Cold War Timeline by KATHRYN PETZOLDT

Yalta Conference Drafts Post War Plan (Feb 1945)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-17 14:37:20 UTC

During WWII, the three leaders of Russia, England, and the US (Stalin, Churchill, FDR) met to discuss the postwar world. At this meeting, Russia promised to help in the Pacific war against Japan in exchange for territory and economic advantages in China. The UN was formed. Germany would pay reparations for the war and the USSR would have "friendly" governments in Eastern Europe. The agreements here did not succeed in preventing the Cold War.

Hiroshima And Nagasaki (Aug 1945)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-17 14:49:51 UTC

At Potsdam the Allied leaders discussed the "weapon of unusual destruction" that could be used against Japan. This was only lightly mentioned. A few days after the Potsdam Conference, the United States dropped a Uranium bomb "Little Boy" in Hiroshima. On August 9, U.S. dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki. This led to a lot of destruction and civilian injury. This also starts an arms race against the Soviet Union and was used as a sort of intimidation tactic as well as to help defeat Japan.

Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech in Fulton, MO (March 5th, 1946)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 01:10:43 UTC

In Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill gave a speech at Westminster College declaring what a threat communism and the Soviet Union had become. President Truman was by his side. He articulated what a great threat the USSR was to peace and stability for the world. His term the "Iron Curtain" became very commonly used and famous. This event is also often considered the start of the Cold War

Truman Doctrine first applied in Greek Civil War (March 12th, 1947)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 13:10:25 UTC

The Truman Doctrine means that if a country is facing communism, find the non-communists in that country and give them military aid so they can win the civil war. This was applied for the first time in Greece. When the USSR was trying to take over, the United States sent military aid to Greece in order to help them fight communism off. This works.

Marshall Plan is announced to rebuild Europe (June 1947)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 13:23:24 UTC

Marshall Plan is a preventive measure against communism. Communism only sounds good in poorer countries. Conditions at the time were ideal for the spread of communism due to poverty from WWII. The United States gave Europe millions of dollars to rebuild and heal from WWII. It is like a "vaccine" to keep countries from falling into communism.

Berlin Blockade and Airlift Begins (June 1948)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 13:32:17 UTC

Once relations between the USSR and Britain/US became hostile, the USSR decided to create a blockade in Berlin, part of their East Germany region. The US controlled the West. This started on June 24th, 1948, when USSR blocked water, rail, and road sources from Allied-Controlled forces in Berlin. The US and Britain airlifted food and fuel to Berlin, and the blockade was lifted roughly a year later. This led to greater competition and rising tensions between the Allies and USSR.

NATO Alliance is Formed (April 4th, 1949)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 13:42:13 UTC

NATO was formed partly in response to the threat of the Soviet Union and communism. This was a peacetime military alliance, and was an alliance between many Western European countries and later the United States. This alliance meant that an attack against one was considered an attack against all, and there would also be consultations about defense and world threats within the alliance. It remains today as the largest peacetime alliance in the world.

Russia tests its first atomic bomb (Aug 20th, 1949)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 13:46:25 UTC

The Soviet Union explodes its first atomic bomb on August 20th, 1949. This makes it the second country to successfully create and detonate a nuclear weapon. This raises tensions between the USSR and the US even higher. This also begins the arms race between the US and the USSR.

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

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 14:07:09 UTC

The empire of China (Qing Dynasty) is overthrown before WWII, and a Republic of China is introduced by Sun. There are two sides in China though, both communist and non-communists. Chiang Kai-Shek led the non-communists, and Mao Zedong led the communists. These two sides hated each other, and only took a break from their fighting in order to defeat Japan. Once Japan surrounded though, they resumed fighting. Kai-Shek's side was funded by the US, whereas Zedong was funded by the USSR. In the end, Zedong was victorious and created the People's Republic of China. The non-communists fled to a small island off of China's coast, Taiwan, and continued their own government there. It is now a "we don't talk about Bruno" situation, where the conflict between China and Taiwan (Taiwan is not its own country, just its own government) is simply ignored.

