Super Duper Epic Cold Map by EVAN HOLM

Yalta Conference - Livadia Palace, Feb 1945

eholm25 — 2024-03-27 13:57:31 UTC

Meeting held between Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill. The goal was to strategize the defeat of Germany and some key outcomes include the division of Germany, Denazification, and postwar order.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki - August 1945

eholm25 — 2024-03-27 14:08:52 UTC

The Unites States dropped 2 atomic bombs, 1 on each city. There was an estimated 120,000 deaths and the bombs ended World War 2 for the U.S.

Truman Doctrine first applied in the Greek Civil War - March 12, 1947

eholm25 — 2024-03-27 14:13:44 UTC

Greece is wrapped up in a civil war. The United States supports the democratic Greece side of the war by sending supplies to help them. This idea of supporting them is part of the Truman Doctrine and it worked, the Democratic side won the war and they contained communism. First example of the Truman Doctrine being effective.

Marshall Plan is announced to rebuild Europe - June 1947

eholm25 — 2024-03-27 14:22:45 UTC

Europe is bombed out and in ruins after World War II. The U.S. sends millions of dollars to rebuild Europe to contain the spread of communism and stop it from spreading.

Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech - March 5, 1946

eholm25 — 2024-03-27 14:28:25 UTC

Winston Churchill went to Missouri to deliver a speech emphasizing the need for the United States and Britain to act as guardians against the Soviet Union and spread of communism. He did the speech in the small town of Fulton to appeal to the average American.

Berlin Blockade and Airlift Begins - June 1948

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:48:11 UTC

The Berlin blockade occured when the Soviet Union tried to limit travel to West Berlin by blocking all rail, road, and canal access. The US responded by flying in supplies to West Berlin to support the people living there. The event made the Soviets look really bad and the US look good.

NATO Alliance Formed - April 4, 1949

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:49:32 UTC

The NATO alliance comprised of 32 member states and was formed in the aftermath of WWII. It played an important role in promoting peace, security, and cooperation among its member states with a focus on defense and deterrance.

Russia tests its first atomic bomb - Aug 20, 1949

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:50:57 UTC

The Soviet Union successfully detonated its first atomic bomb in Kazakhstan. The explosion was the equivalent of 20 kilotons of tnt and marked a significant milestone in the arms race during the cold war.

Mao Zedong wins Chinese Civil War - Oct 1, 1949

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:52:26 UTC

Mao Zedong led to communist fight against the nationalists during the Chinese civil war. The conflict resulted in the People's Republic of China

McCarthyism and the Red Scare takes hold in the US - Feb, 1950

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:54:33 UTC

The Red Scare was a period of fear in the US during the Cold War over communist infiltration. McCarthyism involved political repression, persecution of left-wing individuals, and a campaign to spread fear about alleged communist influence in the US.

Korean War - 1950-1953

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:55:50 UTC

The Korean War was a battle between the North Koreans, which were supported by the Chinese and the South Koreans which were supported by the US. The North was communist and wanted to take over all of Korea to make it communist and the South was capitalistic and had the same goals. In the end, neither side won and North and South Korea are separated by the 38th parallel.

H-Bomb Tested by USA on Bikini Atoll - March 1, 1954

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 13:59:17 UTC

USA tested their H-bomb which is much stronger than Atomic bombs by relying on nuclear fusion rather than nuclear fission.

KGB established - March 1954

eholm25 — 2024-04-10 14:04:53 UTC

The KGB was the primary security and intelligence agency for the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. It served as a secret police force which the Soviet Union used to keep control over its citizens.

Oct 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:05:49 UTC

It was almost a disaster, the closest the world has come to Nuclear war. U2 spy planes find missile bases. Instead of invading Cuba, they built a blockade and searched all the ships going into Cuba. Crisis was averted through backchannel diplomacy.

July 1963 - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:15:31 UTC

Treaty signed by the Soviets and Americans. The treaty prohibited nuclear weapons tests or other nuclear explosions under water, in the atmosphere, or in outer space, allowed underground nuclear tests as long as no radioactive debris falls outside the boundaries of the nation conducting the test

pledged signatories to work towards complete disarmament, an end to the armaments race, and an end to the contamination of the environment by radioactive substances.

August 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Incident

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:28:49 UTC

The war in Vietnam is going on and the Soviets and Americans were fighting it as a surrogate war until U.S. ships were attacked by North Vietnamese soldiers in the Gulf of Tonkin. This leads to LBJ deploying troops to protect South Vietnam and the Navy against North Vietnam and Communism.

April 1965 - US Marines sent to the Dominican Republic to Fight Communism

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:38:18 UTC

Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to the Dominican Republic to protect American Nationals and prevent a communist takeover.

July 1965 - US announcement to dispatch 200,000 US troops to Vietnam

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:48:08 UTC

President Lyndon B. Johnson requested that an additional 200,000 troops were to be sent to Vietnam to strengthen the American presence there.

1966 - B-52s Bomb N. Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 13:55:18 UTC

The Americans drop a ton of bombs in Vietnam to try to force them to become democratic. It causes a lot of damage to the Vietnamese and almost brings them to the negotiation table.

