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In May of the same year, Germany surrendered. Shortly after the drop of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered, and the war ended. However, in the midst of this chaos, Russia declared war on Japan.
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The Soviet Union blocked the Allies' canal and ralirway road access to Berlin. This lasted about eleven months.
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Russia tests its first atomic bomb.
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The Korean War begins, with Stalin in support of North Korea.
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Eight communist states formed a collective defense treaty.
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The launch of Sputnik began the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.
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John F. Kennedy beats Richard Nixon in a race for the presidency.
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Construction of the Berlin Wall, which divided the German Democratic Republic from Berlin.
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Proposed by Ronald Reagan and implented to protect against missile attacks by the Soviet Union.
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Gorbachev's attempt to create more openness amongst the people, thus spurring further support of his economic reforms.
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A new restructuring policy implented with the goal of promoting economic and social change.
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Reagan and Gorbachev sign a treaty diminishing their nuclear arsenals.
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The wall begins to be torn down, breaking down the barrier between the German Democratic Republic and Berlin.
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Boris Yeltsin elected president of Russia.
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Directly following the disbandment of the Soviet Union, the Cold War comes to a close.
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The Soviet Union dissolves by decree, and each of the 12 rebublics becomes independent.
