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US and Soviet Union Unite
The US and Soviet Union form an alliance when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. They push aside their differences (ideology) and work together to defeat Hitler in WWII -
Yalta Conference
Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin agree on a military plan to end the war, and joint occupation of Germany.Stalin promised free elections for Poland, because Us wanted an independent democratic Eastern Europe. -
Potsdam Conference
In Potsdam, Germany the Soviet Union and the US agreed and recognized eachother's rights to influence the regions where their troops remained postwar. -
Post German Defeat
After the Allies defeated Germany; Stalin established soviet-controlled govs in Eastern European. Totalitarium communist regimes arose. East and West Europe was divided into two spheres of influence -
US Nuclear Bomb
The US tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico. In Aug, it was dropped on Japan's Hiroshima & Nagasaki. This bomb dramatically increased the consequences of armed force between Soviet Union and US -
Germany's Division
Germany was palced under military rule after WWII. It was divided into zones, occupied by different countries: America, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Berlin-the capital was divided aw well, even though inside Soviet territory. -
The Iron Curtain
Churchill delievers a speech in the US, depicting the state of Europe having an iron curtain placed by the Soviet Union -
The Marshall Plan
Europe wrecked by war was vunerable to socialist or Soviet-communist style gov. Thus $17 billion was to be sent as economic aid, but the countries must agree to buy American products; supporting American capitalism & economy. -
Communist Rebellions
In early 1947 Greece & Turkey were fighting off Communist rebellions. Britain's funds for them ran dry, so they turned to the US for assistance. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman gave a speech on national television stating that it was the obligation of the US to support the free people resisting enslavement (communism). This speech outlined the US's Cold War policy: containment. -
Drafting the NSC 68
The NSC 68 was a secret document that was a blueprint for the American policy during the Cold War. Its authors warned that the Soviet Union had greater millitary capabilites and was rapidly improving. Thus Truman increased military spending to $50 billion per year -
Germany's New Currency
France, Britain, and the US planned to introduce a new currenc in Germany w/o consulting the Soviet Union. Thus the Soviets withdrew from the Allied Control Council. -
Berlin's Blockade
The Soviets set a formal blockade in Berlin as retaliation for the introduction of a new currency. This closed all road, rail, and water routes to & from the city. -
The US Airlift
The US airlifted supplies to Berlin in an attempt to aid West Berlin w/o starting an armed conflict with Berlin. -
The formation of NATO
The Us joined western nations like Canada, France, Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands to form NATO. Its member nations formed a military alliance to protect achother from Soviet agression. -
Nuclear Power
The American monopoly on nuclear power ended in 1949, when the Soviets perfected their own nuclear technology & developed a nuclear weapon of their own. -
China's Transformation
Mao Zedong led a successful Communist Revolution in China. Mao's gov allied itself w/ the Soviet Union. The US formerally allies w/ its previous nationalist gov now saw China w/ alarm & hostility. -
The Opening of Berlin
Stalin had all routes to Berlin reopened, but it still remained a divided city. -
Korean War
The Korean War increased US's alarm to the spread of communism in Asia. North backed by the Soviet Union; South backed by the US & UN. Korea was divided at the 38th parallel. -
North Korean Invasion
Communist North Korea w/ arms from the Soviets, invaded South Korea.The UN condemned the invasion & authorized troops to be sent under US MacArthur. The US troops were winning until the Chinese got involved. -
The Hydrogen Bomb Creation
The US made a more powerful nuclear device: the hydrogen bomb. -
Korean War
The Korean War ended in a stalemate. -
The Weapons Follow Up
The Soviet Union recreated the US's most powerful bomb: the hydrogen bomb. -
Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union formed a military alliance with Eastern European Nations: Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Smilar to NATO, called the Warsaw Pact. -
The Hungarian Uprising
Hungarian citizens began rioting & demanded more freedom from their Communist gov. They threatened the return of a parliamentary democracy. The US (Eisenhower) didn't send help for fear of WWIII. Khrushchev took over the capital Budapest w/ the Red army's tanks. They were brutally crushed, returned to a Soviet-style Communist nation. -
The Berlin Wall
The Soivet Union built a wall in Berlin dividing into East & West to keep the people on their side from escaping. -
Soviet Control
The Czechoslovakian Uprising was brutally crushed, and Hungary was returned to a Soviet-style Communist nation.It was similar to Hungary's