Aug 1968 - Red Army Crush Czechoslovakian Revolt

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 14:09:10 UTC

After WW2, the Soviets prop up governments in the war torn countries. This leads each country to be a "puppet" country sympathetic to the Soviets. When it gets to 1968, these countries are fed up and don't want to be puppet countries anymore. A revolt happened in Prague and the Soviets didn't like that so they roll in with tanks and crush the revolts.

July 20, 1969 - Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 14:19:31 UTC

At the height of the space race, this feat established American dominance because they outpaced the Soviets. By successfully landing on the moon, the US showcased its technological power and global influence.

1971 - Publication of the Pentagon Papers

eholm25 — 2024-04-24 14:23:34 UTC

The papers were and given to the New York Times. They revealed secrets about the Vietnam war which exposed critical secrets such as the impact of bombing Vietnam and that the John F. Kennedy administration contributed to overthrow the South Vietnamese president.

Feb 1972 - President Nixon visits China

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:03:36 UTC

Nixon visits China to reduce Cold War tensions. He is old school and against communism so he faces less criticism when re-establishing diplomatic and economic relations. He "re-opens" China.

July 1972 - SALT I is signed

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:19:02 UTC

Both the US and Soviets sign this Treaty to limit nuclear weapons. Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.

Sept 1973 - US supported coup overthrows Chilean government

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:27:36 UTC

Chile had political turmoil and during which a communist leader took control. Some people didn't like it so some Chileans staged a coup which was fully supported by the US. The coup succeeded and overthrew the communist government.

Oct. 1973 - Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet Aid

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:30:53 UTC

This was a short war where Egypt and Syria started attacking Israel together. The Soviets supported Egypt and Syria and gave them weapons. In response, the US gave money to support Israel. In the end, Israel won.

April 17, 1975 - S. Vietnam falls to communist N. Vietnam

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:36:59 UTC

The last major event of the war was when the North Vietnamese captured Saigon and caused the South Vietnamese to retreat. This led to the end of the war and a year later all of Vietnam was United under the North Communist side.

Feb 1976 - Soviet and Cuban forces help to install a Communist government in Angola

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 13:41:10 UTC

Angola gained independence from Portugal, sending them into a Civil War. During the conflict, Cuban and Soviet forces decided to support a communist government. They succeeded and a communist government was established in Angola.

Jan 1979 - US and China officially establish diplomatic relations and trade & Panda Diplomacy

eholm25 — 2024-04-29 14:03:02 UTC

By 1979, we establish full diplomatic and economic relations with China. It is called Panda Diplomacy because China leases out Pandas to countries that have good relations with them.

Feb 1979: Sino-Vietnamese War

eholm25 — 2024-05-01 13:36:50 UTC

2 years after we left Vietnam, the North Vietnam attacks South Vietnam and becomes totally communist in 1975. 4 years later, the Vietnamese attack the Chinese over a border dispute. The Chinese think they will roll the Vietnamese but they don't because they fight back.

Nov. 1979: Shah of Iran overthrown; Iran Hostage Crisis begins

eholm25 — 2024-05-01 13:48:48 UTC

United States allies Iran because they want oil. The shah wants to modernize Iran, bring legal rights to women, pro westernized. He is overthrown which begins with college protests and ends with him being overthrown. The new government of Iran is a theocracy, which rules by religion. Iran hostage crisis starts, students enter a US embassy and tale the US staff hostage for 144 days. Jimmy Carter sends in a rescue force which fails and a helicopter and plane crash into each other.

Dec. 1979: Soviet forces invade Afghanistan

eholm25 — 2024-05-01 14:01:10 UTC

Internal fighting prompted the Soviets to invade Afghanistan to set up a puppet government. They took control of major towns but in the countryside the mujahideen operated with relative freedom. The resistance was backed by the US and the conflict lasted for nearly a decade which shaped the course of the cold war and Afghanistan's history.

Feb 22, 1980: US Hockey defeats USSR at Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY.

eholm25 — 2024-05-01 14:04:29 UTC

During the Winter Olympics, the Soviets were heavily favored to win. In a major upset, the US won the hockey match which was called a "miracle". The match also symbolized democracy winning over communism and was a big win during the context of the cold war.

June-Aug 1980: US Boycotts Summer Olympics in Moscow

eholm25 — 2024-05-01 14:07:10 UTC

Because the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, 65 countries including the US decided to boycott the games in Moscow. This was a significant expression of disapproval and way to expert pressure on the Soviet Union.

1983: Reagan proposes SDI or “Star Wars”

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:19:46 UTC

Reagan proposed the SDI as a defensive measure against ICBM attacks by intercepting the missiles before they hit the ground. Critics of the idea argued that it could lead to an arms race with bad consequences. In the end, the SDI remained more of a concept rather than a fully realized system.

Oct 1983: US troops invade and overthrow regime in Grenada

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:24:13 UTC

Grenada became a concern for Americans when the Maurice Bishop seized power and made a socialist government. He also had close ties to Cuba which caused more worry. The invasion happened because there were 1,000 Americans present in Grenada at the time and they wanted to protect them. The US and Jamaica sent 7,600 combined troops to invade and they overthrew the government and set up a new one that the US found acceptable.

