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Period: to
World War I
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Period: to
Russian Revolution
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Kaiser abdicates
📌 Berlin, Germany- Kaiser abdicates and flees to the Netherlands to live in exile.
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Friedrich Ebert becomes President
📌 Berlin, Germany- Ebert, Social Democrat, becomes President of Germany.
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Period: to
Council of People's Representatives
Transitional government of Germany between Kaiser's abdication and establishment of Weimar Republic. -
Germany signs armistice
📌 Compagnie, France- Matthias Erzberger and General Foch signs armistice at 5:00 in a train carriage in a forest.
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National elections
📌 Germany- National elections for new National Assembly with positive results.
- 82% of citizens voted, SDP won 40% of seats.
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Period: to
Weimar Republic
A republic consisting of 18 states, organised as a federation, with a chancellor in charge of the country, and each state having its own parliament, laws and police. -
Period: to
Soviet Union
A communist state comprising of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. -
Munich Putsch/Beer Hall Putsch
📌 Munich, Germany
- Hitler fails to seize power in Bavaria. Hitler marches into a beer hall with prominent Bavarian politicians to win their support with 2,000 SA members.
- Clashes with police after failed seizure of Beer Hall. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor
📌 Berlin, Germany
- Hindenburg appoints Hitler as chancellor after pressure from companies, businessmen, noblemen and politicians. -
Period: to
Nazi Germany
Successor of Weimar Germany, with an authoritarian government led by Adolf Hitler as Führer. -
Eišiškės Tragedy
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Eišiškės, Lithuania- Jewish population of town and neighbouring areas rounded up by Einsatzgruppen, imprisoned and then shot.
- Around 4,000 Jews killed.
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Goebbels becomes Chancellor
📌 Berlin, Germany- Joseph Goebbels becomes Chancellor of Germany after the death of Hitler.
- Goebbels kills himself a day later.
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Hitler commits suicide
📌 Führerbunker, Berlin, Germany- Hitler tests a cyanide pill on his dog, who dies from the pill.
- Hitler's wife, Eva Braun, kills herself with cyanide.
- Hitler shoots himself.
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Von Krosigk becomes Chancellor
📌 Berlin, Germany- Von Krosigk becomes Chancellor after the death of Goebbels.
- Responsible for the surrender of Germany.
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Nazis surrender on Western Front
📌 Berlin, Germany- Nazis surrender on the Western Front.
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Nazis surrender on Eastern Front
📌 Berlin, Germany- Nazis surrender on the Eastern Front following the Soviet liberation of Prague.
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US tests atomic bomb
📌 Los Alamos, USA- US tests the first ever atomic bomb, codenamed Trinity Test.
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Bombing of Hiroshima
📌 Hiroshima, Japan- USA drops first ever atomic bomb.
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Bombing of Nagasaki
📌 Nagasaki, Japan- USA drops second ever atomic bomb, forcing the Japanese to surrender just days later.
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Japanese surrender
📌 Tokyo, Japan- Emperor Hirohito surrenders unconditionally to the US.
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Period: to
Bizonia
Union of UK and US zones in Germany, aimed to enhance coordination between the zones and deepen ties with the West. -
Truman Doctrine
📌 Washington DC, USA- US declaration to completely end isolationism and aid democratic countries under threat of authoritarianism.
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Cominform formed
📌 Poland- Organisation intended to coordinate between the communist parties across Europe.
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Period: to
Marshall Plan
📌 Europe- US economic support to rebuild economies and infrastructure of European countries.
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Klement Gottwald elected
📌 Prague, Czechoslovakia- Klement Gottwald is elected as the first Communist leader of the country, with Soviet backing.
- Gottwald implements Stalinist policies, including the nationalisation of farms, censorship and jailing and purging of political opponents.
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Deutschmark adopted
📌 Bizonia- Deutschmark is adopted as currency of Bizonia, 2 days after which Trizonia is formed.
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Period: to
Trizonia
Union of UK and US (Bizonia) and French zones in Germany, aimed to enhance coordination between the zones and deepen ties with the West. -
Comecon formed
📌 Moscow, USSR- Organisation intended to aid Communist countries economically.
