U.S. History
Cold War Chronology, 1945 - 1962
1945
February: Yalta Conference
Big Three agree to U.N. organization and on end of war strategy, free election in
occupied areas; disagree on Poland
May: Victory in Europe
U.S. terminates Lend Lease to Russia
July: Potsdam Conference
Germany and Berlin (map) divided, Russia moving to establish Communist government in Poland
August: U.S. used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
End of war with Japan
1946
March 5: Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech
Russia pressing Turkey and Iran, Civil War in Greece
September: Bulgaria adopts communist government
December: Three western zones of Germany united economically
1947
Communists seize power in Hungary
March12: Truman Doctrine - U.S. aid to Greece
June 5: Marshall Plan proposed
Aid offered to European nations including Russia and east Europe
October" Russia establishes the Cominform - international Communist organization
December: Romania adopts communist government
1948
February: Communists take control of Czechoslovakia
March: Brussels Pact formed (G.B., France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg
Marshall Plan passed by Congress; OEEC set up
April: West Germany included in OEEC
June: U.S. & Brussels Pact propose separate West German government
West German currency reform, new German Deutchmark issued
Russian blockade of West Berlin begins (Until May 1949)
Berlin Airlift
July: U.S. sends bombers to Britain
1949
January: Russia offers Molotov Plan for economic aid to eastern Europe
April 4: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed
September: New Federal Republic of Germany established (W. Germany)
German Democratic Republic (E. Germany) established in response
Russia explodes first atomic bomb
December: Civil War in China ends - Communists establish new government under Mao Zedong
1950
June 25: Korean War begins - North crosses 38th parallel and invades South
U.S. and U.N. troops intervene
General Douglas MacArthur sent from Japan as Supreme Commander of United Nations Command
September 15: amphibious landing at Inchon
November: Chinese troops intervene on side of North Korea
1951
September: U.S. signs treaty with Japan (Russia signs treaty in 1956)
October: peace talks begin in Korea
1952
U.S. explodes first hydrogen bomb
1953
March: Stalin dies
Iranian coup d'etat - U.S. backed revolution restores the Shah
July: Korean War cease fire
Russia tests hydrogen bomb
1954
Egyptian revolution
June: CIA Backed coup d'etat overthrows government of Guatemala
July: Geneva agreement - French out of Vietnam
September: SEATO established
1955
West Germany joins NATO
Russia established Warsaw Pact
Baghdad Pact established
1956
October: Krushchev's de-Stalinization speech, call for "Peaceful existence"
Suez War - Israel, Britain, and France attack Egypt
November: Hungarian uprising - Russian intervention
1957
March: Eisenhower Doctrine for the Middle East
August: Russia launches first earth satellite, Sputnik, and develops first ICBM
1958
January: U.S. launches its first satellite, Explorer
November: U.S. fires its first ICBM
1959
January: Cuban Revolution - Fidel Castro comes to power, establishes close ties with
USSR
September: Krushchev-Eisenhower summit
1960
May: Planned Krushchev-Eisenhower summit in Paris, cancelled when Russians shoot
down U-2 spy plane
1961
April: Bay of Pigs incident
Kennedy sends military advisers to Vietnam
June: Krushchev-Kennedy summit in Vienna
August: Berlin Crisis - the Berlin Wall
1962
October: Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. History Review Sheet: Chapters 29