Cold War Timeline by CHASE GOODSON

Yalta Conference Drafts Post-War Plan (February 1945)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:24:54 UTC

In Yalta, Ukraine, US President Roosevelt, British PM Churchill, and Soviet Secretary Stalin met to discuss the post war plans of the world. The post-war division of Europe, Russia joining the Pacific war, and the creation of the United Nations were all decided on.

US Drops Atomic Bombs On Japan (Aug 1945)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:26:46 UTC

With Japan refusing to surrender, the US went through with the decision to use the first atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs obliterated the cities and Japan would surrender less than a month later. The excessive force was also a show of power by the US towards the USSR.

Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech In Fulton, MO (Mar 1946)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:30:36 UTC

In a rural town in the center of America, former British PM, Churchill, gave a speech warning the threat that the USSR and communism posed over the West. He infamously claimed an "Iron Curtain" had descended over Europe. The speech convinced most average Americans to back the Cold War and some claim this speech as the start of the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine First Applied In Greek Civil War (Mar 1947)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:33:58 UTC

The Truman Doctrine was a document where America pledged to prevent any further spreading of Communism around the world. America practiced this by giving aid to democratic/capitalist forces fighting communists or directly involving its forces. In the Greek Civil War, aid was given to the democratic forces to defeat the Communist, Yugoslav-backed, rebels.

Marshall Plan Is Announced To Rebuild Europe (June 1947)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:36:51 UTC

Europe was almost completely destroyed after World War Two. The poor conditions of Europe was a breeding ground for Communism. America did not want this and figured when a nation is rich and prosperous, the nation won't turn Communist. The only catch was that Nations that received funding needed to buy only American supplies. Europe was quickly rebuilt and stopped any possible Communist uprisings in the West.

Berlin Blockade and Airlift Begins (June 1948)

cgoodson25 — 2024-03-27 17:38:38 UTC

In an effort to force the West to hand over West Berlin, the Soviets instituted a land blockade to prevent any supplies from reaching the capitalist section of the city. Instead of giving into Eastern threats, America and Britain began dropping supplies into the city by plane. The Berlin Airlift as it was called kept West Berliners from starving and ultimately, the Soviets gave up on the blockade.

NATO Alliance Is Formed (Apr 4, 1949)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-08 17:23:38 UTC

With the threat of military violence against European nations by Russia, multiple Western nations came together with the idea of collective security. If one nation was attacked by another, all of the member states of the alliance would be forced to aid the attacked nation. The alliance was called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and, although never directly stated, the goal was to stop the Soviets from picking on one country.

Russia Tests Its First Atomic Bomb (Aug 20, 1949)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-08 17:31:53 UTC

Before 1949, the sole nation with nuclear weapons was the United States. They held a monopoly over the bomb and felt it gave themselves a step ahead of the Russians. However, in August 1949, the Soviets tested their first nuclear device, Joe-1, in present-day Kazakhstan. Some claim this moment as the real start of the Cold War was the potential threat of war became even with both superpowers having the power of nuclear weapons.

Mao Zedong wins Chinese Civil War and creates the People's Republic Of China (Oct 1, 1949)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-08 17:52:59 UTC

After a pause during the Second World War, the Chinese Civil War was sparked once again between the Communist and Nationalist forces. With help from the Soviets, the Communists under Mao Zedong defeat the Western aligned Nationalist and force them onto the island of Taiwan.

McCarthyism And The Red Scare Takes Hold In The US (Feb 1950)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-08 18:02:09 UTC

With the first Soviet nuke and the communist takeover of China, paranoia over communism was at its strongest in the United States. People feared that anyone around them could be a Communist. Joseph McCarthy, a US politician, begins to make claims about people around the government and US, supposing they are affiliated with Communists.

Korean War (1950-1953)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-08 18:14:30 UTC

The Korean Peninsula was divided between a Communist and Western government. In 1950, the Communist North invaded and nearly captured the whole peninsula. However, the US and UN intervened and nearly defeated the North. At the last moment, China intervened and the war became a stalemate. America justified the war with the Truman Doctrine and sought to contain the spread of Communism. After two years of stalemate, the war "ended" in a draw and the peninsula remained divided.

H-Bomb Tested By USA On Bikini Atoll (Mar 1, 1954)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-10 17:42:07 UTC

With improvements in Nuclear Weapons, the USA was able to create the Hydrogen bomb, a weapon 10,000x stronger than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hydrogen bombs differentiate themselves from Atomic bombs by using fusion to set off the bomb rather than fission. The first Hydrogen bomb was tested on Bikini Atoll and intensified the Cold War arms race.