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NATO formed
📌 Washington DC, USA- Military alliance bringing the US and its allies together.
- Article 5: if one member is attacked, all other members must come to its defence.
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Period: to
West Germany
The larger of the two German countries, with a stronger economy, larger population and capitalist society, allied with the West. -
USSR tests atomic bomb
📌 Kazakhstan, USSR- USSR tests its first atomic bomb, becoming the second country to successfully build and test an atomic bomb.
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Period: to
East Germany
The smaller of the two German countries, with a much weaker economy, smaller population and communist society, one of the Soviet satellite states. -
Eisenhower elected
📌 Washington DC, USA- Dwight D. Eisenhower inaugurated.
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Joseph Stalin dies
📌 Moscow, USSR- Stalin dies, leaving no successor.
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Nikita Khrushchev elected
📌 Moscow, USSR- 6 months after Stalin dies, Khrushchev is elected as leader of the Soviet Union.
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Antonín Novotný replaces Gottwald
📌 Prague, Czechoslovakia- Antonín Novotný is elected as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, becoming leader of the country, replacing Klement Gottwald.
- Novotný keeps the media censored and implements hardline policies meant to kept the country close to the USSR.
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US tests hydrogen bomb
📌 Bikini Atoll, USA- US tests hydrogen bomb, resulting in the largest US nuclear test ever.
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Lucky Dragon
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Pacific Ocean | Japan- Nuclear fallout from a nuke test in the Pacific caused a boat full of Japanese fishermen to become ill, with one man dying.
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SEATO formed
📌 Manila, Philippines- SEATO defence treaty signed, leading to the institution of the alliance a year after.
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Austrian reunification
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Vienna, Austria- All 4 Austrian zones (French, UK, US and Soviet) reunified.
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West Germany joins NATO
📌 West Germany- West Germany joins NATO, triggering the creation of the Warsaw Pact.
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Warsaw Pact formed
📌 Warsaw, Poland- Soviet response to NATO, bringing the USSR and its satellite states into a military alliance.
- If one member is attacked, all other members must come to its defence.
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USSR tests hydrogen bomb
📌 Kazakhstan, USSR- USSR tests its first hydrogen bomb.
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Polish Protests
📌 Poznań, Poland- Protests in Poland give courage to Czechoslovakians to protests later.
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Imre Nagy elected
📌 Budapest, Hungary- Imre Nagy is elected as leader of Hungary, a few months after Rákosi was kicked out of power.
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US tests ICBM
📌 Los Alamos, USA- US tests their first ever ICBM.
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USSR tests ICBM
📌 Russia, USSR- USSR tests their first ever ICBM.
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Khrushchev's Beijing trip
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Beijing, China- Khrushchev visits Beijing to talk to Mao.
- Highlights Sino-Soviet split.
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U2 plane shot down
📌 Russia, USSR- US U2 spy plane shot down over Russia.
- Gary Powers, pilot, interrogated and tortured, admits to spying.
- US states it was a weather surveillance plane, refuses to admit guilt or apologise.
- Contributes to failure of Paris Summit.
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U2 plane shot down
📌 Russia, USSR- U2 spy plane shot down over Russia, pilot Gary Powers interrogated and tortured.
- U2 spy plane causes tension and collapse of Paris Summit.
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Period: to
Sino-Soviet Split
Deterioration of relations between the USSR and China under Mao Zedong. -
Berlin barbed wire fence constructed
📌 East Berlin, East Germany- String of barbed wire between East and West Berlin set out by East German forces.
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Berlin Wall constructed
📌 East Berlin, East Germany- Wall between East and West Berlin constructed by East German forces.
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Bay of Pigs invasion
📌 Bay of Pigs, Cuba- 1400 US-backed Cuban exiles attempt to invade Cuba and overthrow Communist government.
- 20,000 Cubans soldiers waiting, aware of pending invasion. Exiles are captured and killed.
- No US army or navy support, contributing to failed invasion.
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Killing of Peter Fechter
📌 Berlin Wall, East Germany- Peter Fechter attempts to cross the Berlin Wall and is shot by East German guards. He is left to die.
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Period: to
Cuban Missile Crisis
📌 Cuba- 13-day naval blockade of Cuba.
