-
The United States government begins funding atomic weapons research which would later be named the Manhattan Project.
-
The Soviet Union sends spies to collect information on the US's nuclear intel.
-
The US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan; one in Hiroshima, and the other in Nagasaki. This led to the unconditional surrender of Japan and the virtual end of the second world war. Link text
-
Winston Churchill delivered an address to which he described that an "Iron Curtain" had been established between East and West Europe by the Soviet Union. This speech had unofficially set the tone for the Cold War. The Iron Curtain was a political, ideological, and military barrier.
-
The Truman Doctrine was designated as a revision to foreign policy. It stated that the US would provide foreign aid to Turkey and Greece. The US did this to keep both countries from failing economically. President Truman believed that the countries would fall to communism if left alone according to the Domino Theory.
-
The Marshall Plan, yet another foreign policy design, aimed to send material aid to European countries. This plan ended up sending over $13 billion dollars between sixteen nations. The intent was to repel the Soviet Union's influence from European nations.
-
Joseph Stalin ordered a blockade of West Berlin to prevent foreign aid. With this, he hoped to isolate West Berlin and drown it in economic depression while weakening the US's influence. This would allow for a complete communist takeover.
-
The Soviet Union successfully tests its first atomic bomb.
-
As a way of getting around the blockades, the US airlifted essential materials to Berlin.
In 1949, airlifts ended when the blockade was deconstructed. -
The Federal Civil Defense Act was signed in 1950 by President Truman. This act aimed to protect citizens from a nuclear attack. The program established fall-out shelters and methods of protection against atomic weapons.
-
Joseph Stalin dies and Nikita S. Khrushchev replaces him. Nikita was much less of a dictator; he began to free political prisoners, government censorship relaxed, and he even advocated for rebellion if other countries felt destroyed or overtaken by communism.
-
By 1955, after discussing terms of alliances, the US entered the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 13 other nations joined by the end of 1955. This treaty established that if one or more of the allied countries were attacked, all other members would come to their defense.
-
As the US forms alliances, so does the Soviet Union. The country mainly made alliances within the eastern portion of Europe and provided an international balance to NATO.
-
The Berlin wall was erected with cinderblocks and barbed wire, extending 41 miles to completely encase West Berlin. This wall separated many families and friends.
-
By 1991, the Soviet Union had dissolved as a nation, the Berlin Wall had fallen, and citizens across Europe were freed from the shackles of communism.
Want to make a timeline like this?
Use Timetoast to turn dates, events, milestones, and phases into a clear visual timeline you can build and share. Timetoast is a timeline maker for work, school, research, and stories.