COLD WAR

By EimearBrennan

  • Tehran Conference

    Intentions to establish the UN, and improvement of the working relationship between the USA UK and USSR

  • Percentages Agreement

  • Yalta Conference

  • WW2 Ends in Europe

  • Trinity Test

    First nuclear bomb test by the USA

  • Potsdam Conference

    Truman, Attlee and Stalin meet to discuss post war arrangements.
    Stalin is committed to supporting the West in Japan, but they are not so sure.

  • Division of Korea

    Korea is split down the 38th parallel at Potsdam

  • Hiroshima Bombing

  • Nagasaki Bombing

  • Viet Minh Seize Control in Vietnam Initially

    Initially, once Japan surrendered in WW2 Ho Chi Minh controlled the entire region, due to the abdication of Bao Dai, the previous empire.

  • War Ends in Japan

  • UN Established

  • Kennan's Long Telegram

  • Iron Curtain Speech

  • Period: to

    French Indochina War

    The French opposed Viet independence, as lead by Ho Chi Minh who lead a Guerrilla campaign against the French Colonial army. The French were primarily funded by the US, who were paying for 75% of the war by 1954.

  • Bizonia

    British and American zones in West Berlin are merged in the wake of economic troubles in Germany - and Berlin.

  • Truman Doctrine Announced

  • Clayton visits Europe

    William L Clayton - Secretary of state for Economic affairs, visits Europe and realises that lapses into communism are just as much an economic issue as an ideological one. Along with this, America needs a strong Europe to use as a trading partner.

  • Marshall plan announced

    At a graduation ceremony at Harvard, George Marshall announced his plan to regrow European economies.

  • Cominform Established

    The international agency of communism was established, and aimed to publish international communist propaganda with a focus on obstructing the Marshall plan.

  • Zhdanov Doctrine

    Soviet propogandist Zhandov declares that the US was attempting to construct a Western block with an American Germany at its centre.
  • Period: to

    London Conference

    Attended by Britain, France, USA and Benelux.
    Conclusion reached that Germany should have it's own constituent assembly. DEMOCRATISATION

  • Trizonia established

    France joins the other Western powers zone.

  • Introduction of the Deutsche Mark

  • Period: to

    Berlin Blockade

  • Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform

  • Formation of NATO

  • The Easter Parade

    The largest day of the Berlin Airlift;
    13,000 tons of coal were delivered, with a flight taking off every minute.

  • FRG Formed

  • Bao Dai returns to Vietnam

    The French saw Bao Dai as a much preferred leader in Vietnam, therefore they returned him from his exile to take the position of emperor.

  • USSR First Tests Nukes

  • CCP takes China

    CCP win the Chinese Civil War, and Mao Zedong takes over.

  • GDR Formed

  • Defensive Perimeter Strategy Speech

    Japan's military defences are the responsibility of the US and a perimeter should be set up protecting Japan, the Aleutians and the Philippines.
    He did not mention Korea, leading to criticisms.

  • Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance

    Sino-Soviet pact

  • NSC - 68

    In the wake of Soviet nuclear testing and the communist win in the Chinese civil war, D. Acheson commissioned a revaluation of policy.
    Established the idea that the USSR as a threat must be overpowered by a build up of weaponry and military strength.
  • Period: to

    Korean War

  • China Joins the Korean War

    In attempts to push back the UN forces, and under orders from Stalin, China admits troops into North Korea.

  • Truman Dismisses MacArthur

    Gen. MacArthur is dismissed of his duties in Korea as he wanted to bring the US into the Korean war, including the use of nuclear weapons in China.

  • US-Japan Security Treaty

    Linked to the San Francisco Peace Treaty
    Granted the US:
    - Unrestricted use of Japanese military bases
    -Administrative control of Owkinawa
    -Right to use force in the case of any internal disorder in Japan
    -The right to veto Japan offering military bases to any other states

  • San Francisco Peace Treaty

    Japan- allies treaty, which the USSR refused to sign.
    Established Japanese sovereignty, forced Japan to renounce prior claims to the surrounding isles, and laid the groundwork for the bilateral security agreement between Japan and the US.

  • Eisenhower becomes President

  • New Look Policy

    Formalised by NSC 162/2, the New Look Policy aimed to go beyond containment and begin rolling back Communism and liberate countries. (Engineered by John Foster Dulles)
    Eisenhower did note that any liberation could only be through peaceful means, and did not ever undermine the USSR's sphere of influence, despite the policy.

  • Battle at Dien Bien Phu Ends

    A three month long battle that defeated France, leading to the end of the French Indochina War.

  • Geneva Conference - Vietnam

    Vietnam was to be split down the 17th parallel, with two zones, a communist nationalist north under Ho Chi Minh, and a French controlled South under Ngo Dinh Diem. There would be national elections in two years.

  • Formation of SEATO

    The Southeast Asia Treaty was formed as a collective defence treaty.
    US, UK, FRANCE, AU, NZ, THAILAND, PHILIPPINES, PAKISTAN.

  • Formation of Cento

    It was formed on 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, the main purpose of the Baghdad Pact was to prevent communist incursions and foster peace in the Middle East. It was renamed the Central Treaty Organization, or CENTO, in 1959 after Iraq pulled out of the Pact.

