History Timeline 1940s-1990s PDF
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Wenonah High School
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Summary
This document presents a timeline of historical events, spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s. It details key occurrences like World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The document provides a concise overview of significant political and global events of that period.
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**1940s** - **1945**: **End of World War II** - Germany and Japan are defeated, leading to a division of Germany and influence over Europe by the U.S. and USSR. - **1947**: **Truman Doctrine** - U.S. pledges to support nations resisting communism. - **1948**: **Berlin Blockade &...
**1940s** - **1945**: **End of World War II** - Germany and Japan are defeated, leading to a division of Germany and influence over Europe by the U.S. and USSR. - **1947**: **Truman Doctrine** - U.S. pledges to support nations resisting communism. - **1948**: **Berlin Blockade & Airlift** - The USSR blocks access to West Berlin; the U.S. airlifts supplies for nearly a year. - **1949**: **NATO Formed** - North Atlantic Treaty Organization is established as a military alliance against Soviet expansion. - **1949**: **Soviet Atomic Bomb Test** - USSR successfully tests an atomic bomb, starting the nuclear arms race. **1950s** - **1950-1953**: **Korean War** - North (communist) and South (capitalist) Korea go to war; U.S. and UN forces intervene to contain communism. - **1955**: **Warsaw Pact Formed** - The Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries create a military alliance. - **1956**: **Hungarian Uprising** - Hungarians revolt against Soviet control but are crushed by Soviet forces. - **1957**: **Sputnik Launched** - USSR launches the first artificial satellite, sparking the Space Race. - **1959**: **Cuban Revolution** - Fidel Castro overthrows the Cuban government, establishing a communist state. **1960s** - **1961**: **Berlin Wall Constructed** - East Germany, backed by the USSR, builds a wall dividing East and West Berlin. - **1962**: **Cuban Missile Crisis** - The U.S. discovers Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to a tense standoff; ultimately, the USSR agrees to withdraw the missiles. - **1965**: **Vietnam War Escalates** - U.S. troops arrive in Vietnam to prevent communist expansion from North to South Vietnam. - **1968**: **Prague Spring** - Czechoslovakia attempts reforms, but Soviet forces intervene to maintain control. **1970s** - **1972**: **SALT I Treaty** - The U.S. and USSR sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, aiming to limit nuclear arms. - **1973**: **U.S. Withdraws from Vietnam** - Ceasefire agreement signed; South Vietnam falls to communism two years later. - **1979**: **Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan** - USSR invades Afghanistan, leading to a decade-long conflict supported by U.S.-backed Afghan resistance. **1980s** - **1983**: **Reagan's "Evil Empire" Speech** - U.S. President Reagan intensifies rhetoric against the USSR. - **1985**: **Mikhail Gorbachev Becomes Soviet Leader** - Gorbachev initiates reforms (Glasnost and Perestroika) to open the Soviet Union. - **1987**: **INF Treaty** - U.S. and USSR agree to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear weapons. - **1989**: **Fall of the Berlin Wall** - East Germany opens borders, leading to German reunification and signaling the decline of Soviet influence. **1990s** - **1991**: **Soviet Union Dissolves** - Gorbachev resigns, and the USSR formally ends, marking the conclusion of the Cold War.