KGB Established (Mar 1954)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-10 17:55:23 UTC

Following Stalin's death, his secret police were abolished, but a new secret police force was created in its place. The KGB was infamous for its use of secret surveillance of its population to rat out any people the state deemed "dangerous" to the Communist cause. The KGB caused most Russians fear as they were constantly spied on and anything they said or did could be heard by preying ears.

CIA Helps Overthrow Unfriendly Governments In Iran And Guatemala (Mar 1954)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-10 18:02:25 UTC

In the nations of Guatemala and Iran, leaders began adopting more liberal policies that favored their own interests instead of foreign American/British companies. The companies ran to the US and claimed the nations were adopting Communism and America responded. In covert operations, the CIA funded rebels or bought mercenaries to overthrow the governments and set up friendlier, Western governments (dictatorships). The governments reinstated pro-company policies that hurt the average person.

Warsaw Pact Formed (May 1955)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-10 18:07:56 UTC

With the Western nations founding NATO, the USSR felt threatened and decided to create its own alliance. The Warsaw Pact was created between Russia and its satellite states behind the Iron Curtain. The pact followed the same rules as NATO, if a nation was attacked, the other members would support them. Multiple nations attempted to leave the pact, but most failed and were invaded by Russia.

The Transfermium Wars Begin (1955)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 16:28:03 UTC

In the 1950s, Uranium and Plutonium were hot commodities when it came to producing nuclear bombs. Scientists believed they could find more elements that could potentially offer energy or weapons potential. Dubna University in Russia and UC Berkeley in America were the main institutions that battled each other over discovering or creating these new elements.

Rebellion Put Down In Hungary (Nov 1956)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 16:35:48 UTC

The death of Stalin shook the Eastern Block and nations had different reactions. In Hungary, premier Imre Nagy changed Hungary's government from a one-party dictatorship into a multiparty state with election. He also withdrew Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and asked the United Nations for support. The Soviets were quick to combat this and sent an army to crush the new government. Nagy was executed and the old government was returned to power. The crushing of the rebellion ended a short belief that the death of Stalin would end the Cold War.

USSR Launches First ICBM (Aug 1957)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 17:23:04 UTC

Before ICBMs, nuclear weapons would be dropped via plane. It was very possible that the plane could be shot as the weight of a nuke slowed down the speed. With missile technology improving every year, the Soviets decided to put a nuke on a missile capable of traveling great distances very quickly. The first Soviet InterContinental Ballistic Missile was launched from Kapustin Yar in 1957. The Soviets claimed the test was successful. Although creating a new, more threatening, way of attacking America, the propulsion technology would advance space travel.

Sputnik Launched Into Orbit (Oct 4, 1957)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 17:29:19 UTC

Plans to launch a satellite had been laid down by both sides of the Cold War by 1955, but would not be accomplished until 1957. The Soviets were the first to launch anything into space when Sputnik-1 was sent into orbit. Despite only transmitting signals that the satellite was still alive, Americans feared that it was spying on people from space or even carried nuclear weapons. The launch of Sputnik was the beginning of the Space Race with the goal being a man on the moon.

Fidel Castro Takes Power In Cuba (Jan 1959)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 17:34:45 UTC

After the independence of Cuba in 1902, the island practically remained a puppet of the United States. Ruled by a US-backed dictator, life for the average Cuban was not good. In the 1950s, communist guerillas began to combat the government. Led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevera, the revolution grew and eventually overthrew the Western government. The fall of Cuba presented a new problem for the US as they now had a communist, Soviet-allied, nation in their backyard.

U2 Spy Plane Shot Down Over The USSR (May 1960)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 17:36:16 UTC

A U2, a spy plane that was taking photos of the Soviet Union, was shot down by a anti-air missile over Russia. The pilot, Gary Powers, survived and was captured by Soviet authorities. He was put on trial and sentenced to prison. The US was internationally embarrassed and would later get back Powers in a prisoner swap with the Russians.

Failed Bay Of Pigs Invasion (Apr 1961)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-11 18:02:25 UTC

The communist takeover in Cuba frightened the United States and the CIA felt it needed to do something about it. They orchestrated a coup d'etat that would be acted on by Cuban exiles and some CIA agents. The invasion was set to happen, and the Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs, but when the US Air Force was forced to turn around on orders by JFK, the exiles were defeated. The failed invasion brought Cuba and the Soviets closer and eventually led to the Soviets installing nuclear ICBMs in Cuba.

