By: AJ Baynes
1945
• The Cold War begins after WWII when the Soviet Union tried to expand its
influence around the world, and the United States tried to protect noncommunist governments.
• The United States first uses the Atomic Bomb in War on Hiroshima.
1946
• Winston Churchill delivers the “Iron Curtain speech”
One of its main tasks was to restrict people inhabiting the communist area from traveling
outside and to restrict the information flow in it, from the non-communist world.
1947
• Truman Doctrine is adopted when the nations of Greece and Turkey were threatened by
Communist expansion Congress granted 400 million to fight the guerrillas.
• Secretary of State George C Marshall calls on European Nations to draft a plan for
European economic recovery. The “Marshall Plan” gave aid to nations so they would not
have to rely on Communist’s government.
1948
• Stalin begins the Berlin Blockade. He blocks all highways, rivers and rail traffic into West
Berlin to force the Western powers out of Berlin.
• The Western allies responded with the Berlin Airlift
1949
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established including the countries Belgium,
Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, and United States (Later Greece, Spain, Turkey and West Germany)
• Berlin blockade ends
• Soviet Union explodes an atomic bomb during testing
1950-1952
•
•
•
•
North Korean troop surprise South Korea and invade their territory
Peace treaty with Japan is signed, the US keeps military their for defense of Japan
US exploded a hydrogen bomb at Marshall Islands
Eisenhower is elected US President
1953-1954
• Korean War ends
• KGB established
• CIA of US helps overthrow unfriendly regime in Iran and Guatemala
1955
• Warsaw Pact was formed in response to NATO being formed. It was a military alliance
with the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland,
and Rumania.
1957
• Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the Earth. This showed their strength in
the “Space Race.”
1958-1959
•
•
•
•
•
US launches Explorer I satellite into orbit
Khrushchev becomes Soviet Premier
NASA is established in the US
Fidel Castro takes over Cuba
Soviet spacecraft crashes on the moon
1960-1961
•
•
•
•
•
John F Kennedy elected President of the US
Soviet Yuri Gagarin is the first man to orbit the Earth
Bay of Pigs invasion
Alan Shepard makes a suborbital flight in a capsule
Berlin border closed and wall construction begins
1962
• John Glenn is the first American to orbit the Earth.
• Cuban Missile Crisis when the US has air and sea blockade of Cuba because photos of Soviet
missile bases that were being built in Cuba.US makes threats to invade Cuba if the bases are not
taken apart because US says if a nuclear attack launched from Cuba they would consider it a
Soviet attack and would require full retaliation.
• Khrushchev removes weapons from Cuba and US removes missiles from Turkey
1963-1964
• President Kennedy is assassinated
• President Johnson orders retaliation in the Gulf of Tonklin for attacks on US destroyers
• Khrushchev is ousted and replaced by Brezhnev and Kosygin
1965-1969
• US Marines go ashore in Vietnam
• US troops go to Dominican Republic to prevent another Communist state
• Apollo 11 lands on the moon
1970-1973
• Nuclear weapon treaty between US and Soviet Union prevents transfer of nuclear weapons
to non nuclear nations
• Kent State protests of Vietnam War
• Nixon extends Vietnam war to Cambodia
• Nixon and Brezhnev sign détente agreements which relaxes tensions and opens economic
markets
• US bombing on North Vietnam intensifies
• Cease fire with North Vietnam and the US
1975-1982
•
•
•
•
•
•
North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam
Shah of Iran overthrown
US leaves Cambodia
US and Soviet astronauts link up in space
SALT II agreement signed limiting long range missiles by both President Carter and Brezhnev
USSR invades Afghanistan and US has sanctions against them with grains, and decreased scientific
and cultural exchanges.
• 1980 Moscow Olympic games boycotted by US
1983-1985
President Reagan proposes Strategic Defense initiative called Star Wars to intercept enemy missiles
 US troop overthrow regime in Grenada
 Terrorist attack on US Marines in Lebanon
 US and USSR agree to new negotiations on nuclear and space issues

1986-1987
 Gorbachev ends economic aid to Soviet satellites
 Reagan and Gorbachev remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe
 Reagan and Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short range nuclear missiles by
signing treaty
1989
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan
China puts down protests for democracy
Poland becomes independent
Hungary becomes independent
Berlin Wall falls
Communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Rumania
Soviet empire ends
1990-1991
•
•
•
•
Boris Yeltsin elected president of Russia
Germany reunited
Warsaw Pact ends
End of Soviet Union Cold War Ends
1991 COLD WAR ENDS!