  • FRG Admitted to NATO

  • Warsaw Pact

    As a retaliation to the admittance of the FRG to NATO, the Warsaw Pact was formed.
    USSR, GDR, POLAND, ALBANIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA, HUNGARY, CZECHOSLOVAKIA

  • Austrian State Treaty

    Austria becomes a sovereign neutral nation, and occupants leave.

  • Geneva Summit 1955

    Held on July 18, 1955, it was a meeting of "The Big Four": Eisenhower (United States), Anthony Eden (UK), Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin (USSR), Prime Minister Edgar Faure (FR).
  • Period: to

    Vietnam War

  • Krushchev's Secret Speech

    Khrushchev gives a speech to his cabinet on Stalin's crimes, criticising him. This eventually circulated around the Eastern bloc.

  • Boleslaw Beirut Dies

    The Stalinist politician (previous PM of Poland) mysteriously died in Moscow and was replaced by Edward Ochab (Khrushchev's appointment) who destalinised the nation.
  • Period: to

    Polish Rising

    Polish workers form an uprising due to poor economic factors, ending in the appointment of Gomulka as First Secretary and greater freedoms for Poland from the USSR.
  • Period: to

    Hungarian Uprising

    Starting with student demonstrations , a full scale revolt took place with demand for Imre Nagy to become PM. When he was appointed he quickly acted in an attempt to convince the USSR that no intervention was necessary. The Soviets initially pulled out before reversing it's decision. When Hungary withdrew from the Warsaw pact, things worsened, but Nagy expected US intervention so he pushed further, before being removed.

  • USSR Tests first ICBM

  • Sputnik is Launched

  • Gaither Report presented to Eisenhower

    Outlining concerns around the missile gap, the Gaither report indicated that Soviet nuclear technology was much more offensive than defensive, and should be treated with much caution.
    It also recommended that the US nuclear arsenal be expanded to match, if not exceed the USSRs capabilities.

  • Flopnik

    The US attempt as space flight, the 'Vanguard' Rocket crashes during take off.

  • VWP Decide to Reunify Vietnam

  • Thor IRBM Placed in the UK

    A deal was brokered between Eisenhower and Macmillan to hold IRBMs in Britain as part of a defence programme, and this agreement would later be extended to NATO.

  • USSR Berlin Ultimatum

    Six month ultimatum that stated western troops must withdraw from Berlin and it be declared a free city, and all rights to Berlin would be transferred to the GDR, forcing the West to recognise and cooperate with it. This was rejected by the West on 31st December 1958.

  • Castro overthrows Batista

    After six years of the Cuban revolution, Batista's regime is finally overthrown, and Castro seized control.

  • Discoverer Satellite Project Launched

    Satellites with photographical capabilities aimed to replace the U2 spy program.

  • Castro Agrarian Reforms

    Significant amounts of American owned properties were seized, leading to US concerns, but no actions.

  • Krushchev visits the US

    A period of detente - to an extent, resulting in the Camp David talks and the kitchen debate. It seemed peaceful coexistence may be possible between the US and USSR

  • Anastas Mikoyan visits Cuba

    The Soviet First Deputy Premier visits Cuba, arranging for $100 million in aid credits, tying Castro into an economic relationship with the Soviets.

  • Soviet oil arrives in Cuba

    The first shipment of Crude oil arrived, and when US refineries refused to refine it, Castro nationalised the oil refineries.
    America immediately imposed economic sanctions, resulting in a continued downward spiral.

  • U2 Crisis

    Gary Powers' plane is shot down in Soviet airspace, and newfound positive relations begin to deteriorate between the powers.

  • Formation of the NLF

    North Vietnam establish the National Liberation Front in South Vietnam

  • Kennedy becomes President

  • Strategic Hamlet Program Starts

  • Yuri Gagarin goes to Space

    First manned space flight.

  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

  • The Berlin Wall

  • Gen. Taylor Assesses S.Vietnam

    Kennedy sends General Robert Taylor to Vietnam, and he publishes a report with recommendations to bomb the north strategically and support the S.Viet army.
    Kennedy did not yet send in troops, nut he did support the counter-insurgency effort.

  • Operation Mongoose Authorised

  • Operation Quick Kick

    A series of military operations took place in the Caribbean, and observing this, Khrushchev's administration realised that Cuba would fall in a week if the US did attack.

  • Missiles planted in Cuba

    Khrushchev began to ship ballistic missiles to Cuba and technicians to operate them.

  • Missiles Spotted in Cuba - U2

  • Kennedy is Alerted of Missiles in Cuba

    ExComm is immediately assembled.

  • Kennedy Missile Speech

    Kennedy addresses the nation, alerting them of the missiles, and announcing the blockade.

  • Khrushchev's First Letter Cuba

  • Khrushchev's Second Letter

  • Turkey Missile Deal

  • Khrushchev Proposes Nuclear Test Ban

  • Moscow-Washington Hotline Established

  • The Hue incident Vietnam

    Buddhists were banned from flying flags to honour the Buddha's birthday, where Catholics were allowed to fly their Papal flags. Soon after the military intervened to prevent them hearing a speech by their leader Tri Quang, and nine people were killed, triggering protests.

  • Quan Doc Dies

    A Buddhist monk burns himself alive to protest Diem's treatment of Buddhists.

  • Ich bin ein Berliner speech

  • Moscow Test Ban Treaty comes into Force

  • Diem and Nhu are Assasinated

    South Vietnamese rebels generals attempted a coup on Diem's administration, resulting in their assassination.
    However, it couldn't of happened without the US's reduction of military support in the area.