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Vietnam Declares Independence
Communist leader Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam an independent republic no longer under French occupation. This is important to the US who had given millions in aid to the French in keeping with the US policy of Containment. The US did not want another Communist nation in Asia and developed the idea of the Domino Theory. Later, the US would send thousands of troops into battle in an unconquerable Vietnam. -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
Winston Churchill travels to rural Missouri to deliver his famous "Sinews of Peace" speech in which he addresses the Soviet Union and their "Iron Curtain" as a serious threat to the free world. Churchill's appearance in America was extraordinary, even more so to deliver one of his most important speeches which Russian officials defined as "an act of war". This is the beginning of the Cold War and most symbolic of the removed "acts of war" from both the US and the USSR to come. -
Cominform is Created
Cominform was the Soviet information Bureau which basically served to coordinate various Communist parties with each other and had nine members. There were only 4 recorded meetings for Cominform (most were concerning the group's newspaper), but it was still an unnerving organizing body for US officials concerned with containment. -
Seperation/formation of East and West Berlin
The original U.S., French, and British quarters of Berlin merge to create Berlin, and the Soviet controlled quarter becomes East Berlin. This is the beginning of the Berlin Wall and the first stunning example of the power of the Iron Curtain. This is also the first example of the tedious nature of the Cold War and the US must very carefully consider their response because one wrong move could push the world to nuclear war. -
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Berlin Blockade
In response to the creation of West Berlin, the Soviet government shuts off all supplies entering East Berlin. All ground traffic is stopped and citizens are completely cut off. The US begins to very tediously air drop supplies to citizens without breaking the blockade. This is the first real situation in which the US and USSR practice Brinkmanship. In the summer of 1949 the blockade finally ends, but soon after the Berlin Wall is constructed. -
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Korean War
Beginning in 1950, when North Korean forces advanced into South Korea along the 38th Parallel. The North Korean forces are communist, so the US quickly steps in to provide aid to South Korea as part of the Truman Doctrine. Eventually North Korean forces are pushed back to the Chinese border and General MacArthur asks Truman for multiple nuclear weapons, then brokers an unauthorized ultimatum with North Korean leaders and is ultimately fired. The Korean War is one of the first proxy wars for US -
Death of Stalin
The leader of the USSR dies at 74 from a massive stroke and is succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev. Late in his life, the aggressive and murderous dictator was know to have and exacterbated and paranoid temper. This marks a shift in Soviet leadership, although not much in attitude, however Soviet - US tension does ease after Stalin's death. For many Russian's it is a relief; although the numbers are disputed, Stalin killed millions of his own people either through gulags, famine, or blatant murder. -
Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords finally end the conflict between the French and the leader of the North Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh. The two parties agree to relinquish North Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh and allow for free and fair elections in the South after a set number of years. This is the beginning of the US's involvement in communist Vietnam and fosters the seed of the Domino Theory. This also begins the US era of meddling in foreign governments through its support of the US friendly Southern Vietnamese leader -
Hungarian Revolution
Only spanning several days, the Hungarian Revolution began as a protest against the USSR's involvement in Budapest, Hungary. The violence quickly escalated and the USSR sent in a full military and Hungarian leaders cried out to the world that they were under attack. The rest of the world, including the US, did nothing but watch. Hungary was soon over taken and a puppet communist government was established. By the end of the conflict, several thousand Hungarian freedom fighters were dead. -
First Living Creature in Space
Laika, the dog, is launched into space with Sputnik ii and becomes the first living creature in space! This increases the push for the US to advance in the space race as well as for the USSR to continue to lead in the field. NASA is advanced by the US government and more STEM programs are pushed in schools. -
First Man in Space
Russian astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, becaomes the first man in space. He orbits the earth in a total 108 minutes and historically cried "Poyekhali!" as the rocket left earth. The United States government is furious but moves on to the next goal; to put a man on the moon. The pressure continues to mount in the Space Race and the continuous culture of one-upmanship is ever prevalent. -
JFK Assassination
While at a parade in Texas, President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on the plane ride back to D.C.. Johnson is incredibly concerned with foreign affairs and Domino Theory and eventually entangles the US in a Cold War proxy war in Vietnam. He is seen as a more competent leader than his predecessor, although he eventually loses support as the Vietnam war rages on. This is a shift in US involvement and policy abroad. -
Khrushchev is Removed from Office
Khrushchev is remover from power by a forced resignation coupe within his own party. The party viewed his actions as erratic and a complete embarrassment, especially concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was replaced by a much younger leader named Leonid Brezhnev, who later served for 18 years. During Brezhnev's 18 years in power, he greatly expanded the scope of the Soviet Union, partly because of military expansion. This transition of power becomes a shift in Soviet global policy. -
USSR Invades Czechoslovokia
In response to the Prague Spring, a brief period of liberalization under Alexander Dubcek, the USSR sent in thousands of troops and tanks. Czechoslovakians protested using non violence but were quickly extinguished by the USSR and the new Czechoslovakian leader Gsutav Husak. The US does nothing and Husak begins the process of "normalization" to rid the government of Dubcek's reforms and revert back to conservative Communist ideals. -
First Man on the Moon
The Apollo 11 successfully lands on the moon and Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon, fulfilling President Kennedy's promise to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. For the most part, the Space Race is complete, but tensions are still high in the cold war. This was a huge win for the US after being largely beaten out in the Space Race by the USSR.
