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1989-1991
When Mikhail Gorbachev assumed as Soviet Leader, he started to reform the country. He started the process of "perestroika", which meant "restructuring" of the Soviet society and the economy. He called for openness, and as a result, press became more free, factories started to manage their own affairs, and voting was allowed for places in some government organizations. Satellite states started having hope, that things would change, but their old-fashioned communist rulers didn't acknowlegde the need for change. Unpopularity for them grew, and so did towards communism. The fair and prosperous societies that Karl Marx described didn't come true after 40 years of communist rule. Also, before, the satellites were a key in the defending of the Soviet Union, but with the development of ICBM's, they could be attacked from anywhere. They were no longer needed. Change was needed, and the U.S.S.R did nothing to stop it from taking place. In 1989, many revolutions happened in all of the satellites, so it was later described as "the year of miracles": Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania all were free of communist rule. The Iron Curtain had been torn down, and in 1991, the Soviet Union was finally dissolved.

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1970-1979

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1968
For many years, no one dared to oppose Soviets, until now. As in Hungary, economy was weakened and the leader, Novotny, became unpopular. He knew about the problems, but he was a hard-line communist and refused to move away from a communist run government. He became so unpopular that the Party sacked him and put Dubcek, who favoured reform. He became really popular when he announced and Action Programme. He didn't want to move away from communism though, but make it better. The leaders of the East didn't see it this way and ordered him to suspend it. He put it to action a week later, sparkling fear and anger in the Group of Five. They invaded Czechoslovakia, but there wasn't a bloodshed because citizens had a peaceful resistance. Dubcek was under arrest, but he was so popular that no one could replace him, so he was allowed to stay in power, with restrictions.

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1961-1989
Because of the Allies help, West Berlin went through an economic miracle, and rebuild its economy rapidly. Soon, it was stable and developing. East Berliners, on the soviet controlled side, were suffering food shortages and many other problems. Due to this, many fled to the West. Soviet authorities couldn't afford to lose skilled workers, and couldn't look as a defeated economy. On the 13th August, in small hours a wall was built cutting the city in half. West and East Berliners were taken by surprise and protested against this, but Soviets didn't answer. First, it was barbed wire, then it was a 4 meter tall concrete wall, with watchtowers, soldiers, dogs, and landmines. They called it an "Anti-Fascist Protection Barrier", but no one tried to go into East Berlin, but the other way around. For 28 years, the Berlin Wall became the most famous symbol of the Cold War, and showed the division of two systems. In 1989, it was finally taken down because of the collapse of Communism. When this happened, historians believe the Cold War had a symbolic ending.

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1956
People in Hungary were angry with communist rule. It had led to food shortages, lost of consumer goods, and the dropping of living standards. Many demanded the end of Rakosi rule. In mass demonstrations, they called for democratic rights, the withdrawal of soviet forces, and free speech. Desperate to keep Hungary under control, Khrushchev selected a moderate prime minister: Nagy. Nagy, under pressure, made big changes. He announced that it would leave the Warsaw Pact, and delighted the people. But Moscow sent 2000 tanks and 60,000 soldiers to halt the revolution. They invaded Budapest, killed citizens,and forced them to leave. Nagy was arrested and later hanged.

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1945-1975
Communists and their enemies, the people of the south, the French, and then the U.S.A, fought for the control of the whole of Vietnam. When France was defeated by 1954, Vietnam became independent and was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. The North threatened the South, so the U.S decided to involve in an all-out-war, sending troops and bombing the North, determined not to lose another country to Communism. Once again, the U.S and the U.S.S.R plus China were involved in an indirect war. Nixon said that this war was to prevent a domino-theory in South-East Asia against communism. When the North attacked U.S.S Maddox, Congress passed the Tonkin Resolution, and bombings began. In the thick vietnamese jungle, Americans had a difficult job against the locals, who knew the land perfectly. They ambushed and trapped soldiers, and soon as much as 160 men died by week. War became increasingly unpopular in the U.S because of the money and lives it took away. Students started taking over Universities in protests, riots, and some were killed by police. There was a social and political unrest. The U.S had lost the war, but for it not to lose credibility to the world, it didn't withdraw all at once, but in a 3 year process known as Vietnamisation. Ho Chi Minh took over the South and united the country. Then came Laos and Cambodia. Now, all of Indo-China was communist.

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1950-1953
The Korean War began when soldiers from the North Korean went across the 38th parallel, . This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth across the 38th parallel, the fighting stalled and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. Meanwhile, American officials worked anxiously to fashion some sort of armistice with the North Koreans.  Finally, in July 1953, the Korean War came to an end. In all, some 5 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the war. The Korean peninsula is still divided today.

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1955
It was a collective defense treaty among the Soviet Union and seven other Soviet satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe. It was created in reaction to the integration of West Germany into NATO.

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1949
The U.S, Canada and nine european countries formed a military defence structure: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. If anyone was attacked, all would join forces and fight together

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1948
Soviet forces closed all railways, roads and canals to Western Europe. This inmediately cut off all food and fuel supplies. West Berlin faced starvation. Americans, British and French refused to abandon Berlin and gathered a huge fleet of air-craft to take food, coal and clothing to the city. It lasted for a year, and it kept the citizens alive until Stalin lifted the blockade in 1949.

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1947-1952
President Truman decided that Greece, the only country who escaped communism, should not enter it, so it gave 400 million dollars in moeny and weapons to the Royalists, until they eventually won. Three months later, U.S Secretary of State, George Marshall, announced an injection of aid for the whole of Europe. By it, the U.S. government gave 16 countries almost 16 billion dollars through 4 years. The money was used to repair war damage and to build up industry. If people were happy, they wouldn't want communism.

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1945
Stalin sent 12 million soldiers to Western Europe countries, forming a militarized border between east and west. He did this to control and impose communist governments in nearby countries. At first, the division was a line in a map, but then communist countries began placing barbed wire, watchtowers and minefields.