Construction Of Berlin Wall Begins

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 16:18:06 UTC

With the failure of the Berlin blockade, the Soviets failed to force the West's hand in the turnover of West Berlin. The Eastern part of the city remained destroyed from World War 2 while the Western side began to rebuild under the Marshall Plan. This convinced many East Berliners to move to the West which caused a work force and labor shortage for the Soviets. With a pending brain drain of East Berlin, the Soviets decided to construct a wall to restrict travel from the East to the West. The Berlin wall started construction on August 13, 1961 and became the primary symbol of the Cold War and Soviet oppression.

Cuban Missile Crisis

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 16:24:33 UTC

After the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuba feared another invasion and sought to ally itself with the Soviets. The Soviets quickly cooperated and installs nuclear missiles in Cuba. A US spy plane finds the missiles and tensions quickly rose. This was the closest the world came to nuclear war. The US was ready to launch an invasion against Cuba and the Soviets were ready to launch the missiles. Finally, JFK called off any invasion and an agreement was made. The US would remove its missiles from Turkey and Greece and the Soviets would remove the missiles from Cuba.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (July 1963)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 17:16:54 UTC

Before 1963, Nuclear tests could be conducted however the respective country pleased. The effects of nuclear weapons were being learned as people exposed to the fallout of the bombs began showing cancerous symptoms. This caution was made aware to the governments and public and most felt something needed to be done. The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was proposed to the three nuclear powers at the time, the US, USSR, and Britain.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution (Aug 1964)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 17:25:41 UTC

In Vietnam, a civil war had began between the Communist North and Western South after its independence. Prior to 1964, America only supported the South by giving aid and political support. On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox was attacked and the next day, was attacked again along with the USS Turner Joy. The attack outraged the US and Lyndon B. Johnson advocated for full support for South Vietnam. Just days later, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution which gave Lyndon B. Johnson full power and decision making on entering the Vietnam War. The event escalated the Vietnam War and America fully entered the conflict.

US Marines Sent To Dominican Republic To Fight Communism (Apr 1965)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 17:35:08 UTC

In 1962, the Dominican Republic had its first election and Juan Bosch won. Many military officials feared that he learned towards Communism and, backed by the US, overthrew him the following year. Despite being ousted, much of the populous still supported him and he saw his power grow as a movement to restore him to presidency began. In April 1965, military factions loyal to Bosch rose up and saw citizens support. The military Junta government in power since deposing Bosch feared they would not be able to put down the rebellion and called for the US to intervene. America sent Marines to "protect US citizens" but in reality was there to support the junta. After the US eliminated many of the rebels, they left by late May and the Junta was able to remain in power.

US Announcement To Dispatch 200,000 US Troops To Vietnam (July 1965)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 17:45:01 UTC

With the passing of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution on August 10, 1964, the US prepared to send the full might of the American army to Vietnam. After months of preparation, 200,000 soldiers were sent over the Pacific and into South Vietnam by July 1965. Throughout the whole war, 2,600,000 servicemen were sent to Vietnam and contributed to the war.

B-52s Bomb North Vietnam In Operation Rolling Thunder (1966)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 17:54:10 UTC

Unable to actually invade North Vietnam due to the fear of China intervening, America chose to bomb the North. Over the course of the whole operation, 864,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the North, more bombs than World War Two. The US targeted military and civilian sites alike. Despite the military and human cost of the attack, the operation does not convince the North Vietnamese to surrender, although they do come to the negotiating table.

Red Army Crush Czechoslovakian Revolt (Aug 1968)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 18:03:30 UTC

Similarly to the Soviet invasion of Hungary, Czechoslovakia was a puppet of the Russians. In 1968, the Czechs decide to reform many of its oppressive laws. Freedom of speech and many such laws were revoked and Czechoslovakia looked as it were heading West. However, in Russia, the Soviets feared that the progressive reforms would weaken the Warsaw Pact and, in turn, the Soviet control over the East. Tensions boiled over on August 20, 1968 and the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia, removed the incumbent government, and restored the oppressive laws.

