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World War Two Ends
The war in Europe ends in May after Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his bunker. The United States drops atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following the destruction of the two cities, Japan surrenders and the war ends. Both the United States and Soviet Union come out of the war as Superpowers. -
Berlin Airlift
Germany is divided and occupied by the allies (USSR, Great Britain, USA, and France) after World War 2. Berlin was located within Soviet Occupied Eastern Germany. Western Berlin was occupied by USA, Great Britain, and France. The Soviets blocked off railways, highways, and other access points into Berlin. Following the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift begins and the USA and UK airlift supplies into Soviet Occupied Berlin. -
NATO and Warsaw Pact
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established to prevent another World War and the expansion of Communism. Following the creation of NATO, the Soviet Union and other Communist Nations form the Warsaw Pact in 1955. -
The Soviets' Atomic Bomb
Soviet Union successfully tests its first Atomic Bomb. Klaus Fuchs, a German Scientist was arrested for passing on secrets to the Soviets. This leads President Truman is push the development of the Hydrogen Bomb. -
Korean War
The Communist Country of North Korea began to push into South Korea. The United States joins the Korean War to prevent the spread of Communism and backs South Korea. The war eventually comes to a stalemate and an armistice is formed between North and South Korean. To this day, the Korean Peninsula is still divided between the North and South. -
The Hydrogen Bomb
Following the Soviet Union's first successful testing of an atomic bomb, the US pushed the development of the hydrogen bomb. The hydrogen bomb was more powerful than previous nuclear weapons and gave the United States a lead in the Arms Race. However, this victory was short lived and the following year the Soviet Union detonated their first hydrogen bomb -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union launches the first Satellite, Sputnik, and the Space Race begins. United States fears the possibility of space based weaponry and rockets that can carrier atomic weapons. -
Bay of Pigs
In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution against the Cuban government and overthrew General Batista. Castro soon established a Communist government in Cuba and did not approve of American business. Following Castro's rise to power, the United States began planning to remove Fidel Castro from power. In April of 1961, the Cuban Exiles began their invasion of Cuba. However, Castro had known about the attack and the invasion ended in disaster. -
Berlin Wall
The Soviet Union had been losing skilled workers who started immigrating to Western Berlin. Soviet East Germany stopped the flow of emigrants and closed its borders. Then, East Germany began the construction of a concrete and barb wire wall that divided East Berlin from West Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
After Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba, he aligned himself with the Soviet Union. Cuba had began receiving aid from the Soviet Union and had started construction of missile sites in Cuba. The Soviet Union used the deployment of missiles in Cuba as a deterrent. President Kennedy responded by employing a Naval Blockade to prevent Soviet ships from delivering nuclear weapons. Fearing the exchange of nuclear weapons, the US and Soviets came to terms and the missiles were removed from Cuba. -
Vietnam War
In 1954, Ho Chi Minh established a Communist government after the French had been pushed out of Vietnam. North Vietnam was backed by the Soviets and Communist China. The US had been sending weapons and advisers to South Vietnam to prevent the spread of Communist. However, this was not enough and US troops were sent into South Vietnam. In 1968, the NVA and Vietcong launch an attack on the Tet holiday. The Tet Offensive was the turning point in the war and in 1969 the US began to withdraw troops. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The former Afghan Prime Minister, Mohammed Daoud, launched a coup against the Afghani Government and was backed by the Soviet Union. Then in 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to end the Islamic insurgency that threatened the government they helped establish. This invasion resulted in the United States providing aid to the Mujahedeen in an attempt to contain Communism. The Soviets' war in Afghanistan dragged out for another ten years and resulted in the Taliban taking over. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union and introduces Perestroika and Glasnost. Gorbachev had a different outlook and inherited a struggling Soviet Union. Perestroika, or restructuring, was a program that was intended to improve the economy and restructure the government. Glasnost was another reform program that gave greater social freedom to its citizens. -
The Berlin Wall Falls
Towards the end of the Cold War many Eastern Germans began crossing into West Germany. Also, East and West Germans had began protesting the Berlin Wall. Ultimately this resulted in the pathways between east and west Berlin to be opened. Following the opening of border, people started dismantling the Berlin Wall. -
Cold War Ends
Mikhail Gorbachev had began to reform the Soviet Union and looked to improve its relationship with the world. Gorbachev's views and new direction resulted in an unsuccessful coup led by Nationalist. This reform also resulted in Soviet States leaving the USSR and declaring their independence. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, both the United States and Russia agreed to lift Cold War restrictions and reduce their nuclear arsenals.