McCarthyism and the Red Scare takes hold in the US (Feb 1950)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-18 14:21:56 UTC

In 1950 the US is in panic. This results in an anti-communist witch hunt. There are genuine concerns and spies, but it goes extremely paranoid. Very akin to the Salem Witch trials. No one is to be trusted, an accusation is capable of ruining someone's reputation and even professional life.

Korean War (1950-1953)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-22 23:46:35 UTC

After Japan's surrender in 1945, the US took control of South Korea while the USSR took control of the North. They were divided in half by the 38th parallel. There were often fights along this border. Truman also wanted to contain Communism, and found North Korean attacks on South Korea to be a massive threat and decided to fight back. The UN resupplied South Korea so they could gain back their land. After this there was a stalemate, with both sides stuck at the 38th parallel. The Korean War was finished once Eisenhower became president and Stalin died. The 38th parallel is still the border between North and South Korea.

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

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 13:07:10 UTC

The USSR was able to catch up with the US in atomic energy within five years, which is much quicker than we thought. The US then wanted to one-up the USSR, so they created the H-Bomb, which is detonated by joining atoms instead of splitting them. This contributed to the withstanding Arms Race between the two countries.

KGB established (March 1954)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 13:20:57 UTC

The KGB was the primary security and intelligence force for the Soviet Union. It was created in 1954 and continued to be the primary force of security until the nations collapse in 1991. The KGB was very effective, and it is said that Stalin knew more about the military activities of the US than he did about his own country's military. The KGB was able to get many Americans to spy for them and deliver information to the Soviet Union. The KGB also crushed many Revolutions, and they were quick and effective in keeping military control in the country.

CIA helps overthrow unfriendly governments in Iran and Guatemala (March 1954)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 13:33:44 UTC

The US was involved with Guatemala mostly through the Fruit Company. They had almost a monopoly on Guatemalan bananas. During this time period, there was great political reform going on in Guatemala, and soon the country gained a president who was liberal. This president wanted lots of land and labor reforms to take place, but this threatened the Fruit Company and the US did not like it. They saw it as an increased threat of communism. So, the CIA decided to enact a coup and assassinate many "communists" in Guatemala. The plan was canceled in the end. But the CIA soon overthrew the Guatemalan government and a pro-American leader was put into power. These successes made the CIA confident in their power to contain Communism and defeat other nations. The US did something similar in Iran along with Britain. They instigated an Iranian army to overthrow their elected prime minister in order to strengthen the monarchical rule already in place.

Warsaw Pact formed (May 1955)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 13:39:05 UTC

Warsaw was much like NATO, but with the Soviet Union and their allies. It said that if the Soviet Union or any of those allies were attacked, then all of the nations would come together and defend against the attackers. It also established a solid military command, placing Soviet Union in the lead. Once the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991, though, the Warsaw Pact did as well.

The Transfermium Wars Begin (1955)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 13:56:37 UTC

New elements on the Periodic table were being discovered. They are elements, but they are being created instead of discovered. Many universities all throughout the world are racing to invent these new elements. People hope these new elements will contribute to new energy sources later in time. The people who discover these new elements are then permitted to name them. There is an element "americium" discovered by the US. They got very patriotic with their names. A great research race to discover and name these new elements.

Rebellion put down in Hungary (Nov 1956)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 14:09:00 UTC

Hungarian citizens were angry that the Soviet Union were stationed in their country. What started as a protest soon became a revolution. The presence of the Soviet Union angered Hungarian citizens. There were many fights with protesters, and soon the rule of single parties were banned. They then declared that Hungary was withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact. Soon, the Soviet Union decided to put an end to the rebellion. They sent in armies and the rebellion was crushed within a week. The USSR sent in Kadar from Moscow to rule, and he stayed ruling for over three decades.

USSR launches first ICBM (Aug 1957)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-23 14:20:37 UTC

This is a missile that can be launched out of the machine (fast as a bullet), and land somewhere else in the world. USSR now has intercontinental ballistic missiles, and with the press of a button can shoot a bomb to another country. Part of the Arms Race. This also pioneers the Space Race.