- US concern over increasing Soviet militarisation of Cuba and of missiles reaching major US cities.
- Telegrams between US and USSR agree on the US removing their nukes from Italy and Turkey and USSR to remove nukes from Cuba.
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'I am a Berliner' speech
📌 Berlin, West Germany- JFK delivers a speech to the West Berlin population emphasising his support for the West German cause.
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Limited Test Ban Treaty
📌 Moscow, USSR- Prohibition of all nuclear tests except those conducted underground.
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The Hotline
📌 Washington DC, USA - Moscow, Russia- Hotline established between Oval Office and Kremlin, designed to ease interaction between US and Russian president in the case of a crisis.
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Limited Test Ban Treaty
📌 London, UK | Washington DC, USA | Moscow, Russia- Limits where nuclear weapons can be tested to only underground.
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JFK assassinated
📌 Dallas, USA- JFK is assassinated in Dallas.
- Lydon B. Johnson, Vice President, is sworn in as president just over 2 hours later.
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Khrushchev replaced by Brezhnev
📌 Moscow, USSR- Khrushchev is deposed following unpopularity over the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and domestic failures.
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China tests atomic bomb
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Xinjiang, China- China tests their first atomic bomb, becoming the 5th nuclear state.
- China follows a no-first-use policy.
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Outer Space Treaty
📌 London, UK | Washington DC, USA | Moscow, Russia- International treaty designed to prevent militarisation of celestial bodies and military activity in space.
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Alexander Dubček replaces Novotný
📌 Prague, Czechoslovakia- Alexander Dubček is elected as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, becoming leader of the country, replacing Antonín Novotný.
- Dubček begins to introduce reforms to attempt to distance the country from the USSR.
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Period: to
Prague Spring
📌 Czechoslovakia- Period of protests from when Dubček was elected until the invasion of Czechoslovakia.
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Martin Luther King Jr. assasinated
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Memphis, USA- MLK Jr assassinated, sparking protests across the USA and boosting the civil rights movement further.
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Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
📌 London, UK | Washington DC, USA | Moscow, Russia- Divided nations into nuclear states and non-nuclear states.
- Nuclear states vowed to not provide non-nuclear states with nukes and stop nuclear production
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Invasion of Czechoslovakia
📌 Czechoslovakia- Soviet and Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in response to Prague Spring and Dubček's desire to leave Warsaw Pact.
- 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers invade.
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Brezhnev Doctrine
📌 USSR- Brezhnev declares that an attack on a Soviet SSR or satellite state was an attack on all.
- All Soviet countries were obliged to defend the attacked nation.
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Jan Palach self-immolation
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Prague, Czechia- Jan Palach committed self-immolation in Prague in protest of the invasion of Czechoslovakia.
- 75,000 people attended his funeral.
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Richard Nixon becomes President
📌 Washington DC, USA- Nixon inaugurated.
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Husák replaces Dubček
📌 Prague, Czechoslovakia- Gustáv Husák replaces Dubček as leader of Czechoslovakia, stabilising the country after the Prague Spring.
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Willy Brandt elected Chancellor, Ostpolitik
📌 Bonn, West Germany- Willy Brandt elected chancellor of West Germany.
- Idea of Ostpolitik gains traction - normalisation of relations between West and Eat Germany.
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Ping Pong Diplomacy
[EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE] 📌 Japan- US ping pong team meets with Chinese team.
- Kickstarts diplomatic talks between the two countries.
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Khrushchev dies
📌 Moscow, USSR- Khrushchev dies in his dacha a year after having his memoirs smuggled to the West and published.
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SALT I
📌 Helsinki, Finland- Arms treaty between USA and USSR.
- Limited number of ABMs, ICBMs, nuclear warheads and nuclear submarines.
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Shanghai Communique
📌 Beijing, China- US-China joint document.
- US one China policy.
- Peaceful coexistence and cooperation between the two countries.
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Nixon visits Moscow
📌 Moscow, Russia- Nixon visits Moscow, becoming the first US president to visit Russia.
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Brezhnev's visit to DC
📌 Washington DC, USA- Brezhnev visits the USA.
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SALT II
[NOT EXAMINABLE] 📌 Vienna, Austria- Second SALT treaty.