Cold War By amayn21 Period: Jan 1, 1945 to Aug 1, 1991 Cold War Feb 4, 1945 Yalta Conference meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin. The "Big Three" Aug 8, 1945 Russia enters war against Japan Aug 14, 1945 End of World War II Japanese surrender. Mar 1, 1946 Iron Curtain Speech by Winston Churchhill Mar 1, 1947 Truman declares active role in Greek Civil War Jun 1, 1947 Marshall Plan is announced Feb 1, 1948 Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia Jun 24, 1948 Berlin Blockade begins May 12, 1949 Berlin Blockade ends Jul 1, 1949 NATO ratified Sep 1, 1949 Mao Zedong, a Communist, takes control of China Sep 1, 1949 Soviets explode first atomic bomb Jun 1, 1950 Korean War begins Jun 1, 1952 US explodes first hydrogen bomb Jun 19, 1953 Rosenberg executions Jul 1, 1953 Korean War ends Jul 1, 1953 Soviets explodes hydrogen bomb. Stalin died Mar 1, 1954 KGB established Mar 1, 1954 CIA helps overthrow unfriendly regimes in Iran and Guatemala