Apollo 11 Lands On The Moon (July 20, 1969)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-24 18:14:04 UTC

During the whole space race, it felt as if the Soviets had an edge the whole time. They sent the first satellite into space, the first animals in space, the first human in space and first women in space. However, the goal was the moon and America was persistent. After many Apollo missions, Apollo 11 was Launched on July 16, 1969 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. After four days, the mission landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. The moon landing ended the space race with an American victory over the Russians.

Publication Of The Pentagon Papers (1971)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:19:58 UTC

The Pentagon Papers were secret files from the US Department of Defense that revealed the true scope of the Vietnam War to the public. Released by Daniel Ellsberg, a political activist with insight into the USDOD. The Pentagon Papers revealed that Vietnam had become a much larger operation than the Johnson administration had made public with larger troop movements and raids into North Vietnam. The Pentagon Papers created the sense that the government did not always have the best interests for its people.

President Nixon Visits China (Feb 1972)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:28:39 UTC

After the fall of China to Communism, diplomatic relations were cut off. However, due to the Sino-Soviet split, China isolated itself from much of the world. Hard-lined anti-communist President of the United States, Richard Nixon, was open to driving the wedge between the Chinese and the Soviets. Nixon visited China, met Mao Zedong, and toured the country. The visit lessened tensions between the two former enemies.

SALT I Signed (July 1972)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:35:49 UTC

The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty was an agreement that slowed down the Cold War arms race. While not stopping the building or testing of nuclear arms was not stopped completely, it set a cap on the amount of nukes each nation could have and where and how many launch sites there could be. SALT 1 was a great moment for preventing a nuclear war.

US Supported Coup Overthrows Chilean Government (Sept 1973)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:43:04 UTC

In 1970, Salvador Allende was elected as Chile's President. He was a self-described Marxist and wanted to take Chile in a more socialist direction. This worried the United States as they did not want another Cuba in their backyard. Supporting general Augusto Pinochet, the US backed a coup d'etat that overthrew Allende in 1973. Allende would commit suicide rather than risk capture and Pinochet would take over the country, ruling with an iron fist for 17 years.

Egypt and Syria Attack Israel; Egypt Requests Soviet Aid (Oct 1973)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:54:09 UTC

Suffering defeats from the Israeli War of Independence and the Six-Day War, the Arab world grew hatred for the new state of Israel. Together, Egypt and Syria planned a surprise attack on Israel during the holy holiday of Yom Kippur. In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a joint surprise attack. Despite initial success, the Israelis soon began to win. Egypt requested that the Soviets help them and the Israelis did the same with the Americans. With tension rising, the UN demanded the war end and a ceasefire was agreed upon. This was the last major Arab-Israeli war before the Camp David Accords.

South Vietnam Falls To North Vietnam (April 17, 1975)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 17:59:59 UTC

After the US effectively left South Vietnam in 1973, the war quickly escalated. Now that the South Vietnamese did not have US backing, the North repeatedly went on the offense. Finally, by April 1975, most of the country had fallen and the capital, Saigon, was left. As the North was at the edge of the city, the scene turned to chaos as the US would assist in evacuations. Hundreds were able to escape last second, but the city ultimately fell. The Fall of Saigon is remembered as an embarrassment for the US military, as the whole of the Vietnam War was seen as a mistake.

Soviet and Cuban Forces Help to Install Communist Government In Angola (Feb 1976)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 18:05:54 UTC

For centuries, Angola was a Portuguese colony. However, when decolonization began, Portugal refused to willingly give up its lands. After a decade long war of independence, Angola was finally able to achieve self governance. Despite this, the decision on what type of government would take over was still in the air. The communist MPLA and anti-communist UNITA were the front runners, but had equal say in a government. Seeing a chance, the Soviets and Cuba backed the MPLA and began installing their own military bases in the region to back the new government. A violent civil war broke out between the two factions that would last the rest of the century.

US And China Officially Establish Diplomatic Relations And Trade (Jan 1979)

cgoodson25 — 2024-04-29 18:17:35 UTC

Following Nixon's trip to China in 1972, the US and China's relations grew closer. In what is called Panda Diplomacy, China sent two pandas to the United States as a show of cooperation. The pandas are used as political pawns and used to threaten the US when China disapproves of US actions.

