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Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was attended by Joseph Stalin, the leader of Russia, Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the USA and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain (the big 3). They discussed how to divide up Germany. The decided Germany would be demillitarized and split up into 4 sections (Russia, France, Britain and USA would own a section each). -
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The Cold War
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Atomic Bomb
The USA drops nuclear bombs on Japan. The first (little boy) hits Hiroshima and the second (fat man) hits Nagasaki. There was around 200,000 casualties. -
World War 2 Officially Ends
The Soviet army drove Germany out of most of eastern europe causing Germany to surrender in May in Berlin. Japan now surrender due the 2 Atomic bombs and Russian invasion. The war is over. -
NATO
Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation. A millitary alliance is formed between the USA, Britain, Italy, Belgium, Canada, France, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark and various other countries. The treaty says if one country in NATO is attacked then the others will come to their aid. The Soviet Union responded with the Warsaw pact. -
The Korean War Begins
After WW2 Korea was split into North Korea (communis) and South Korea (capitalist). North Korea invades South Korea starting the Korean war. The North Korean forces quickley take the capital Seoul and continue gaining ground. The USA aids South Korea and pushes North Korea way back over the border. Then China intervenes and drives the US forces out of North Korea. There was an armistice in 1953. -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first satelite into space. This commences the space race between the US and the USSR. NASA is formed as a direct responce to Sputnik a year later. -
The Berlin Wall
Thousands of people were moving from East Germany (communist) to West Germany (capitalist) in search of better lives. To stop this the USSR built the Berlin wall, it was 4 metres high, 155km long, had 302 watch towers and was made of concrete. The wall was built around West Berlin leaving it like an island stranded in the middle of East Germany. A 'death zone' ran along the east side of the wall, anyone inside it was shot. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban missile crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The U.S. found out the U.S.S.R. were building missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy (USA) said any missile launched would be regarded a a direct attack on the USA and demanded that the Soviet Union remove their missiles from Cuba. Both countries were prepared to launch their missiles. -
Boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games
In 1980 the USA and 61 other countries boycotted the summer olympic games in Moscow, Russia. US president Jimmy Carter called for the boycott to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This shows that the cold war affected sport and not just politics. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
In 1989 Hungary opened its borders allowing East Germans to flee to the west. Also street protests put pressure of the Soviet government and finally travel restrictions are lifted and people are allowed to cross the border into West Germany. The wall is torn down and 2 years later the U.S.S.R. falls and the cold war is over.