Sputnik launched into orbit (Oct 4, 1957)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:06:45 UTC

A man-made, beach ball sized body was launched into space by the USSR. Sputnik was equipped with two radio transmitters and four antennas, and remained in space for about three months. The launch was the subject of much attention because this was at the height of the Cold War. Due to the USSR success with launching a satellite, the US accelerated efforts to create and launch their own satellites. This heightened tensions during the Cold War as many believed that the USSR would now be able to launch bombs from over greater distances.

Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba (Jan 1959)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:13:44 UTC

In Cuba, there was a dictatorship led by Batista. Along with this there was great political and social discourse within the nation. A young revolutionary, Fidel Castro, ended up leading the revolution that overthrew Batista. He then took power in Cuba. Relations between Cuba and the US quickly deteriorated, as Castro established a communist regime within the country and allied with the USSR. This helped lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion that was to come

U2 spy plane shot down over the USSR (May 1960)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:29:26 UTC

This is a state-of-the-art spy plane. It flies very high and it is believed that it cannot be shot down due to that. The U2 is a top-secret spy plane and takes pictures of the USSR military. The USSR shot down this plane, and the US claimed that it was only for weather research and that it went off course and the pilot died. The USSR then went on to humiliate the US by putting the pilot, Gary Powers, on international television, proving that the pilot did not actually die.

Failed Bay of Pigs Invasion (April 1961)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:36:42 UTC

The US does not want Cuba becoming communist, as they are in our backdoor and would pose a great threat to our security. So, the CIA trains many anti-communist Cuban exiles and the US provides them with weapons. They drop the Cubans off at the beach to overthrow Castro. This is a massive failure, and then it comes out that the US meddled in these affairs. This is very embarrassing and shameful for the US. Then, Castro decides to ally with the USSR. This puts the US in great danger, there are atomic weapons now 90 miles off the coast.

Construction of Berlin Wall begins (Aug 17, 1961)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:44:14 UTC

What seemed like overnight, the Berlin Wall was constructed. There were two walls, an outer one, and an inner one, with some space in between that was referred to as "no man's land". The USSR built it around East Germany, claiming it was to protect them. Citizens who attempted to escape were killed.

Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct 1962)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-04-25 13:56:47 UTC

The US has very poor relations with Cuba. In 1962, the US found out that the USSR was constructing nuclear plants in Cuba. The belief was that these are not ready to launch yet, and the US government couldn't tolerate nuclear weapons being in their backyard. Instead of immediately invading, the US creates a blockade around Cuba. If dangerous weapons are found in their ships, then the US sent them back to the USSR and would not let them through to Cuba. In secret, the US is negotiating with the USSR. A deal is made, the USSR agrees to remove all nuclear weapons out of Cuba in exchange for the US removing their weapons from Greece and Turkey and agreeing to never invade Cuba again.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ratified (July 1963)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:04:50 UTC

During the Cold War, leaders of Britain, the USSR, and the US came together and ratified the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The point of this treaties ratification was to help end the arms race. It tried to do this by banning nuclear weapon testing or explosions in the water or atmosphere, and allowed underground testing only if debris stayed within the home country of the testing.

Gulf of Tonkin incident and resolution (August 1964)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:11:48 UTC

After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon B Johnson furthered many of his policies. One of these was the containment of communism. So, he wanted to attack Vietnam, which was growing more and more communist. He needed a reason, though. He got a reason when whenever US ship, USS Maddox was cruising through the Gulf of Tonkin, and many Vietnamese boats shot at the USS Maddox unprovoked. They used this to increase military involvement in Vietnam. Congress agreed to this, and made the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. This gave Johnson practically full power to do whatever he wanted. US involvement in Vietnam escalated, and it became war in Vietnam. Congress did not like this over time.

US Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight Communism (April 1965)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:20:45 UTC

In 1965, there was a possibility of a similar Communist takeover as to what happened to Cuba in years past. The US did not like this, so they decided to intervene in the Dominican Civil War. The Constitutionalists were backed by a socialist politician, and the Loyalists were backed by the president. The US backed the Loyalists. So, the US came to battle and fought against the Constitutionalists, and were allied with the Loyalists. In the end, the US won and there was a politican settlement between the Loyalists and the Constitutionalists. The US helped peace-keep.

US announcement to dispatch 200,000 US troops to Vietnam

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:24:34 UTC

President Johnson decided to increase US involvement in Vietnam even further, increasing the present 75,000 to 125,000. This was a decision that the majority in the United States supported, but escalated the war even greater as communist powers were unhappy with this decision.

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

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:29:41 UTC

America is helping South Vietnam defend its independence, so they begin sending and dropping bombs over North Vietnam in an attempt to protect South Vietnam. This was supposed to take place over a few weeks, but ends up going on for over three years. America is greatly split on the war, and there is great unrest within the nation.

Red Army crush Czechoslovakian revolt (Aug 1968)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:37:46 UTC

There is Soviet armor on the streets of Prague, and Czechoslovakian civilians are trying to stop this with a barricade. This defiance is crushed underneath Russian tanks and weapons. This ended the dream and attempt to end communism in Czechoslovakia. Alexander Dubcek came to power, and he opened up freedom of speech and press. Soviet leaders had originally supported Dubcek, but now they were afraid of the reforms taking place in Czechoslovakia. Soviet leaders places pressure on Dubcek, wanting him to change the policies. These reforms were erased by the Soviets. And freedom was not yet restored in Czechoslovakia until 1989.

Apollo 11 lands on the moon (July 20, 1969)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:44:27 UTC

The space race was still constant between the USSR and the US. Kennedy promised to put a man on the moon before the end of the 1960's. After the success of Sputnik from the Russians, the US felt pressure to achieve the same feat and more. USSR had been beating the Soviets for most of the space race, but the US wanted to be the first to land a man on the moon. Finally, in 1969, the Apollo 11 mission landed two men on the moon successfully, and were then brought safely back to earth.

Publication of the Pentagon papers (1971)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-03 13:50:04 UTC

A military analyst working for the government leaked top secret and classified information about the Vietnam war to the press. These papers were not a good look for the government. It proved there was a lot of misleading and lies spread to the public by politicians. The Post and Times continued to print articles about the Pentagon Papers, the government went to court with both papers but due to freedom of press, there was not enough of a case to keep the articles from being published. This whole situation set a new precedent with the press.

President Nixon visits China (Feb 1972)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:05:54 UTC

This was a lessening of tensions, detente. President Nixon is very anti-communist, and because he has established this reputation for himself, he can go over to China and normalize diplomatic relations without facing much criticism. He reestablishes diplomatic and economic ties. China and the US become "frenemies".

SALT signed (July 1972)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:17:27 UTC

This is a meeting where many world leaders tried to limit the arms race between many countries. It is not a nuclear weapons ban, but it limits the type, quantity, and testing abilities of nuclear weapons. Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty is what SALT stands for. Today the US has pulled out of this treaty.

US supported coup overthrows Chilean government (Sept 1973)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:29:35 UTC

The US did not support a politician in Chile, Salvador Allende, a self-proclaimed Marxist and socialist. The US spent lots of money and time helping another candidate win, this worked and Allende lost. But after a loss, Allende ran for president again four years later. This time, he won. There was then a lot of US involvement trying to prevent him from being sworn in. This failed. In 1973, the military launched a coup and took control of the country. Allende committed suicide, and there was a lot of torture and killing throughout the country. People were constantly disappearing. The US was to blame for a lot of this.

Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet aid (Oct 1973)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:34:12 UTC

Syria and Egypt simultaneously attacked Israel on the day of atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Syria attacked from the North, capturing most of the southern Golian heights. Egypt attacked from the South. Egypt forces established a bridge there. Israel experienced a lot of death initially, but Israeli forces began defeating Egypt in a few battles. US was concerned about the unsteady situation across the sea. The US air force brought a lot of supplies to Israel, hoping to even the slate. After around a month, world leaders were pressuring the countries to stop fighting.

