Date What Cause Effect

1917 Bolshevik revolution: Allies support whites Oppression from the Tsar Communism and capitalism have a
Bolsheviks do not honour Russian debt. country
1919- Comintern = overthrow capitalism No other communist Support within Spain and France
1943 countries angering allies
1939 Nazi Soviet pact No alliances with allies = Angers allies = ganging up on
Hitler’s ally capitalism
1941 Grand Alliance Hitler invades USSR USA + USSR have a common
enemy
1943 Tehran Conference Met to discuss the issue of Plans for D Day. Good levels of
Poland = easy access to cooperation although tensions
USSR Stalin wanted mounted.
communist. Stalin wanted
second front against Hitler.
1945 Yalta conference Discuss Germany -UN established = prevent future
wars
-Reparation zones of Germany and
Berlin.
-USSR join war in 100
days=economic rights in
Manchuria
-Stalin promised free European
elections = only one party
-Some of Poland to Stalin
-Some London poles into Lublin
poles.

1945 Roosevelt dies and Churchill is unelected
1945 July Potsdam Conference Discuss the ending of the
war and Stalin’s behaviour
= incorporated some of
Poland and then evicted
5million poles into Germany,
many commies in key
positions.
1945- Truman becomes President Roosevelt died
1953
1945 6th Hiroshima A bomb = 70,000 dead Wanting to end the war with
August Japan and gain concessions
1
Stalin is most experienced but has
lost a friend in Roosevelt
USA fearful of Stalin, Truman
anticommunist wanted to prove
himself better than Roosevelt and
Stalin = A bomb
Initiated Iron fist and Marshall plan
= took harder look on communism
War with Japan ends and Stalin is
fearful of USA = Arms race.
 from Stalin
1945 9th Nagasaki Scare Stalin and apparently Scares Stalin
August end the war despite
evidence that Japan had
surrendered
1945 Defeat of Japan A-bomb USA China has no form of control, Mao
and communists quickly force
Nationalists off to Taiwan

1946 Missouri Speech by Churchill demanding a stronger Churchill angry at Stalin Stalin calls Churchill a warmonger
stance against Communism = everyone agreed and taking liberties.
went well with Iron Fist policy
1946 Barach Plan = UN controls atomic technology = Prevent atomic war Nothing= didn’t go ahead
everyone can know but no one can make it
1946 Greek commies Vs Royalists Royalists = bad Yugoslavia gave support to Greece
Septemb because Stalin had promised no
er personal intervention. UK debt =
£3,000million had to pull out =
Truman doctrine launched.
1947 Truman Doctrine launched = support to anti- Greek nearly turning Stalin sees this as directly
communists communist attacking/drawing lines between
capitalism and communism.
1947 Marshall plan Marshall shocked by Annoyed USSR; to get aid = open
devastated Europe. Prevent economic records and open market
communist breeding to American goods.
ground.
1947 Cominform= coordinate communist governments= Annoys west and helps
inform communicate governments keep in contact.
1948 Czechoslovakia Coup d’état Only capitalist in E.Europe, -Police purged.
commies gonna do bad in -Masaryk defenestrated
elections. -President Benes forced resignation
-West not amused but do nothing
1948- Berlin Blockade Marshall aid made west -West begins air drops of food,
1949 Berlin look amazing 40,000 tons
compared to East, -Stalin had to back down =
introduction of new currency couldn’t risk WW3.
= shows prosperity. Stalin -Morale boost after failure of Czech
cut supplies so he could
supply = control of city =
communist rule.

