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The global conflict concludes with Germany resulting defeated by the Allies. -
Allied leaders Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin meet at Yalta and Potsdam to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and Germany's punishments to serve. -
The Soviet Union establishes communist governments in Eastern European countries, solidifying its influence in the region.
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President Truman declares that the United States will provide economic and military assistance to countries resisting communist aggression, marking the start of the Cold War containment policy. -
The Soviet Union establishes the Information Bureau to coordinate communist parties internationally. -
The United States launches a massive economic aid program to help rebuild war-torn Western Europe. -
The Soviet Union blockades West Berlin in an attempt to force the Allies out, leading to the Berlin Airlift. -
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is formed, creating a military alliance between Western countries against the Soviet bloc. -
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance is established, promoting economic cooperation among socialist countries. -
North Korean forces invade South Korea, leading to a UN-backed intervention by Western and Asian countries. -
Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, dies, prompting changes in Soviet policies. -
Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal, leading to a military intervention by Britain, France, and Israel. -
Hungary attempts to break free from Soviet influence, leading to a Soviet military intervention. -
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, initiating the space race with the United States. -
Economic challenges and political unrest in the Soviet Union prompt internal reforms. -
The Soviet Union shoots down a US U-2 spy plane, increasing Cold War tensions. -
The United States attempts to overthrow Fidel Castro's Cuban government but fails. -
East Germany erects a barrier to prevent the exodus of East Berliners to the West. -
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, increasing Cold War tensions. -
The United States and the Soviet Union come to the brink of nuclear war over the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba. -
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Leonid Brezhnev takes over leadership in the Soviet Union, marking a shift in policies. -
The United States sends combat troops to support South Vietnam in the Vietnam War. -
The Soviet Union asserts the right to intervene in socialist countries to preserve communism. -
North Vietnamese forces launch a major offensive during the Vietnamese New Year, surprising the Allies. -
The United States successfully lands astronauts on the moon with the Apollo 11 mission. -
Agreements signed by 35 nations to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West. -
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Iranian militants seize the US Embassy in Tehran, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. -
The Soviet Union intervenes in Afghanistan to support the communist government, leading to a prolonged conflict. -
The Berlin Wall is breached, symbolizing the end of the Cold War division between East and West Germany. -
The Soviet Union collapses, marking the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new geopolitical era.