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Postdam Conference
At the Postdam Conference in the summer of 1945, the two sides argued over Eastern Europ, which bordered the Soviet Union and was occupied by Soviet forces. The Soviet Union had been invaded by Germany during both world wars. and Soviet leaders belived that they needed a buffer zone of friendly governments in Eastern Europe to gaurd against another such attack. -
Truman Doctrine
In early 1947 Soviet-backed Communists were threatening the governments of Greece and Turkey. President Truman used the opportunity to announce the Truman Doctrine, a pledge to provide economic and military aid to oppose the spread of communism. -
Marshall Plan
War-related economic problems existed throughout much of Europe. Truman belived that if conditions grew worse, more Europeans might turn to communism. The U.S. government launched a massive program of economic aid, the Marshall Plan. The plan provided $13 Billion for rebuilding Europe. The plan helped Western Europe make a rapid recovery from the war. -
Soviet Blockade of Berlin
The Soviets blocked off all land, rail, and water routes into West Berlin. As a result, Berlin's 2 million residents were no longer to import food, coal, and other vital supplies. The SOviets hoped these measures would force the Wesr to leave Berlin. -
Berlin Airlift
After the Soviets Blockade of Berlin Western leaders refused to give in. They organized the Berlin airlift, a massive effort to supply Berlin by air. At one point, a cargo plane was taking off from or landing in Berlin every 30 seconds. The Berlin airlift was a success and the Soviets called off the blockade of Berlin in May 1949 -
Korean War Begins
In June 1950 a communist led North Korea attacked anti-communist South Korea. Their goal was to unite the country under a communist government. Despite UN involvement, the North Koreans nearly conquered the South within a matter of months. Then after UN forces landed in Inchon North Korea was driven deep into North Korea, near the Chinese border. The war shifted again when Communist Chinese forces aided North Korea to push the UN out of North Korea. -
Nuclear Arms Race
In the fall of 1952 the United States tested the first fusion-powered hydrogen bomb with spectacular results, completley vaporizing the island on which the bomb was tested. Less than one year later the Soviets tested their own hydrogen bomb. This development of nuclear weapons forced both sides to change their military tactics. U.S. and Soviet leaders increased their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. These weapons soon became central to each side's defense strategy. -
Korean War Ends
During 1951 the war settled into a stale-mate. The battle lines lay just about hwere they had been before North Korea's initial invasion. In 1953 both sides agreed to an armistice. After three years of fighting and 4 million casualties, the Korean War was over. But little had changed since the war began. North Korea remained a communist state, and South Korea was an ally of the West. -
SALT I and II
Richard Nixon started negotiations known as the Strategic Arms Limitaions Talks or SALT I. The talks led to agreements limiting the number of nuclear weapons held by each side. SALT I also led to the Anti-Ballistic Missle, ABM, Treaty, which prevented the development of weapons designed to shoot down nuclear missles. The two sides then began a new round of talks, called SALT II. These talks resulted in an arms control treaty in 1979. -
Ronald Raegan
Ronald Raegan took an agressive position against the Soviet Union and spoke of developing a missle defense system an idea that seemed to violate the spirit of the ABM Treaty. Arms reduction talks between the U.S. and Soviets took place In 1988 the two countries ratified the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, Treaty, which called for the elimination of certain milssiles. After many years of conflict, the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States was finally beginning to improve.