2
 Stalin wanted to test west’s
commitment.
1949 NATO (military alliance of west in peacetime) Threat of communism -Shows USA will not retreat into
isolationalism
-Stalin sees it as provocative
1949 Comecon (economy) = provides economic Response to Martial Aid and
assistance to commies NATO
1949 Soviets explode first A bomb USA’s start of arms race -Scared west = thought it would
take longer. Exacerbates arms race
1949 West occupation zones merge to become West To unite against Stalin felt ganged up on
Germany communism
1949 NATO formed To show protection against Stalin saw it as a provocative
1949 Communist People’s republic of China formed with USSR measure
Mao leading Nationalists had been Scared America as they were
corrupt and out of touch supposed to be the protectors after
with the people. the war but they had failed to stop
Japan took coastal regions the fall to communism.
occupied by nationalists.
1950- North Korea invades South Korea Rhee boasted he was going America was involved to protect
1953 to invade N.Korea so Japan (American consumer)from
N.Korea attacked first. domino theory and to contain
communism.
Changed warfare = considered A
bomb
General MacArthur dismissed
Mao supported north (moral high
ground over Stalin who refused)
1950 Treaty of friendship: USA saw Mao as a pawn and Mao’s takeover of China USA scared = McCarthy
evidence of expansion. making it Communist. Chinese annoyed at Stalin’s lack of
Stalin gave $300million of machinery to build its Running the nationalists to concessions
industry and defence structures. Taiwan Stalin gained a protective force
Mongolia remained soviet and no foreigners apart incase of USA invasion.
from Soviets could enter Manchuria = annoyed
Chinese
1950 Truman asked for a report on cold war policy = Threat of communism Advised move towards rollback,
NSC68 Truman increased defence
spending from $13billion to $45
billion in one year=red scare for
people to pay extra tax for
increase.

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1950 Joseph McCarthy accused many in government of Fear of communism Red scare swept throughout
being communist = no evidence America = many distrusted each
other but it gained tax increases to
fund NSC68
1952 America develops hydrogen bomb -1,000 times China’s turn to communism America gains nuclear superiority
stronger and support in Korea and threatens usage in Korea.
1953 USSR develops Lithium bomb America’s hydrogen bomb USSR is yet again in the lead.
and the use of spy networks
1953 Stalin dies Heart attack?? Leaves a power vacuum. Many
want reform
1953 Strikes spread throughout East Germany Walter Ulbricht industrial Soviet forces were forced to bring
plans to increase hours and in order. Beria was unsuccessful
decrease pay. Stalin’s and liked some of Stalin’s policies
death=peeps new regime = executed as British spy
1953- Eisenhower became president His military background and Him and Dulles introduced
1961 harder policy brinkmanship-changing relations
and also advocated rollback. NEW
LOOK
1953- Power struggle, Malenkov, Beria and finally
1955 Khrushchev
1955- Khrushcev is leader
1964

1950s Mao criticised the development of a privileged elite Khrushchev criticised Mao for
in Russia splitting the socialist party.

1950s The USSR prevented China from gaining power in Khrushchev viewed himself Annoyed China and led to other
North Korea. as above Mao and China. disputes.
Soviets refused to diminish power in Mongolia, a Khrushchev was beginning
Sino sphere of influence to distrust China
1953- Taiwan Strait Crisis: Mao bombed the Taiwan straits, Mao wanted to test USA scared = McCarthy
1954 Nationalists supported by USA = Sino-American America’s support and start Chinese annoyed at Stalin’s lack of
war??? more communist concessions
enthusiasm. Stalin gained a protective force
incase of USA invasion.

1954 Welch proves McCarthy as a liar and crook Analysis of evidence Despite this fear remained very
high
1954 USA develops lithium bomb USSR’s lithium bomb Equal footing. Kills fisherman
82miles away = sobering effect on
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 both sides.
1955 Intercontinental bomber B52 Stratofortress Needed bomb delivery America could easily reach Russia
systems
1955 Warsaw Pact Iron curtain defined borders- Showed willingness to protect
stability=had to accept each Eastern Bloc
other

1955 Austrian State Treaty breakdown = Austria Khrushchev thought making Austria would gain most neutrality
reparation zones like Germany, USA pumped with concessions here would help and superpower influence was
Marshall USSR stole resources reduced.
1956 USSR TU20 Bear bomber America’s B52 Equal footing
1956 De-Stalinisation speech Khrushchev wanted to win Hungarian uprising and it insulted
by distancing himself from Mao.
Stalin
1956 Hungarian Uprising = Nagy was placed in power as De-Stalinisation speech. 35,000 killed including Nagy
he was moderate after two leaders had been Polish protests demanding Showed USSR’s willingness to
removed, who eventually gave into demands for two and gaining reforms intervene
party elections and to leave the Warsaw pact Annoyed Mao = moving to America
Showed how the west would not
intervene in events in soviet
spheres.
1956 Soviet withdrawal from Finland = Finland was war Porkkala was unstrategic Soviets still retained some
enemy so gained Porkkala for 50 years and and a burden influence 1962 election
$300million. =anticommie. May help west
1957 USSR developed first ICBM and launched it in The intercontinental USSR in lead
Kazakhstan bombers were to slow
1957 USSR Sputnik and Sputnik II To be the first in space and Red Scare escalates as Russians
humiliate America now in space
1958 Khrushchev criticises the Great Leap Forward, 70,000 had died during the China felt the industrial aid was
especially the production of back yard steel furnaces leap poor

