cold war timeline

By chris herrera
  • Beginnings of the Cold War

    Beginnings of the Cold War

    The United States and the Soviet Union entered an era of tension and hostility, which became known as the Cold War. It was a struggle for power between two nations with different forms of government.
  • The Truman Doctrine

    The Truman Doctrine

    The Truman Doctrine was a pledge to provide economic and military aid to oppose the spread of communism. The United States was committed to help free peoples resist take over by armed minorities.
  • Berlin Airlift

    Berlin Airlift

    Western leaders organized the Berlin airlift, a massive effort to supply West Berlin by air. The Berlin airlift was a success, and the Soviets called of the blockade of Berlin in may 1949.
  • The Arms Race

    The Arms Race

    The two superpowers were locked in an arms race, a struggle between nations to gain an advance in weapons. The United States soon had more nuclear weapons than the Soviet Union.
  • NATO and Warsaw Pact

    NATO and Warsaw Pact

    The United States, Canada, and Western Europe countries joined together in a military alliance called NATO. NATO was designed to counter soviet power in Europe. The Soviet Union and Communist nations formed the alliance known as Warsaw Pact.
  • Communism in Cuba

    Communism in Cuba

    In 1959, rebels under the leadership of Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba's dictator and installed a Communist government. Once in power, Castro established a centrally planned economy and forged close ties with the Soviet Union.
  • Another Crisis in Berlin

    Another Crisis in Berlin

    By 1961 as many as 1,000 people a day were making the daily trip between their homes in East Germany and jobs in West Berlin. To stop this exodus, East Germany began erecting a tall barrier between the two halves of the city.
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    In April 1961 this force came ashore at the Cuba's Bay of Pigs. America officials had believed the Bay of Pigs invasion would start a massive Cuban uprising of Castro.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

    The Cuban Missile Crisis

    In 1963 cam the Cuban missile crisis, a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of the Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. After a two week standoff, Soviet leaders removed the missiles when the United States removed U.S. missiles from Turkey.
  • End of the Cold War

    End of the Cold War

    By the end of 1991 , the Soviet government had ceased to function. After more than 40 years of tension and conflict, the Cold War was finally over.