S. Vietnam falls to Communist N. Vietnam (April 17, 1975)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:39:17 UTC

By 1974, North Vietnam troops had renewed their assault on South Vietnam. In April of 1975, the President ordered all US forces out of Vietnam. Large Operation to rescue a US ambassador. The US is very embarrassed, they have been defeated. Although they have chosen to leave, it is because the area is no longer defendable.

Soviet and Cuban forces help to install Communist government in Angola (Feb 1976)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 13:44:42 UTC

There was civil war in Angola,the three sides that were fighting were the MPLA, FNLA, and the UNITA. All of these different sides were backed by different countries, some communist and some democratic. This crisis ended the detente between the USSR and the US, with tensions rising again between the two powers. The US failed to achieve its desired outcome in Angola.

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

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-07 14:10:42 UTC

Economic and diplomatic ties between the US and China are established even further. China has also reestablished itself as an industrial powerhouse. China loans out pandas to zoos around the world to countries that they like at the moment. First two pandas were sent to Smithsonian Zoo.

Sino-Vietnamese War (Feb 1979)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-08 14:22:35 UTC

The US left Vietnam in 1972. A few years later North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam and all of Vietnam became communist. By the time 1979 rolled around, Vietnam and China were at war. Cambodia was taken over by Pol Pot, and he was radically anti-western and extremely communist. Violently so. Anyone in Cambodia exposed or tainted by Western culture was murdered. Something as simple as playing Western style music or speaking another language could get you killed. Vietnam invaded Cambodia to stop this. China and Cambodia were big allies though, so China invaded Vietnam. The war between Vietnam and China is pretty much a draw, no one really wins.

Shah of Iran overthrown; Iran Hostage Crisis begins (Nov 1979)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-08 14:40:45 UTC

Iran is a country in the Middle East, but it is not Arab. It is Muslim but not Arab. Ethnically a different people, but the same religion. They have lots of oil. The US is an ally with Iran due to this. When their king is overthrown, the US arranges to have him places back into power. His people do not like him, and he is overthrown again. This time the Shah retreats to the US. The new government put into power is a theocracy, and they are against the United States. They also want the Shah back. College students (older and religiously conservative) protested and stormed the US Embassy in Iran, took 60 Americans hostage, and held them for 444 days. Carter (president at the time) looked really weak because he couldn't get the hostages rescued. Right after Reagan is sworn in, the hostages are rescued immediately, he takes credit for this. To this day, the US and Iran are not friends.

Soviet forces invade Afghanistan (Dec 1979)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-08 14:44:31 UTC

There is a communist government in Afghanistan, but it is about to be overthrown. So, the Soviet Union invades to help support this communist government. The Soviets stay there for over a decade, and Afghanistan becomes a long and bloody guerrilla warfare, and is stripped of blood and treasure. This is the Soviet Unions version of the Vietnam War. Soviets fight for a decade and they eventually give up and go home.

US Hockey defeats USSR at winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY (Feb 22, 1980)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-08 14:52:23 UTC

USSR hockey was super good for the 1980 Olympics, whereas the US team was only a group of college students. Somehow, the US underdogs won this game. Known as "The Miracle on Ice". The US college students somehow beat the professional USSR team. This was very exciting and important to the US during the Cold war.

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

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-08 14:55:09 UTC

The United States Boycotts the Soviet Olympics because the Soviet Union invaded the Olympics. The US and many other Western Powers sit out this Olympics as a form of protest.

Reagan proposes SDI or "Star Wars" (1983)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-10 13:02:02 UTC

Reagan proposed setting up a nuclear missile shield above the Continental United States. It will not be a literal shield, but they will use advanced mathematics, lasers, and sensors to shoot down missiles on the way in. It is very difficult to do and ridiculously expensive. This is moderately successful, they can shoot 3/4 nuclear missiles. This is nicknamed "Star Wars" by critics because people do believe that this will not work, and that it is too "sci-fi".

