COLD WAR TIMELINE OF EVENTS

1. COLD WAR TIMELINE OF EVENTS US vs. USSR

2. 1945 Cold War Begins • Soviet Union keeps control of Eastern Europe after WWII • Creates buffer zone • Churchill says “Iron Curtain” has descended upon Eastern Europe

3. 1947 Truman Doctrine • US aid to Greece and Turkey • Trying to prevent spread of communism-containment

4. 1947 Marshall Plan • US attempt to help rebuild Europe after WWII • Named for George Marshall-Sec. of State • Helps keep some European countries from turning communist. • Only Western European countries accepted the assistance. USSR was handling the Eastern European countries.

5. 1948 Berlin Airlift • East and West Germany: East and West Berlin had been split between USSR(East) and Democratic Allies(West) • USSR closes path to West Berlin. • Results in airlifting of materials to West Berlin to keep it running.

6. 1949 NATO Formed • North Atlantic Treaty Organization • Formed to help each other if attacked by communist countries • Led by United States • Form of collective security

7. 1950-1953 Korean War • Communist North Korea invades Democratic South Korea • United Nations comes to aid South Korea • Led by General MacArthur tide turns at Inchon. • China enters on North’s side. • MacArthur fired. • Stalemate at 38th parallel • Eisenhower ends war with cease fire.

8. 1951 ANZUS pledge signed • US, Australia, New Zealand pledge to assist if attacked by communists • Another example of collective security

9. 1954 SEATO created • South East Asia Treaty Organization • Created to oppose communist expansion. • Collective security • Vietnam?

10. 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine • US promises to aid and defend Middle Eastern countries from communist attack • Containment continued

11. 1960 U2 Spy Plane Incident • American Spy plane shot down over Soviet Union • Gary Powers captured • Prompts cancellation of US-Soviet summit

12. 1961 Berlin Wall Built • East Germany builds Berlin Wall • Limits travel and exodus of East Berliners to West Berlin

13. 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis • Soviets put missiles in Cuba • US blockades Cuba;demands removal of missiles • Kennedy makes private deal with Khruschev to remove our missiles from Turkey

14. 1967 Six Day War • Israel(US backed) fights Arab Nations(Soviet backed) • Israel wins in decisive fashion.

15. 1969 US Lands Man on Moon • US wins space race • Soviets had launched Sputnik in 1957 • First satellite to orbit earth • Kennedy had pledged to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade-SUCCESS

16. 1972 Nixon’s trip to China • Recognize China and continue Détente. • Hope to get Soviet Union to pursue diplomacy as well.

17. 1972 SALT Agreement Signed • Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty signed between US and Soviet Union. • Limiting production of Nuclear weapons • Continued Détente-a period of less tension between the two

18. 1975 South Vietnam Falls • South Vietnam surrenders to North Vietnam • US had lost nearly 50,000 men trying to keep South Vietnam from falling to communism • Had left after Nixon’s Vietnamization and Peace with Honor

19. 1980 US defeats USSR Hockey • Amateur hockey players from US defeat the world’s best, and very experienced, Soviet team in the 1980 Olympics • US wins Gold in next game • PRIDE for US

20. 1987 Reagan urges Gorbachev • Reagan urges Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” in reference to the Berlin Wall • Gorbachev had started perestoika and glasnost and was permitting more involvement in buffer states.

21. 1989 Berlin Wall Falls • East and West Berlin are free to move between each other • Eastern European countries begin falling

22. 1993 Soviet Union Falls • Soviet Union dismantled • Boris Yeltsin-democratically elected leader of Russia • Ethnic regions begin fighting for control of once dominated areas.