July-Aug, 1984: Eastern Bloc boycotts LA Summer Olympics

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:29:54 UTC

This boycott followed the boycott of the games in Moscow 4 years prior. The Soviet union cited ant-soviet hysteria as the reason they boycotted the games. The 1984 Olympics reflect the geopolitical tensions of the cold war.

1985: Gorbachev begins “glasnost” and “perestroika” in efforts to reform the USSR

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:35:11 UTC

Glasnost and perestroika translate to "transparency" and "restructuring". Gorbachev began these efforts to try to reform the USSR by allowing more freedom for the people. Although he wanted to revitalize the Soviet Union, the changes came too fast and ultimately contributed to its collapse in 1991.

Jan 1989: Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:43:03 UTC

Reformist leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev announced plans to take troops out of Afghanistan in the mid 1980s. His decision was influenced by many things such as economic challenges from the invasion, improved relations with the US, and ineffectiveness of setting up a government in Afghanistan.

1989: Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania oust Communist governments

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:53:57 UTC

In 1989, several countries in eastern and central Europe experienced major changes as they outed their Communist Governments. Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania all transitioned from authoritarian rule to democracy, reshaping the region and symbolizing the end of the Cold War era.

June 1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre

eholm25 — 2024-05-02 13:58:48 UTC

In June 1989, the massacre took place in China. Thousands of pro-democracy protesters, primarily students, gathered in the square. The Chinese government responded with troops and tanks. They violently suppressed the protest and caused hundreds of deaths and widespread international condemnation. The event symbolizes the struggle for human rights in China.

Nov. 1989: Berlin Wall falls

eholm25 — 2024-05-13 13:04:44 UTC

When the Berlin Wall falls, the United States is swimming in debt, and the Soviet Union is drowning in debt. It is a huge symbol of the fall of the Soviet Union.

May 1990: Boris Yeltsin elected as President of Russia

eholm25 — 2024-05-13 13:25:14 UTC

This president is the one who follows Gorbachev. Yeltsin is elected president as Russia, not the USSR. People who were pro-soviet saw Yeltsin as a weak leader and didn't like him because he let the USSR fall apart.

Oct. 3, 1990: Germany Reunited

eholm25 — 2024-05-13 13:36:09 UTC

Basically a year after the wall falls, East and East Germany reunite. Germany was able to recover a lot better and East Germany was able to restore themselves economically. This was a big deal, kinda similar to North and South Korea reuniting.

Aug, 1991: USSR dissolved - 15 Republics gain independence, including Russia.

eholm25 — 2024-05-13 13:39:36 UTC

Begins with the Baltic states declaring independence. Everything else falls fast after. In total, 15 total countries declared independence without any push back. The US didn't have to do anything for the collapse, it was caused by economic and political problems.

March 1954: CIA helps overthrow unfriendly governments in Iran and Guatemala

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:19:30 UTC

In Iran, the CIA created a coup against Premier Mohammed Mosaddeq, who was unfriendly with British oil companies. It was successful, and the shah returned to power and signed over Iran's oil fields to the US. In Guatemala, they overthrew the democratically elected president due to concerns about Soviet Influence.

May 1955: Warsaw Pact formed

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:28:41 UTC

The Warsaw pact was an alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Its purpose was to be a response against NATO expansion, mainly in East Germany and lasted until 1991.

1955: The Transfermium Wars Begin

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:36:48 UTC

The transfermium wars refers to the competition between American and Soviet scientists about the discovery of chemical elements with the numbers 104-109.

Nov 1956: Rebellion put down in Hungary

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:43:18 UTC

In 1956, a spontaneous uprising started in Hungary. They demanded a more democratic government away from Soviet Oppression. However, the Soviets didn't like that happening and crushed the revolution with tanks.

Aug 1957: USSR launches first ICBM

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:50:57 UTC

The Soviets launched the first successful intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was capable to carry nuclear warheads and the first test flight covered 6,000 kilometers.

Oct 4, 1957: Sputnik launched into orbit

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:54:14 UTC

Russia launched the first artificial satellite into orbit. It orbited Earth for about 98 minutes and ignited the space race.

Jan 1959: Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 13:57:55 UTC

Fidel Castro took power in Cuba after successfully overthrowing the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batisto. He was sworn in as leader and it marked the beginning of his decades long rule over Cuba.

May 1960: U2 spy plane shot down over the USSR

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 14:00:29 UTC

A spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down by Soviet Forces. After being hit, he was captured by the Soviets and let to an international diplomatic crisis.

April 1961: Failed Bay of Pigs Invasion

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 14:03:52 UTC

The bay if pigs invasion was a failed military operation on the Southwest coast of Cuba. it involved 1500 Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro's revolution.

Aug 17, 1961: Construction of Berlin Wall begins

eholm25 — 2024-05-23 14:06:42 UTC

In 1961, East German authorities began constructing the Berlin Wall which was a barrier between East and West Berlin. It was designed to stop people living in the Soviet controlled East Berlin from going into the US controlled West Berlin.