Superpower relations and the Cold War 1941 - 91 Timeline

Nov 1943Tehran Conference:Consequence to this is the UN being set up in Yalta.

Feb 1945Yalta Conference:

July 1945:Potsdam Conference: Roosevelt ---> Truman.On 16th July, USA tested exploding their atomic bomb successfully, without telling USSR (they only knew by having spies in the USA).Tensions between USA an USSR increasing.

Feb 1946Kennan's Long Telegram

March 1946Churchill's "Iron Cutain" speech:

Sep 1946:The Novikov Telegram :These two telegrams set the scene for the Cold War in Europe. The USSR would attempt to dominate Eastern Europe and spread communism where possible. The USA would commit to a policy of "containment".

1947: Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan (West)Cominform and Comecon (1947 and  1949)

1948:Berlin Blockade

1949:NATO established

1953Stalin dies

1955:Warsaw pact established

Feb 1956:Khrushchev's Secret Speech

Nov 1956 Hungarian Uprising

Nov 1958 Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum

1959Cuban Revolution

May 1960Paris Summit + U2 Crisis

April 1961Bay of Pigs invasion

Aug 1961Construction of the Berlin wall begins

Oct 1962Cuban Missile crisis

April 1968"Prague Spring" reforms begin

Aug 1968USSR invasion of Czechoslovakia

Sep 1968Brezhnev Doctrine Announced

1972SALT I

1975Helsinki Accords

June 1979SALT II

Dec 1979Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

1983 Reagan announces SDI

March 1985Gorbachev introduces Glasnost + Perestroika

Nov 1985Geneva Summit

May 1989Hungary opens borders with Austria

Nov 1989Fall of Berlin Wall

Dec 1991Gorbachev resigns and USSR dissolves