Sino-Vietnamese War (Feb 1979)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-01 17:41:27 UTC

Following the end of the Vietnam War, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are taken over by Communist government. However in Cambodia, a dictator, Pol Pot, takes over and begins a reign of terror. Anyone he claimed was "too western" was killed. The following genocide killed a million Cambodians. Neighboring Vietnam felt it needed to intervene and invaded Cambodia in 1978. China, being allied to Cambodia, responded by invading Vietnam. The war ultimately ended in a tie, but Vietnam continued to occupy Cambodia until 1989.

Shah Of Iran Overthern; Iran Hostage Crisis Begins (Nov 1979)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-01 17:58:36 UTC

Back in 1953, Britain and America overthrew the Iranian government and installed a puppet ruler. This new Western leader, Mohammad Reza Shah, made Iran seem progressive, but he had a secret police that would arrest and torture people he deemed a threat. An islamist, Khomeini, began a campaign of Islamic fundamentalism. His beliefs spread and, while the Shah was out of the country, overthrew the Western government. As the revolution grew more violent, revolutionaries stormed the US embassy and took everyone hostage. For 444 days, the US government struggled to bargain for the hostages back, ultimately destroying US president, Jimmy Carter's, re-election campaign. The hostages were finally returned on January 20, 1981 and the US placed sanctions on Iran.

Soviet Forces Invade Afghanistan (Dec 1979)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-01 18:08:52 UTC

In 1978, a Communist revolution in Afghanistan overthrew the Islamic monarchy. Many conservative, religious, rural Afghans openly revolted against the new government. This government was weak and struggled to put down the rebellions. The government asked the Soviets for assistance, but when the Soviet army crossed into Afghanistan, they overthrew the government and installed their own communist puppet. However, even with more armor and firepower, the Soviets were not able to put down the rural rebellions. America gave weapons to some rebel groups such as the Mujahadeen. By 1989, the Soviets removed all forces from Afghanistan and the communist government fell by 1992.

US Hockey Defeats USSR At Winter Olympics In Lake Placid, NY (Feb 22, 1980)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 16:21:59 UTC

During the 1980 Winter Olympics hosted in New York, the US was set to play the Soviet Union. The US had no professional players, rather they were all college athletes. In contrast, all of the Soviet's players would end up in the Hockey Hall Of Fame. The Soviets were heavy favorites and predicted to win the gold medal. In a comeback game, the US upset the USSR in the game called the "Miracle On Ice" to win the gold in that years winter olympics.

US Boycotts Summer Olympics In Moscow (June-Aug 1980)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 16:32:46 UTC

After the Olympic committee voted between the host cities of Moscow and Los Angeles, the city decided was Moscow. In a move to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and out of spite, the US and many other nations around the world, boycotted the Olympics. 80 nations competed, but 67 boycotted the event.

Reagan Proposes SDI or "Star Wars" (1983)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 16:39:13 UTC

Strategic Defense Initiative or SDI or Star Wars was a plan by US president Ronald Reagan to protect the US. Reagan's plan included the uses of lasers, particle beams, and force fields to protect the US from the potential use of a nuclear weapon. After a few years of research, scientists determined that the technologies imagined by the president were far too advanced to put into practical use and SDI was shut down by 1993.

US Troops Invade And Overthrow Regime In Grenada (Oct 1983)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 17:19:54 UTC

Grenada was a new nation, only gaining independence from Britain in 1974. This did not stop conflict from starting so early on. In 1979, a communist coup overthrew the government and installed themselves in power. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States appealed to the United States to intervene. In October of 1983, the new communist government executed the former prime minister. America used this as a justification to invade and reinstall the old government. America and other Caribbean forces invaded and took over in only three days as the island had practically no real defense. The UN disapproved of the invasion, but the US faced no consequences.

Eastern Bloc Boycotts LA Summer Olympics (July-Aug 1984)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 17:25:44 UTC

Similarly to the 1980 Olympics boycott, when the host city was decided on Los Angeles, America, the Soviet Union and its allies boycotted the event. The Soviets agreed that the games had become too commercialized as the reasoning for the boycott. Unlike the 1980 boycott, the sentiment was not felt world wide as only 14 nations boycotted the event.

Gorbachev Begins "Glasnost" and "Perestroika" In Efforts To Reform USSR (1985)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 17:36:18 UTC

Translating "Openness" and "Restructuring", Glasnost and Perestroika were attempts by Gorbachev to reform the USSR as it was becoming obvious that they were falling behind the US. Glasnost was an opening of the political system and news and media. Gorbachev felt that the USSR needed to be more transparent to get rid of the ineptness that had become so rampant in the Soviet Union. Perestroika was put in place to regrow the Soviet economy as it had become stagnant. He only planned on small changes, but by 1987, he realized the economy needed a whole revitalization. Both plans ultimately doomed the Soviet Union. Glasnost let the media criticize the government and let ideas of breaking apart from the union spread. Perestroika crashed the Soviet economy and led to wild inflation.

