Founded 1945 (after WWII)

Organization founded by victorious allied powers, goals were to establish international law, international security, economic development and social equality. The fice permanent members of the UN Security Council, easch of which has veto power on any any UN resolution, are the main victors of WWII or the successor states. Republic of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Replaced the League of Nations (1919)

Germany was under occupation under 4 sectors: Soviet Union, British, French, and U.S.

Berlin inside of Soviet/Eastern sector. Berlin was divided into 4 sectors.

1948

U.S. Planes airlifted 13,000 tons f supplies into Berlin to break the blockade that Soviet troops had imposed to isolate the City.

Formed in April 1949

Formed when Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Britain, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Iceland signed a treaty with teh U.S. and Canada. All powers agreed to provide mutual assistance if any of them was attacked.

1955

Opposed Nato. Albania, Bulgaria, Czeckoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union organized military alliance. Europe was again divided into hostile alliances.

1949

Communists vs. Nationalists for control of China. Nationalists on losing end and retreat to Taiwan to regroup. Becomes permanent relocation. China becomes another communist state Form Peoples Republic of China.

"Containment" Policy

1947

Said in essence that the U.S. would provide money to countries that claimed they were threatened by communist expansion.

1950-1953

Helped bring Cold War to East Asia. North Korean troops inaded the south. U.S. sent troops to support S. Korea, Chinese attemped to intervene. China ws isolated for nearly two decades after and cut off from economic and technological assistance from the U.S. and forced to rely on the USSR. Cease fire greement ended war in 1953

1946

French Indochina, abortive negotiations between French government and Ho's government, war broke out in 1946. French became tired of fighting the "dirty war" and agreed to a peace setlement with Vietnam was divided into Northern communist half and non-communist southern half.

1956

Soviet crackdown in Hungary. Spontanious revolt against communist Hungary government and its Soviet imposed policies. Revolt spread around country and the government fell.

August 1957

Soviet launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile in August. Arroused U.S. fears of a missile gap between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

1957

Soviets sent first satellite into orbit around the earth. Caused the US to launch a project to land a manned spacecraft on the moon a decade later.

Bay of Pigs

1961

Utter failure of a U.S. supported attempt to overthrow Castro's regimein 1961. Landing of 1400 CIA assited Cubans in Cuba was a military disaster.

1962

Soviets placed nuclear missiles in the country, led to showdown w/ US. As its part of the bargain to defuse the missile crises, the US agreed not to invade Cuba 

1959-1973

Military conflict in which communist forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the indigenous Nation Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, fought the anti-communist forces of the Republic of Vietnam and its allies-US-in a successful effort to unify Vietnami nto a single independant, communist state. Americans arrived in Vietnam in 1965 and left 1973.

President in 1969

Came with a pledge to bring an end to the Vietnam War. Withdrew US troops and held peace talks in Paris. Visited China in 1972 to begin the process of restoring normal relations between the two countries. Devout anti communist. In China, two sides agreed to put aside differences in an effort to reduce tensions in asia.

"De-Stalinization"

Policy denouncing and undoing the most repressive aspects of Stalin's regime. Begun by Nakita Krushchev in 1957

1961

Economic problems in 1950's led to East Germany government to erect wall serparating East Berlin from West Berlin, as well as fearsoe barriers along the entire border w/ West Germany. After building the wall, East Germany succeeded in developing the strongest economy among the Soviet Unions East European staellites.

1968

New communist Czechs were calling for nuetrality and withdrawal from the Soviet totalitarian bloc. Soviet Red Army invaded Czechoslovakia and crushed reform movement, imposed new government subservient to Moscow.

1968

New Soviet party chief, product of the Soviet system, entered ranks under Stalin, no partisan of reform. Brezhenev Doctrine was a model of Soviet foreign policy that meant that "limited sovereignty" of cummunist parties was allowed, but no country would be allowed to leave the warsaw pact, disturb a nation's communist party's monopoly on power, or in any way compromise the strength of the Eastern bloc. 

Aleksander Solzhinitsyn

Elected President in 1980

 anti communist credentials were well known. 1982 introduced nuclear tipped cruise missile. Voiced his suspicions of the Soviet Unions motives.  Adopted activist stance in the Third World. 

Elected Soviet leader came to power in 1985

Realized need for reform in Soviet system. "reconstructing"/reordering of economic policy. Became Soviet Union's first president in 1990. Period from 1988-1990

1990

1989 revolt in East Germany led to long awaited reunification of the two Germanies in 1990, making new Germany leading power in Europe. Iron curtain "rusts out"

1991

Soviet repubics opted for complete independence. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus announced that the Soviet Union ceased to exist and would be replaced by a commonwealth of independent states. Largest empires in the history have come to an end.

"Ethnic Cleansing"

1989

Dowtown Beijing thousands of students gathered to support compatriots who had gone on a hunger strike in an effort to compel the Chinese government to reduce the level of official corruption and enact democratic reforms, opening the political process to the Chinese people.