US troops invade and overthrow regime in Grenada (Oct 1983)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-14 14:01:36 UTC

The US wanted to save people on this island Grenada, which was governed by Cuba. Americans captured many Cubans. The US Government found lots of Russian and Cuban communication systems and weapons. They believed this was going to be a base for the USSR. Grenada was a peaceful island, and turned into something much more violent. The Americans were successful in overthrowing the regime in Grenada.

Eastern Block boycotts LA Summer Olympics (July-Aug 1984)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-14 14:04:42 UTC

When Moscow hosted the Olympics, the US and many other countries boycotted the Olympics. In retaliation, when Los Angeles held the Olympics, the USSR boycotted along with Cuba and a few other countries.

Gorbachev begins "glasnost" and "perestroika" in efforts to reform the USSR (1985)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-14 14:28:57 UTC

The USSR is in a lot of debt, and he wants to improve the economy and "modernize". More freedom of speech, freedom of press, openness to Western Culture, and diplomacy/freedom in general. That is "Glasnost". He thinks that if the people are happier, it will improve conditions in the USSR. "Perestroika" is restructuring. It is a restructure of the Soviet economy. They try to bring in a little more capitalism with international trade and private property. Gorbachev attempts both "Glasnost" and "Perestroika" to help reform the USSR. Both are considered failures in the long run, and do not succeed in saving the Soviet Union from collapse.

Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan (Jan 1989)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:07:38 UTC

Afghanistan was the USSR version of Vietnam. The Soviet Union squandered billions of dollars and eventually just left in 1989. Also very similar to Ukraine currently. The USSR was also doing very poorly during this period. Many lives and lots of money were wasted.

Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania oust Communist governments (1989)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:17:06 UTC

In 1989 all of these Communist governments reformed and overthrew communism. They broke away from the rule of the USSR. Fully independent countries now.

Tiananmen Square Massacre (June 1989)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:22:43 UTC

The US and China have been normalizing their relationship for some time. Many people in China believe that it is their time to reform communism and have more freedom within the country. So, Chinese college students begin gathering to protest against the communist government for more freedom. The Chinese government saw this as a threat, so they rolled tanks into Tiananmen Square and killed, arrested, and disbanded the protesters. China is not reformed.

Berlin Wall falls (Nov 1989)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:38:05 UTC

Conditions in East Germany were horrible, whereas conditions in West Germany were improving after WWII. By the end of the 1980's, citizens of East Germany were sick of their conditions, and because many other countries were demanding democracy, East Germans began doing the same. They demanded democracy and forced themselves through the walls. Once they got through, Germans began tearing down the wall with any tools they could find. The next year, Germany was officially reunited.

Boris Yeltsin elected as President of Russia (May 1990)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:44:21 UTC

Yeltsin played a large role in the fall of the Soviet Union. Although he initially had communist views, he came to have many democratic beliefs and policies. After he was elected, the Soviet Union collapsed. As President, he allowed many more freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of speech, press, more influence from Western Culture, etc. Russia still struggled with poverty though, and Yeltsin resigned from power in 1999, and handed off power to Putin.

Germany Reunited (Oct 3, 1990)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 13:46:57 UTC

Many Germans gathered, from East and West, celebrating Germany's reunification. After many years of East and West Germans being separated, the country was finally together again.

USSR dissolved - 15 Republics gain independence, including Russia (Aug 1991)

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-17 14:11:24 UTC

Due to the economic burden, the USSR goes bankrupt and collapses. This collapse is mainly characterized by 15 republics claiming independence. Russia is included in this, and there is no more Soviet Union. Communists tried to stop it by an attempted coup, and due to crowds of people coming in to stop it, soldiers did not fire, and the coup failed.

Final Post!

kpetzoldt25 — 2024-05-20 13:42:43 UTC

Dearest Mr. T,

The villager noises were cool and this project was not as cool but it was okay. Have a good summer, see you next year!