1959 Fidel Castro leads Cuban revolution to remove Batista had ruled violently America very close to communist
corrupt leader and make Cuba independent from and corruptly country. Cut armaments to Cuba
America
1959 Khrushchev visited USA and continued his promotion Khrushchev knew capitalism Mao felt Khrushchev was giving
of “Peaceful Coexistence” would fall on its own so until into capitalism and could be allying
then he would simply exist with USA
alongside it.
1961 - Kennedy President -New frontier policy
1963
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1961 Yuri Gagarin – First man in space USSR trying to win space USSR wins space race
race

1961 Bay of pigs CIA sponsored invasion– 1,500 Cuban
exiles storm Cuba trying to remove Castro from
power = disaster (stoopid Americans)
Castro turns Cuba Relations go downhill between the
communist two countries and America launch
a trade embargo. Could cause
catastrophe to Cuban economy so
USSR offers to buy the Cuban
sugar and provide armaments

1962 American spy plans see missiles planted on Cuba America had stopped buying Kennedy humiliated, set up a
Cuban sugar so USSR took quarantine refusing access to
over and offered armaments Cuba.
.
1962 Khrushchev backed down and negotiated with USA. Khrushchev new America America had to put up with a
If they remove ICBMs from Turkey and promise had superiority and could communist neighbour and
never to invade Cuba he would remove weapons force war. Khrushchev was portrayed as
from Cuba. giving into communism, something
which attributed to his removal in
1964. A hot link telephone was set
up so the leaders could chat.
1963- Johnson elected president
1969
1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty – no nuclear weapon testing Cuban Missile Crisis. First step towards Détente
on ground, sea and air, although it was still allowed Expenditure - hard to keep
underground paying for military in USSR.

1964- Brezhnev is elected

1982
1968 Brezhnev Doctrine Justify Czechoslovakia and -Allowed USSR to exert its power
Hungary
1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia was Showed the Chinese how
introducing new reforms controlling USSR was, and feared a
which removed censorship USSR invasion on them.
and spying by secret police Instability – iron curtain – willy
brandt links across
1969 Nixon elected and Kissenger secretary of state - -Ignore ideology and grab
REALPOLITIK opportunities = Rapprochement
with China, end of Vietnam and
development of Détente

6
1969 USSR has same amount of missiles as USA Mass production Led to Détente = fear of war

1969 Ussuri River: 200 cross river to Damansky Island, Many disputes during the -Damansky remained USSR
approached by Soviet lieutenant before opening fire 50s such as Khrushchev's -Tensions increased across the
killing 10 immediately. de-Stalinisation speech, borders where entire Chinese
peaceful coexistence, brigades were destroyed
refusal of Mongolia and Mao -Mao changed his foreign policy
criticising Russia for and moved towards USA
developing an elite.
1969- Nixon president
1974
1971 Table Tennis world championship, Japan. Mao wanted to get on Both countries began to grow
China let America win and boasted that they were friendly terms with USA. together, annoying Khrushchev.
better because they let them win. Kissinger secretary of state met
with PM Enlai = Good relations

1972 Nixon visits china establishing good relations Table tennis success Trade increased from $5million to
$500million annually. America
stopped supporting nationalists in
Taiwan. Helped Mao keep his
reputation after disastrous cultural
revolution.
North Korea accused Mao of
betraying communism.
Both countries used triangle
diplomacy to exploit USSR.

