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During World War II, the Soviet Union allied with the U.S. after Hitler had broken the non-aggression pact by invading Soviet land. The U.S. - Soviet alliance was a surprise to many because of their differing ideologies regardign socialism and capitalism.
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To prepare for victory, Winston Churchill from Britain, Roosevelt from the U.S., and Stalin from the Soviet Union met and bargained for days. They decided that Germany would be divided, and that free elections would be allowed in Poland.
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After Germany surrendered in the summer of 1945, Stalin began his goal of a communist East Europe. He wanted to create satellite nations, which were nations under Soviet control. Additionally, Stalin broke his promise of a democratic Poland by banning free elections.
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At another victory conference, the Soviet Union and the U.S. agreed to respect eachother's power in their own respective areas of control. They also continued to divide up Germany.
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After Germany's defeat in World War II, Germany was divided into four areas of control by the U.S., Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France. They also divided Berlin, the nation's heart, into another four zones despite Soviet disagreement.
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To defeat Japan, the U.S. began development of the atomic bomb, and first successfully tested it in Alamogordo, New Mexico. They then proceeded to drop it on two Japanese cities, which made the Soviet Union develop their own version of the deadly weapon.
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In 1946, Churchill came to the U.S. and gave a speech about the division in Europe. This was the term used to describe the division across Europe between capitalist control and socialist control.
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To help with the recovery of Europe, the U.S. provided 17 billion dollars to various countries. They said that it would promote world peace, but it was in fact an attempt to improve America's future economy.
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Greece and Turkey were two allies to the U.S. that sat right between many communist countries. Therefore, they struggled against communist rebellions and Soviet influences.
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Truman believed that Greece and Turkey were essential to the battle against communism. To keep them as a capitalist pawn, Truman made a speech saying that the U.S. would give 400 million to Greece and Turkey to prevent Communist influence.
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In 1947, the National Security Council wrote a draft that began the arms race of the Cold War. Russia's military and arsenal was increasign at a rapid rate, so the council conviced Truman to invest billions into military development.
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In 1948, the U.S., France, and Great Britain decided to create a new currency for occupied Germany. However, they did so without consulting the Soviet Union; as a result, Stalin withdrew the Soviet Union from the Allied Control Council.
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Stalin ordered a Soviet blockade on Berlin to prevent vehicles, food, and water from entering the city. He then proceeded to cut off all power and fuel from West Berlin.
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To peacefully retaliate against the Soviet Union, the U.S. began airlifting food, water, and supplies to the people of Berlin.
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The U.S., France, Great Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands became NATO, where the countries involved agreed to protect eachother from Soviet harm. This agreement was the U.S.'s official departure from isolationism.
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After the obvious destructive power of the U.S.'s atomic bomb was revealed, the Soviet Union quickly developed their own atomic bomb a few years after.
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After realizing that the Berlin Airlift outmatched his blockade, Stalin called off the Berlin Blockade.
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In 1949, another country joined the Communist movement. A man in China named Mao Ze Dong led a communist revolution in China, and quickly allied with the Soviet Union. Also, because the U.S. had supported Communist China's enemy, the two countries became rivals.
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After being provided with weapons by the Soviet Union, North Korea did not hesitate to send troops into South Korea. The U.S. responded by sending over General MacArhur, who eventually was fired for demanding war against China.
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The spread of communism in Asia was becoming more and more apparent with the Korean War. North Korea was supported by the Soviets, and South Korea was supported by the U.S.
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A few years after the Soviets successfully tested their atomic bomb, the U.S. responded by testing the hydrogen bomb. It was even more powerful that the atomic bomb, and soon both sides had enough bombs to destroy the world.
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After the U.S. successfully tested their hydrogen bomb, the Soviet Union quickly developed and tested their own version.
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The Korean War ended in stalemate; the two countries have been independent from eachother ever since.
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In response to NATO, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and other communist nations formed the Warsaw Pact.
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In rebellion against Soviet rule, anti-communist rebels use tanks to expel Soviet troops from Budapest. The Soviet army executed all rebel leaders, and the Hungarian pleas to the U.S. were turned down.
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Stalin ordered a wall to be built inbetween East and West Berlin to herd his communist pawns.
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Similar to the previous Hungarian rebellion, the uprising in Czechoslovakia was put down by the Soviet Army.
