Cold War Timeline Project

By Sammie Huang
  • An iron curtain descends across Europe

    An iron curtain descends across Europe

    An "Iron Curtain" specifically refers to an imaginary boarder in Europe between Soviet and Western influence, starting from 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The Soviet Union's purpose was to block itself and its satellite states from the open contact to the non-Soviet ruling area. It was a pretty significant historical event as it symbolizes the division of communism and capitalist in Europe, and opposing alliance.
  • Berlin Airlift occurs and Czechoslovakia becomes the last Eastern European country to become Cmmunist

    Berlin Airlift occurs and Czechoslovakia becomes the last Eastern European country to become Cmmunist

    The Berlin Airlift is a series of food and fuel aid carried out by the US between June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949, aiming to resist Soviet pressure in Europe. Eventually, they successfully prevented the expansion of Soviet power. At the same time, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the Czechoslovakia government through a coup d'etat, highlighting the beginning of the four decades of ruling of the Soviet communist party.
  • Creation of East & West Germany

    Creation of East & West Germany

    After the Yalta Conference, Germany was separated into two sides with distinct ideologic blocs. East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union; while West Germany was ruled by France, UK, and USA respectively. The seperation of East and West Germany showed the huge difference between the western prosperous democratic state and the eastern authoritarian communist.
  • North Korea invades South Korea

    North Korea invades South Korea

    From June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, the Korean War began. It was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was supported by the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union; South Korea was supported by the United Nations Command (UNC) led by the United States. The Korean War was the first war in which the military was desegregated.
  • China comes to the aid of North Korea and forces UN troops to retreat

    China comes to the aid of North Korea and forces UN troops to retreat

  • The Korean War ends with a cease fire and Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel and Stalin, the leader of Soviet Union dies.

    The Korean War ends with a cease fire and Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel and Stalin, the leader of Soviet Union dies.

    • On July 27, 1953, military commanders from the United States (representing the United Nations Command), the Korean People's Army, and Chinese People's Volunteer Army signed the Korean Armistice Agreement, the Korean War (1950-1953) finally came to a halt.
    • On March 5th, 1953, Joseph Stalin, second leader of the Soviet Union, died at his Kuntsevo Dacha after suffering a stroke, at age 74. A state funeral was taken place in Moscow on March 9th, with four days of national mourning declared.
  • The French lose the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and decide to pull out of Indochina

    The French lose the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and decide to pull out of Indochina

    The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, fought from March 13 to May 7, 1954, was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War. The military victory of Vietnam ended the French colonial period in Vietnam that lasted over six decades. The battle was a notable historical event that divided Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam based on the 17th parallel.
  • Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet Premier and Austria reunified under the condition they remain neutral in the Cold War

    Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet Premier and Austria reunified under the condition they remain neutral in the Cold War

  • Soviets crush a revolt in Hungary while the West does nothing

    Soviets crush a revolt in Hungary while the West does nothing

  • Sputnik I is launched

    Sputnik I is launched

  • American U-2 spy plane is shot down by the Soviet Union

    American U-2 spy plane is shot down by the Soviet Union

  • Construction begins on the Berlin Wall & the Bay of Pigs Invasion occurs

    Construction begins on the Berlin Wall & the Bay of Pigs Invasion occurs

    • In April, 1961, the The Bay of Pigs Invasion occured. It was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba by USA, consisting of Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution, secretly and and directly financed by the US government
    • The construction of the Berlin Wall began in August 13, 1961. It was a representation of the Cold War and highlighted the seperation of the world into two distinct ideological blocs.
  • Cuban Missle Crisis occurs

    Cuban Missle Crisis occurs

  • The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurs and the United States' Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Leonid Brezhnev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union

    The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurs and the United States' Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Leonid Brezhnev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union

  • President Lyndon B. Johnson sent the first 60,000 ground troops to Vietnam

    President Lyndon B. Johnson sent the first 60,000 ground troops to Vietnam

  • The Soviet Union withdraws troops from Afghanistan, Romanian uprising ousts Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, and the USSR, allows the dismantling of the Berlin Wall

    The Soviet Union withdraws troops from Afghanistan, Romanian uprising ousts Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, and the USSR, allows the dismantling of the Berlin Wall

  • Tet Offensive occurs

    Tet Offensive occurs

  • Détente begins

    Détente begins

    Between the late 1960s to 1979, the Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States eased, which is a "Détente", meaning "relaxation" in French. Détente led to a series of summits between the two powers and a number of international treaty was signed. This could be important because there were incentives from both sides to ease geopolitical relationships and arms control.
  • United States and North Vietnam agree to cease fire

    United States and North Vietnam agree to cease fire

  • The last combat troops leave South Vietnam and the nation falls to Communist North Vietnam

    The last combat troops leave South Vietnam and the nation falls to Communist North Vietnam

    On March 29, 1973, the last US combat troops left South Vietnam, meaning that the US involvement in the Vietnam War has finally come to an end. On April 30, 1975, communist forces ended the war by seizing control of South Vietnam. This could be important due to the fact that North Vietnam (backed by the Soviet Union and China) and South Vietnam (backed by United States) was supported by two respective political ideologies.
  • Soviet-Afghan War begins

    Soviet-Afghan War begins

  • Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia, dies and Lech Walesa establishes the Solidarity Movement in Poland

    Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia, dies and Lech Walesa establishes the Solidarity Movement in Poland

  • Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union

    Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union

    After the death of Konstantin Chernenko in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the eighth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union by the Politburo of the CPSU. From 1990-1991, he served as the president of the Soviet Union. This marked the significance of the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War between the US USSR that lasted for around 4 decades.
  • Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania declare their independence and East and West Germany reunite under CHancellor Helmut Kohl

    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania declare their independence and East and West Germany reunite under CHancellor Helmut Kohl

  • Soviet republics of Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Kyygyzstan declare independence and Gorbachev resigns and Boris Yelsin becomes the first president of Russia

    Soviet republics of Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Kyygyzstan declare independence and Gorbachev resigns and Boris Yelsin becomes the first president of Russia

  • Czechoslovakia becomes the Czech Republic of Slovakia

    Czechoslovakia becomes the Czech Republic of Slovakia