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End of WWII
With the end of World War II, The United States and Soviet Union no longer had a common enemy. Tensions between the two nations would begin to rapidly rise. -
Start of NATO
The United States, Canada, and most Western European countries joinded together in a military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was designed to counter Soviet power in Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was the United States and Western Europe's response the Stalin's Berlin Blockade, and was one of the first major crises of the Cold War. During the blockade, Soviet forces blockaded the city of Berlin, attempting to force the Western Allies to place West Berlin under Soviet Control. The Western Allies refused, and began to supply West Berlin by air. -
Korean War
In an attempt to prevent the spread of communism in Asia, the United States headed a UN operation in Korea. A UN force consisting of mostly soldiers from the US was led by American General Douglas MacArthur and attempted to force Soviet backed North Koreans out of South Korea. Back and forth fighting would eventually lead to a stalemate. -
Warsaw Pact Forms
The Warsaw Pact was a collective defense treaty among eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet response to the integration of West Germany into NATO. -
Construction of Berlin Wall Begins
The Berlin Wall was constructed to prevent people from East Berlin from emigrating to West Berlin. The Berlin Wall would serve as an "iron curtain" between Eastern and Western Europe. The Berlin Wall is one of the most recognizable symbols from the Cold War. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the peek of the Cold War, and almost led to a nuclear war. When the United States discovered nuclear missiles in Cuba, US officials had to decide whether or not to go to war with the Soviet Union to destroyed the missiles that could strike targets in the eastern United States within a few minutes. The crisis was eventually resolved with the removal of the missiles from Cuba in exchange for the removal of US missiles from turkey and a promise not to attack Cuba. -
SALT I Agreement
SALT I was an agreement pact between the United States and the Soviet Union. It led to the limitation on the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers to existing numbers as well as a limit on the number of submarine launched ballistic missiles to be produced. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end to the iron curtain dividing Europe. The fall of the Berlin Wall was the culmination of mass protest in communist nations across Eastern Europe. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
The Collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War and 40 years of tensions with the United States. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved as republic after republic declared independence from the Soviet Union.
