet Union, becoming a key ally in the Soviet Bloc. This alliance was solidified after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, with Cuba becoming increasingly reliant on Soviet military and economic aid. The relationship was further cemented when Cuba joined the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. -
United States and Japan sign a Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security
it replaced the original 1951 security treaty. This revised treaty, also known as the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, committed the U.S. to defending Japan in case of attack and required prior consultation with Japan before using U.S. forces stationed there. -
John F. Kennedy is elected US president
John F Kennedy's election and presidency were profoundly shaped by the Cold War, a global ideological conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. His administration faced critical confrontations like the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. Kennedy's firm, handling of these crises significantly defined his legacy and influenced the trajectory of superpower relations. -
diplomatic ties with Cuba.
During the Cold War, Cuba and the Soviet Union maintained close diplomatic ties, with Cuba becoming a key ally of the Soviet Union. This relationship developed after the Cuban Revolution, which led Fidel Castro's communist regime to establish diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. Cuba became increasingly reliant on Soviet markets, military aid, and economic assistance, making it a major player in the Cold War rivalry between the US and the USSR. -
Berlin border is closed
This wall became a symbol of the ideological and political division between the capitalist West and the communist East. The closure aimed to stop the flow of people from East Germany to the West and prevent Western influence from entering the communist sector. -
Construction of Berlin Wall begins
The Berlin Wall's construction began as a response to the Berlin Crisis and mass defections from East Germany to West Berlin. The wall, officially described as an "antifascist bulwark," was built to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. It became a powerful symbol of the Cold War and the division of the world into two ideological blocs. -
Twelve people use Berlin Wall to escape to West Germany.
senior citizens secretly dug a 32-meter tunnel under the Berlin Wall to escape to West Berlin. They worked for over two weeks to create a tunnel large enough to walk through, rather than crawl, ensuring they could escape with their wives in dignity. -
war between China and India, sparked by border disputes.
The Sino-Indian War, also known as the Indo-China War, was a brief but significant armed conflict between India and China, primarily stemming from a long-standing border dispute in the Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh regions. The war occurred during the Cold War era and had significant geopolitical implications for both countries and the broader Asian landscape. -
Kennedy suspends the American naval blockade of Cuba.
President Kennedy implemented a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent the Soviet Union from delivering more military supplies, particularly nuclear missiles, to the island nation. This action, officially labeled a "quarantine" to avoid the formal implications of a state of war, was initiated on October 22, 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The blockade was lifted on November 20, 1962, after the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles and bombers from Cuba. -
Stig Wennerstrom is arrested for espionage
a Swedish air force colonel, was arrested for espionage in 1963 during the Cold War and later convicted of treason in 1964. He had been passing secrets to the Soviet Union for approximately 15 years, including information about Swedish and American military technologies. He was initially sentenced to life in prison but was released in 1974 -
Partial Test Ban Treaty
The Limited Test Ban Treaty, also known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty, was a crucial Cold War arms control agreement signed in 1963 by the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. It prohibited nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and under water. This treaty represented a significant step towards limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and their radioactive fallout, and it helped pave the way for future arms control agreements. -
President Kennedy assassinated
while not directly caused by the Cold War, significantly impacted the Cold War context and the trajectory of the US's foreign policy. His death abruptly ended his presidency, and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, inherited both the Cold War tensions and Kennedy's policy decisions. -
US Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
granting Johnson broad authority to take military action in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, to deter communist aggression. This action was taken in the context of the Cold War, where the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a global struggle for influence, and the fear of the spread of communism was a major concern. -
China tests its first atomic weapon
at the Lop Nor test site, becoming the fifth nation to join the nuclear club. This event significantly impacted the Cold War landscape, as it marked a shift in the balance of power and nuclear deterrence strategies. -
Lyndon Johnson is reelected president
Lyndon B. Johnson assumed the presidency after John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 and was elected to a full four-year term in 1964. His presidency was heavily influenced by the Cold War and, in particular, the Vietnam War. While he initially pursued conciliatory policies with the Soviet Union, he also escalated the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, a key aspect of the Cold War's containment policy. -
The death of former British prime minister Winston Churchill.
his death is significant in the context of the Cold War because he is considered a key figure in shaping the early years of the Cold War with his strong opposition to Soviet communism and his coining of the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the division of Europe between Eastern and Western blocs. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a U.S. military campaign of sustained aerial bombing against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, from 1965 to 1968. It was intended to degrade North Vietnam's war-making capabilities and force them to negotiate. While it caused significant damage, it ultimately failed to achieve its objectives and is widely considered a strategic failure. -
US forces invade the Dominican Republic
forces invaded the Dominican Republic during the Cold War, citing concerns about a potential communist takeover after the overthrow of President Juan Bosch. This intervention, codenamed "Operation Power Pack," involved the deployment of over 22,000 U.S. troops. The intervention aimed to protect American interests and prevent the establishment of a "communist dictatorship" similar to Cuba. -
The Soviets launch Luna 10
making it the first human-made object to orbit the Moon. This event occurred during the Cold War, intensifying the Space Race between the USSR and the United States. -
France withdraws its military commitment to NATO.
France, under President Charles de Gaulle, withdrew from NATO's integrated military command structure, while still remaining a member of the alliance. This move, during the Cold War, was a significant step towards French military independence and a reflection of de Gaulle's vision for a more independent France and a redefined European role. -
A Warsaw Pact conference promises support to North Vietnam.
a Warsaw Pact conference pledged support to North Vietnam, reflecting the Cold War alliance's commitment to the communist cause. This support included increased economic and military assistance, signaling a broader strategic alignment against the United States and its allies.