Soviet Troops Withdraw From Afghanistan (Jan 1989)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 17:42:06 UTC

After the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, it quickly became unpopular worldwide, and even inside Russia. Tribesmen would ambush and destroy Soviet armor with small arms given to them by the US and, in response, the Soviets would massacre entire villages to root out rebels. With Gorbachev in power, he sought to end Soviet involvement soon. By 1988, Soviets began pulling troops out and by the start of 1989, the Russians had entirely left the nation.

Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, And Romania Oust Communist Governments (1989)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-02 17:49:59 UTC

Small cracks were beginning to show in the Eastern Bloc. The founding of Solidarity in Poland in 1980 caused a crackdown, but the party ultimately prevailed, forcing the communists to open up discussion in the nation. The success of Solidarity led to similar parties around the Eastern Bloc to be created. Along with Glasnost and the weakening state of the Red Army, the Soviets iron fist over Eastern Europe was slipping. By 1989, peaceful protests and mass upheavals forced many governments to allow for elections. The only violent removal of government was in Romania, but it too followed the paths of the newly freed nations.

Tiananmen Square Massacre (June 1989)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-06 18:20:47 UTC

After the death of Mao Zedong, China during the 1980s had began to modernize. This caused rapid economic growth in China that saw many outside ideas enter the country. By 1989, many college students began to demand for westernization and democracy. After the death of a liberal government official, Hu Yaobang, a protest formed in Tiananmen Square in April. In May, the government ordered martial law, but the protesters remained. Finally in June, the army was sent into Tiananmen Square. The army shot or ran over any protesters who remained in the square. China attempted to hide the massacre, but after photos such as Tank Man came out, the international community was outraged.

Berlin Wall Falls (Nov 1989)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-13 16:26:06 UTC

As the Soviets continue to decline, they begin losing their grip on Eastern Europe. Protests had sprung up behind the Iron Curtain. After a misinterpreted statement by East Germany that said they would allow free movement between the East and West, thousands of protesters arrived at the Berlin Wall. Despite shoot-on-sight orders still being in place, no guard shot. Eventually, starting with small hand tools, protesters began tearing down the Berlin Wall. With no power to stop the protesters, the East German government allowed the protests to continue. The fall of the Berlin Wall is seen as the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

Boris Yeltsin Elected As President Of Russia (May 1990)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-13 16:36:38 UTC

As the Soviet Union continued its spiral downward, the Mayor of Moscow, Boris Yeltsin, was elected as the president of Russia. He attempted to further separate the government of Russia from the Soviet Union, open the media even further, let Western influences into Russia, and disband the communist legislation of Russia. More conservative communists feared that Yeltsin would tear the Soviet Union apart and attempted a coup, but when the people of Moscow showed support for Yeltsin, the coup gave up on trying to restore communism. Yeltsin would eventually become the first president of Russia after it became independent from the Soviets.

Germany Reunited (Oct 3, 1990)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-13 17:23:32 UTC

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the process of reunification was quickly put forward. East Germany was promised free elections and, in March 1990, the Communist party was voted out of power and a more Western friendly government was in charge. In July, Gorbachev dropped all objection to a reunified Germany and by that October, Germany was reunified on the 3rd. Germany remains one of the power houses of Europe.

USSR Dissolved - 15 Republics Gain Independence, Including Russia (Aug 1991)

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-13 17:33:43 UTC

By 1991, the writing was on the wall for the Soviets. Glasnost and Perestroika collapsed the economy and opened discourse that included criticizing the Communist government. With Eastern Europe effectively out of the Soviets control and the Communist governments were voted out of power peacefully. With the Soviets just by themselves, the 15 republics demanded more power compared to the central government. As Gorbachev planned on creating a new constitution with a looser Union, but hard-line communists that feared that Gorbachev was taking things too far staged a coup. The coup was not successful as citizens did not support the Communist party anymore and peacefully, the Soviet Union was dissolved. This event ended the Cold War and created 15 new republics.

What Are 3 Ways In Which The USA+USSR Waged The Cold War

cgoodson25 — 2024-05-20 15:48:30 UTC