-
Yalta Conference
Held Febraury 4-11 in Crimea where President FDR, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin made important decisions in regards to the postwar world. The leaders discussed the Soviets Union's position in war, the status of Poland, the role of France and the distribution of Germany. This event is significant because each leader had specific ideas and changes in leadership would result in discord.
history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/yalta-conf -
Period: to
The Cold War
-
Potsdam Conference
Stalin, Churchill, and Truman met in Potsdam, Germany to establish the conditions of postwar borders. This was an extension of the Yalta Conference because essentially the same ideas were being discussed. These conferences were detrimental because the split of Germany was a key factor in the tense atmosphere that would be prevalent in the coming years.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf -
The Bombing of Hiroshima
The Japanese city was bombed after a rejection of the Potsdam Proclamation which threated Japan with total destruction if unconditional surrender was not accepted. Truman authorized the special bomb the consequences were devastating. The importance of this event is that it unleashed destruction many were wounded, killed and left homeless.
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/detail_5234.htm
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/hiroshima_64_years_ago.html -
Truman Doctrine
Was established by Harry S. Truman and stated that the U.S. would aid all democratic nations under threat of authoritarian forces. This would provide political, military and economic assistance. This was important because it would not allow the U.S just to stand by and let other counties be consumed by the Soviets.
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/truman-doctrine -
Berlin Blockade
The Western Allies were trying to get their occupation zones in Germany to become independent states they essentially wanted to cut out the Soviet Union. In a stark reaction the Soviet Union blocked off West Berlin and the Western Allies resolved this issue by having a massive airlift operation. This was detrimental to the creation of NATO.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/peopleevents/pandeAMEX49.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade -
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Was established in order to secure the ideals of the Allies with the use of political and military means. This was extremely important because any attack on an Ally would be an attack against all of the nations and would start conflict.
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rt/nato/
http://www.iranreview.org/content/Iran_Spectrum/NATO-s-Strategy-Following-the-Cold-War-and-the-Islamic-Republic-of-Iran-s-Foreign-Policy.htm -
Korean War
The Korean War was a detrimental moment because when North Korea attacked South Korea President Truman was ready to implement his policy of containment. This was the spark that the U.S. needed to fully go through on their ideology of stopping the spread of communism.
http://csrmedia.education.asu.edu/Lectures/SS3/HistoryCore/Basic9/index.htm
https://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/korea.html -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was in response to the formation of NATO and aimed to legitimize the alliance between European countries. The ultimate goal and the importance that this pact exemplifies that the Soviet Union wanted control over Central and Eastern Europe.
http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/WarPact.html
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/chenson/Cold%20War%20Timeline/Warsaw.html -
Space Race- Soviets Soar
The Sputnik satellites that were put in orbit by the Soviet Union sparked competition between the feuding countries. The competition that arouse between the Soviet Union and the United States was important because during the War it was thought that the Soviet Union would take a lead because of their technological advancements.
http://csrmedia.education.asu.edu/Lectures/SS3/HistoryCore/Basic9/index.htm
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/49806-Who-won-the-Space-Race-Community-poll -
Bay of Pigs
Fidel Castro had gained power in Cuba and Cuban exiles were trained to obtain their ultimate goal which was to overthrow Castro. JFK authorized this invasion and the goal was to establish a non-communist government. This was important because Cuba was now in ties with the Soviet Union and the U.S. was not going to condone this relationship.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/The-Bay-of-Pigs.aspx
Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was established and was the most recognizable attempt at dividingthe Soviet Union and the United States. This had such an impact on Germany and the people who were torn apart because of ideological differences.
http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/CoursePacks/TheBerli%20WallColdWarSymbolofaWorld.pdf -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S. learned of nuclear missile sites in Cuba that were being built by the Soviet Union. Tensions mounted and JFK was in a grave predicament. Both parties acknowledged that a nuclear war would be devastating. Kennedy placed a naval blockade in hopes of preventing the Soviets from bringing supplies. This was a detrimental moment because the outbreak of a nuclear war seemed to be a reality.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx -
Berlin Wall Demolished
The Berlin Wall was demolished and this was one step towards German unification after years of conflict and separation. This was extremely important because the Cold War was coming to an end.
http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/CoursePacks/TheBerli%20WallColdWarSymbolofaWorld.pdf -
German Unification
Germany was going to experience an open election after many years of being in the midst of controversy between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. This was a very important moment for Germany because they wanted to unify the country and they elected Helmut Kohl.
http://www.pbs.org/program/the-wall/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:German_flag_(7664379976).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}