1968- SALT: Started talks but Czechoslovakia slowed the 1963 test ban showed good -ABM Treaty: limit ABMs to two =
1972 process things from working deterrence as they knew about
together strike back
-Interim Treaty: limited weapons
such as ICBMs but didn’t include
new weapons = USA’s lead
-Basic principles: Avoid war and be
nice
-Both sides still had enough to kill
each other but represented a
change

1972 The Basic Treaty Détente and Ostpolitik West Germany acknowledged the

7
 existence of East Germany and
began trade routes

1970s Détente Fear of War: 1962 CMC

-1969 USSR had same Changed Cold War tactics = more
ICT: 72 in coursework weapons as USA to gain by being friendly
9 to get a C Needs of USSR: Security
49 to get a B needs above ideological
89 to get an A differences=1939
-The equality in power gave
way to both sides limiting
each other
-Wanted to legitimise its
eastern bloc (Czech crisis
1968, strikes in Gdansk
Poland)
-Sino-Soviet split
-USSR surpassed USA in
cement and oil but USA was
ahead in technology – -Détente prolonged the arms race
friends = trade = Soviet inability to keep up with
Needs of USA: Fail in USA was one reason for its
Vietnam = re-evaluate collapse, so if USA had just
USA’s power. continued with the arms race then
-Détente = support interests the Cold War might have ended
without military sooner = but what about Gorby =
-France NATO 1966 USSR might have economically
-Social = Kennedy’s New crumbled but communists parties
Frontier had been sacrificed in the spheres would have
for military. remained, you need the
Ostpolitik: Unstable reformation that gorby provided.
=French student riots +
Czech invasion.
-Brandt erode iron curtain =
encourage trade = France +
Romania
Kissinger: Realpolitik =
grab opportunities–ideology
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 uninvolved
1973 Oil Crisis -Lack of oil = USA+UK move - UK+USA were humiliated by
to middle east. Egypt, Syria small countries
and other Arab countries -Prices went up = panic buying
invade Israel = Yom Kippur -Washington Energy conference
war. --Increased prices = profit = more
-West backs Israel so OPEC mines = Arabs get rich = buy loads
raise oil prices by 70% = from West = USSR harder hit.
strategic weapon -USSR harder hit: ¾ money to
allies, soviet tech had fallen
behind.
1974 Washington Energy Conference -Oil Crisis and surplus -Harmonised western energy
dollars policies = reducing crisis
-Removed capitol controls which
allowed US banks to take surplus
dollars
1974- SALT II -Negotiate SALT further -Reduced missiles
1979 -Questioned Brezhnev’s ability as
now senile and probably unable to
read it.
1974- Gerald Ford elected
1977
1975 Helsinki Accords = NATO + Warsaw pact = 1)European borders could not be
agreements changed by force = accepting
since 1940s
2)Trade and technology to erode
curtain
3)USSR accept human rights =
west hoped it would undermine
USSR’s hold. Organisations set up
to monitor
1975 Apollo Soyuz link up Establish good relations Provided a high point for Détente.
1977- Jimmy Carter President
1981
1979 Afghanistan -Iran overthrown by anti- -Brezhnev soviet government in
American muslim extremists Afghanistan
(USAs oil!) -Carter withdrew SALT II and
-Threatened USSR; muslim encouraged a boycott of Moscow’s
states incorporated into 1980 Olympics.
USSR and bordering -Carter increased nuclear arms

