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The End of World War II
World War II ended with the Allied powers winning. Germany's economy was crushed, as well as other European countries. Japan surrenders because America dropped an atomic bomb onto two major Japanese cities. These two days were called V-E Day and V-J Day. -
Berlin Airlift Begins
In Germany, Berlin was divided into four zones. The French, British, and American being on the West and the Soviet Union was on the East. While this was supposed to be temporary, the three western zones were planning on creating an independent democratic German nation. They also wanted to create a democratic government in west Berlin inside the Soviet zone. The Soviets decided to block off all imports, which began the Berlin airlift. It was a massive effort to supply west Berlin with materials. -
NATO Forms
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military alliance formed by the United States, Canada, and most Western European countries. The purpose of this was to counter Soviet power in Europe. The Western democracy's thought that this was necessary to stop the spread of communism. -
The Arms Race Begins
The "Arms Race" was a race between the Soviet Union and United States to develop new powerful weapons. It began in 1949 when the West heard of a successful Soviet test of an atomic bomb. The US quickly started making new kinds of bombs, like the hydrogen bomb, which was successful. The Soviets soon followed and made their own hydrogen bomb. The strategy being used here is called deterrence, which is the development of military power to deter or prevent an attack. -
War in Korea Begins
The United States and Soviet union agreed to split Korea into two halves. The Soviets created a Communist government in the northern half, while the United States supported a non-Communist regime. North Korea then attacked South Korea to unite the country under a Communist government. -
Warsaw Pact Forms
The Warsaw Pact was an alliance between the Soviet Union and other Communist nations of Eastern Europe. They formed this after NATO was formed, and after the Soviets failed to block the Berlin airlift. -
The Vietnam War
Americans were concerned about the spread of Communism in Vietnam. They sided with the South, since they were non-Communist. When the South began to fight the Communism, the US sent military aid to fight the rebels. The North Communist side began to side with the rebels in order to reunite Vietnam. This war went on until the mid 1970's. -
Soviets Launch Sputnik
During the arms race, the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik, history's first artificial satellite that orbits the earth. The US had thought that they had a technological advantage over the Soviets, but now they feared that they lost that. They created NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in response. -
Communism is Cuba
Cuban's dictator was overthrown and Cuba became a Communist government. These rebels were under leadership of Fidel Castro, who was close with the Soviet Union. This alarmed the Americans because Cuba was only 90 miles south of Florida. The US government secretly trained an invasion force of people who had fled from Castro. This invasion happened at Cuba's Bay of Pigs in 1961. Then came the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, which resulted in nuclear missiles being removed from various countries. -
The Berlin Wall
Thousands of men from East Germany left their country to go to West Berlin to live in a free, democratic nation. Others left to search for work. Nearly 1000 people were crossing the border each day, so East Germany began building a tall barrier between the two halves of the city. This wall, the Berlin Wall, was heavily guarded and anyone who tried to get through it was shot. This showed the brutality of the Communist system. -
The Soviet Union Collapses
After the Cold War ended, the Berlin Wall collapsed. Soon after that, the Soviet Union started to crash too. The different republics in the Soviet Union wanted their freedom, so when one declared independence, others soon followed. The Soviet government no longer functioned. Twelve of the republics united in a loose confederation called the Commonwealth of Independent States. The once all powerful Soviet Union did not exist, and this marked the end of the Cold War after 40 years of tension.
