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The Atomic Bomb
President Truman decided that, in order to end the war with Japan and give American soldiers a chance to rest, the atomic bombs that were developed during the Manhatton project would be dropped on Hirsoshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6th and August 9th, 1945. http://www.ushistory.org/us/51g.asp -
Truman Doctrin Announced
President Truman announced the Truman Doctrine. Meant to send a message to the Soviet Union, the Truman Doctrine stated that the United States would provide aid for any country threatened by hostile takeover by any militant minority. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/the-truman-doctrine/ -
Berlin Airlifts Begin
The Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin in order to force the Allied powers out of their posts in West Berlin. The Allied powers began droppping supplies such as food, water, and fuel on Belin in order help stave off the Soviet Unions expansion as they increased occupational forces in East Germany. the Airlift continued until May 12, 1949 when the blockade was lifted. http://www.britannica.com/event/Berlin-blockade-and-airlift -
Establishment of North American Treaty Organization
The North American Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in an effort to stop Soviet expansion and try to create greater politcal security in Europe, particularlry through a greater NOerth American presence on the continent. The treaty states that an attack against one of the Allies would be an attack against all. http://www.nato.int/history/nato-history.html -
Soviet Union Creates Atomic Bomb
Coming as a surprise to the United States, the Soviet Union began conducting the first atomic weapons tests. President Truman, in response, ordered a building-up of both nuclear and conventional wepons. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/soviet_atomic_bomb_test.asp -
Warsaw Pact is Established
Led by the Soviet Union and established in response to the NOrth American Treaty Organization, the Warsaw Pact was an organizational measure created in order to create a stronger defense among the USSR and its allies as well as create a negotiating entity that would be equal to NATO. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/warsaw-treaty -
Sputnik Becomes First Artificial Sattelite in Space
The Soviet Union launched that first man-made object into space: a small sattelite called Sputnik that could merely send meaningless radio transmissions to Earth. Many people feared that this meant the Soviet Union could use their new technological prowess to send weapons around the world and the United States became eager to match the USSR. This was the beginning of the "Space Race". http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sputnik-launched -
Fidel Castro Takes Over Cuba
Fulgencio Batista, who was overwhelmingly disliked by the public, was removed from his tyrannical rule by Fidel Castro and his guerilla forces after several blunders on Batista's account to try to stop Castro. Seeing an opportunity, the Soviet Union built a relationship with Cuba, escalating tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/TheCubanRevolutionof1959.asp -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
President Eisenhower approved a program in 1960 to train Cuban exiles in order to overthrow Castro in Cuba. In 1961, John F. Kennedy approved a plan to invade Cuba with 14,000 Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs. The Invasion failed when airstrikes missed their targets, the Cuban government found out about the United States' involvment, and bad weather hindered the attack. http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/The-Bay-of-Pigs.aspx -
Berlin Wall Goes Up
Many East Berlin residents were fleeing to West Berlin to escape the Soviet rule in East Germany. The Berlin Wall (officially described by East Germany as an effort to stop the fascist Westerners) was built to prevent this emigration. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/places/berlin_wall -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A U.S. spy plane discovered Soviet nuclear arms in cuba during a fly-over. In response, President Kennedy instilled a naval blockade around Cuba. When neither side would back down, the United States came up with a plan to not invade Cuba if the Soviet missiles were removed and the United States would remove missles from Turkey within six months if the offer was accepted. The Soviet Union agreed to these terms and coflict was avoided. http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/ -
Nixon Visits China
In an effort to end the isolationism between China and the United States as well as to being developing good realtions with the communist countries, President Nixon visited China. He also hoped that this might prevent war as well as lead to open trade relations with the People's Republic of China. By 1979, the United states had established diplomatic relations with China. http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/tapeexcerpts/chinatapes.php -
Gorbachev Becomes Leader of USSR
Maikhail Gorbachev was elected general secretary of the Communist Party and, as such, he insituted policies in order to try to revive the Soviet Republic's economy. His policy of glasnost which allowed for a greater spread of information and his policy of perestroika began democratizing the Soviet beaurocracy. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Gorbachev -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
East Germany announced that East German residents could travel freely to and from West Berlin and West Germany after the decline of Soviet Power in nearby states and political changes within East Germany. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/places/berlin_wall -
Reunification of Germany
Politcal parties who supported the reunification of Germany came into power in 1990 in East Germany. Led by Helmut Kohl, the East German politcal structure dissolved and Germany was reunified under the constituion of West Germany. This cause the East German economy to collapse and Germany was thrown into a recession for a few years. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/90s/reunification_of_germany.asp -
Fall of the Soviet Republic
Following severe economic and political problems as well as Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and prestroika, the failed coup by the Communist Party against Gorbachev, and the secession of several states from the Soviet Republic, Gorbachev resigned from office and the people of the Soviet Republic demanded that the Republic be dismantled, ending the Cold War, but throwing many countries into economic or political distress and causing some territorial disputes. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/90s/