9
 Afghanistan was prone to
extremists.
-USA threatened to support
an anti soviet faction.
1980- Polish riots -Polish government increase
1981 prices while decreasing
wages
1980 End of Brezhnev Doctrine -Disillusionment with
Afghanistan
-Supporting unpopular
regimes in soviet sphere
-Gorby believed it would
rejuvenate Communism
-Armed intervention =
immoral
-Lessened tensions with
Cold War = no need to
control people.
1981- Ronald Reagan elected -Carter too weak on
1989 communism and
inconsistent as followed
negotiations by VANCE and
hard-line by BREZINSKI.
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-Thatcher supported this stronger
move.
-Renewed mistrust, showed USSR
had expanded during Détente
-Polish riots
-Solidarity gains a lot of support
-General Jaruzelski imposes martial
law restoring order and abolishing
solidarity – alternative would have
been USSR invasion.
-Soviets refuse to uphold Brezhnev
doctrine = too troublesome to get
involved.
-Liberalisation throughout Europe
-Countries fought for independence
-Militarised counter revolution:
1)increase Nuclear arms: Increase
13% each year using Afghanistan
and missiles in Europe as reasons –
concessions from USSR
2) Reagan Doctrine: Send support
to anti-communist Guerrillas and
governments = Nicaragua aid to
Contras and Marcos in Philippines
(poor human rights) = Americas
uncaring just don’t want
communists.
1983 Papal Visit -Support Poland -Moral boost to Lech Walsea
1983 USA invades Grenada Showed Truman Doctrine in
physical action (rare) and showed
willingness to interfere in other
countries affairs.
1983 Strategic Defence Initiative (Star Wars) -Militarised Counter -USSR seemed very unbothered by
revolution to put America on it.
top – USSR would be
bankrupt if they attempted
to copy the USA
1980s Soviets hold over Europe weakened Economic issues: -Angered people as they grew
Inefficient industry in quality restless from the inequality
and quantity. between East and West.
Focus on heavy; clothes,
food, textiles suffer, poor
standard of living = west
radio broadcasts. USSR slow
with new technology

Political reform: Erich

Honecker (East) little
respect for people using
stasi to spy on everyone.
Ceausescu repressive =
typewriter registration,
mass propaganda, destroy
whole villages replaced by
agro-industrialisation.
Poland 1981 riots helped by
Solidarity, Jaruzelski martial
law.

1982- Andropov is elected -Brezhnev died -Starts domestic reform but

1984 becomes ill
-Gerontocracy

1984- Chernenko is elected -Andropov dies -Constantly on dialysis = no

1985 -Politburo don’t want reform policies and no advance with
= only oldies wanna keep it America – KAL007 plane

11
 hard line -Couldn’t do face to face meetings
= no advancement like 70s
1985- Gorbachev is elected -Change is needed – didn’t -New Political thinking: Afghanistan
1991 want too much change $8 billion annually – could be spent
though at home
-Perestroika: Reconstruct economy
– private enterprise to promote
efficiency
-Glasnost: Policy of openness that
encouraged the people to open up
-Democratisisation: involvement in
party policy
1985 Geneva Summit -Needed face to face -Good relations
relations -Gorby dumbed everything for
Reagan
1986 Reykjavik Summit -Gorby wanted to make a -Nothing was agreed
deal = remove nukes and
other concessions to
remove SDI = no agreement
1987 Washington Summit -Deadlock -Intermediate Nuclear Forces
Treaty – scrap IRBMs, first removal
not control.
1987 Second Papal visit to Poland -Inspires Poland
1987 Polish government lifts martial law and introduces -Gorby -Solidarity won in general election
policies and communist party collapses in
Poland due to lack of support.
1988 Gorby Mania -Gorbachev’s enlightened -Collapse of soviet’s hold in Europe
policies
1988 Moscow Summit -INF Treaty -Good relations
-Reduction in arms announced
1988 Hungary liberalises: Hard liner Kadar sacked and the - Gorby’s policies and -Multi party elections introduced
government dominated by reformers opened refusal of Brezhnev doctrine
borders to west, 125,000 east Germans escaped -Inspired by Polish
government
1989 Berlin wall opened -Honecker replaced by -People dismantled the Berlin Wall
liberal Krenz who refused to on the authority of Krenz
put down the people –
Tiananmen square earlier
1989 Anti-communist group organised public -Inspired by Polish people -Government caves and Havel a
demonstrations power playwright and anti-communist is

12
 elected president. Velvet
revolution = lots of demonstrations
but very little violence.

1989 Lazlo Tokes a priest from Timisoara was arrested so -Hungary signals were -Army shot people on Ceausescu’s
people demonstrated against it refusing to let him picked up in Timisoara orders, rumours spread and during
go which depicted change the rally in Bucharest the crowd
across the continent booed and Ceausescu fled, army
refused to support him and instead
hunted him and his wife down,
killing them on xmas, people
power overthrew Ceausescu.
1989 Malta Summit -First meeting with Bush -COLD WAR DECLARED OVER =
BURRIED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
SEA.
1991 USSR dismantled -Gorby’s reforms

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