Timeline: Cold War

1945

Four powers divide Germany

This split is the one of the first occurrences that causes friction between the US and the Soviet Union. Three motorways and air-corridors entering West Berlin were permitted since half of Berlin belonged to the West. Of course, Stalin didn't like having Western capitalists in "his" Berlin, so he tried to evict them in a variety of methods, including the Berlin Blockade and the construction of the Berlin Wall, neither of which improved ties between the East and the West.

1945

American-Soviet cooperation ends at end of WWII

Increased tensions

1946

U.S. announces “Containment”

Increased tension

1947

U.S. announces Marshall Plan

Increased tensions

1948

Berlin Airlift

Increased tension

1949

NATO set up

Increased tensions

1950

Korean War

Increased tensions

1952

U.S. develops H-Bomb

Increased tensions. The creation of hydrogen bombs escalated a competition between the superpowers to acquire the most powerful nuclear weapons and the most effective delivery systems. The increasing arms race, which helped to militarise both sides and brought conflict closer, heightened tensions significantly. Nuclear weapons became a big part of the Cold War as tensions increased with the competition and decreased with treaties that required cooperation.

1953

Soviet Union develops H-Bomb

Increased tensions

1954

France pushed out of Vietnam

Increased tensions

1955

Creation of Warsaw Pact

Increased tensions

1956

Hungarian Revolt

Increased tensions

1956

Khrushchev calls for “peaceful co-existence”

Decreased tensions

1957

Sputnik is launched

Increased tensions

1960

U-2 incident and Paris Peace Summit

Increased tensions

1961

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Increased tensions

1961

Berlin Wall is built

Increased tensions

1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

Decreased tensions. The Cuban Missile Crisis pushed the world powers to the brink of war. It is an important event because it was a point of extremely high tension during the Cold War and was the closest the superpowers came to nuclear conflict. However, it did lead to better communication and to reduction in their nuclear programs, resulting in a period of decreased tensions.