Mr. Pettit
APUSH
TIMELINE OF COLD WAR EVENTS, 1945-1975
The Cold War: The state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet bloc
countries and the US-led Western powers from 1945 to 1990.
“There are now two great nations in the world, which starting from different points, seem
to be advancing toward the same goal: the Russians and the Anglo-Americans...Each
seems called by some secret design of Providence one day to hold in its hands the
destinies of half the world.”
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America 1835
Timeline1945: The Yalta Conference: Meeting between Stalin, FDR, and Churchill. Final
agreement on occupation zones of Germany in the aftermath of WWII.
1945: The Potsdam Conference: Meeting between Stalin, Truman, and new
British P.M. Clement Atlee. Decisions are made on war criminals and how they are
to be tried as well as divisions and influence of various European nations. Truman
tells Stalin about the successful test of an Atomic Bomb in the U.S.A.
1947: Truman Doctrine: Containment policy. The U.S. will aid Greece and Turkey
in order to combat the threat of communism.
1947: Marshall Plan: George Marshall proposes a plan to aid war-torn nations of
W. Europe.
1948-1949: Berlin Blockade/Berlin Airlift: U.S. and it’s allies drop supplies to
people of E. Berlin while U.S.S.R. blocks any transports and communications from E.
Berlin/E. Germany.
1949: Communist China: Chinese communist-revolutionaries led by Mao Zedong
conquer Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese government.
1949: first Hydrogen Bomb: U.S.S.R. tests a more powerful nuclear weapon.
1949: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Alliance between prodemocratic nations.
1950-1953: The Korean War: U.N. force led by Douglas MacArthur establish an
armistice at the 38th parallel. North and South Korea remain separate nations.
1952: U.S.A. tests first Hydrogen Bomb.
1954: The C.I.A. stops communist threats in Guatemala and Iran.
1955:The Warsaw Pact: Alliance of the U.S.S.R. and pro-communist nations.
1956:The Suez crisis: tension/war in the Middle East between Egypt and Israel.
1956: Hungary revolts against U.S.S.R; revolt is eventually put down.
1957: Sputnik 1: U.S.S.R. launches the first satellite.
1959: Cuban Revolution: Communist leader Fidel Castro overthrows pro-U.S.
government in Cuba.
1961-1962: Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis: Near nuclear
war, seen as the high point of tension during the Cold War.
1963: Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: an attempt to curb the testing and potential use of
nuclear weapons.
1972: President Richard Nixon visits China, opening up diplomatic relations with
their communist government.
1975: Vietnam War ends.