Timeline of the Cold War

The Cold War was a long time of tension between two big groups of countries after World War II.

On one side was the United States and its friends, working together in a group called NATO. On the other side was the Soviet Union and its allies, who had their own group called the Warsaw Pact.

This rivalry shaped the world for many years.

Countries like South Vietnam, South Korea, China, Cuba, Laos, North Vietnam, and North Korea were caught in the middle, choosing sides or trying to stay independent. The two sides competed in many ways, from building up armies to exploring space, without fighting each other directly in a big war.

Even though they never fought each other, the Cold War had big effects around the world. It led to many smaller conflicts and changed how countries worked together. Understanding these events helps us see why the world looks the way it does today.

1940s

1945

February 4–11: Leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union met to talk about Germany after World War II. They decided to split Germany into four parts, one for each country. They also planned free elections in Poland and other countries that Germany had occupied. This meeting also started the United Nations to help keep peace.
April 12: The President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, died. Harry S. Truman became the new President.
May 8: Germany gave up, ending World War II in Europe.
July 24: At a meeting, Truman told the Soviet leader that the United States had nuclear weapons.
August 6: The United States dropped a nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan.
August 8: The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria.
August 9: The United States dropped another nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki in Japan.
September 2: Japan gave up to the United States, ending World War II. General Douglas MacArthur took charge of Japan.
September 5: A Soviet spy named Igor Gouzenko escaped and showed proof of Soviet spies in Canada and the U.S. This changed how people saw the Soviet Union.

1946

January: The Chinese Civil War started again between Communist and Nationalist forces.
March 5: Winston Churchill spoke about the "Iron Curtain," describing the split between democratic and communist parts of Europe.
May 25: Transjordan became independent from the United Kingdom and was renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.
June 2: Italy chose to end its monarchy and become a republic.
July 4: The Philippines became independent from the United States.
September 8: Bulgaria became a People's Republic, ending its monarchy.
October 1: The Nuremberg trials ended.
October 16: After the trials, 11 Nazi leaders were sentenced to death.
December 15: The Soviet Union left Iran. Two small states that had been created with Soviet support were dissolved.
December 19: France began fighting in Indochina against communist forces who wanted independence.

1947

January 1: The American and British zones in Germany were combined into one area called the Bizone.
March 12: President Truman announced the Truman Doctrine, promising help to Greece and Turkey to stop them from becoming communist.
April 16: A man named Bernard Baruch used the term "Cold War" to describe the tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
June 5: Secretary of State George Marshall proposed the Marshall Plan to help rebuild countries in Western Europe that had been damaged by the war.
August 14: Pakistan became independent from the United Kingdom.
August 15: India became independent from the United Kingdom.
September: The Soviet Union created the Cominform to guide communist parties in countries it influenced.
October 20: A leader of the non-communist party in Poland left the country before he could be arrested.
November 29: The United Nations decided to divide Palestine.
December 30: The king of Romania was forced to leave, and the country became a Socialist Republic under communist control.

1948

January 5: Burma (now Myanmar) became independent from the United Kingdom.
January 30: Mahatma Gandhi was killed.
February 25: The Communist Party took control of Czechoslovakia.
March 17: Several European countries signed a treaty to work together for defense, which was a step toward creating NATO.
April 3: Truman signed the Marshall Plan into law, providing help to Western Europe.
May 14: David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of Israel.
June 24: The Soviet Union blocked all land routes to West Berlin to try to force out Western powers. The Western countries flew in supplies to the city.
August 15: The United States recognized the Republic of Korea (South Korea) as the government of the Korean Peninsula.
September 9: The Soviet Union declared the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) to be the government of all of Korea.

1949

April 4: NATO was founded by several countries, including the United States, to protect against communist expansion.
May 11: The Soviet Union ended its blockade of Berlin. The airlift continued for a while in case the blockade started again.
May 23: The American, British, and French zones in Germany joined to form the Federal Republic of Germany, with Bonn as its capital.
August 29: The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, becoming the second country to have nuclear weapons.
October 1: Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China, making it a communist country.
October 7: The Soviet Union declared its zone in Germany to be the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), with East Berlin as its capital.
December 27: The Netherlands gave control of Indonesia to the United States of Indonesia, with Sukarno as its first president.

1950s

The 1950s were a time of big changes and tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, known as the Cold War.

In 1950, the Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, led by the United States, helped South Korea. This war showed the split between communist and non-communist countries. In 1950, President Truman announced plans to build a new type of bomb.

In the years that followed, more nations joined alliances. In 1955, West Germany joined NATO, a group of countries working together for defense. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, starting the space race. These events showed how the world was changing during the Cold War.

1960s

1960

January 10: British prime minister Harold Macmillan gives a speech about changes to British possessions in Africa.
January 19: The United States and Japan sign the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, allowing the US to keep military bases in Japan.
February 16: France tests its first atomic bomb, Gerboise Bleue, in the Sahara Desert.
April: Nuclear missiles called Jupiter IRBM are placed in Italy, able to reach Moscow (like the Thor IRBMs in the UK).
April 25: The April Revolution removes South Korean President Syngman Rhee and puts Yun Posun in charge.
May 1: American pilot Francis Gary Powers is shot down in his U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union, causing trouble for President Eisenhower.
June: The Chinese leadership says its type of Communism is better than the Soviet Union's, creating a new split in the Cold War.
August 6: Cuban leader Fidel Castro takes over all American-owned property in Cuba.
August 9: A revolt begins in Laos led by the Pathet Lao, a communist group.
October 12: Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev hits a table with his shoe during a speech at the United Nations because he is angry.
October 19: The US stops most trade with Cuba, except for food and medicine.
November 28: Mauritania becomes independent from France.
December 20: North Vietnam forms the National Liberation Front to fight against the government of South Vietnam. It gets help from North Vietnam, China, and the USSR.

1961

January 3: President Eisenhower ends diplomatic relations with Cuba.
January 20: John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States.
January 31: A monkey named Ham flies into space as part of Project Mercury.
February 12: The Soviet Union launches Venera 1 to fly by Venus.
April 12: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to orbit the Earth when the Soviet Union launches Vostok 1.
April 17–19: A CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by counter-revolutionaries fails.
April 21: Sierra Leone becomes independent from the UK.
May 5: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space when Freedom 7 launches.
May 25: John F. Kennedy says the US will send a man to the Moon, starting Project Mercury.
June 4: Kennedy meets with Khrushchev in Vienna.
June: More nuclear missiles called Jupiter IRBM are placed in Turkey, joining those in Italy and the Thor IRBMs in the UK.
August 13: The Berlin Wall is built by the Soviets after talks about Germany's future break down.
August 17: The United States starts giving aid to Latin America through the Alliance for Progress.
September 1: The Soviet Union starts testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere again. The Eritrean War of Independence begins.
September 4: John F. Kennedy signs the Foreign Assistance Act.
October 27: A standoff happens between US and Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charlie.
October 31: The Soviet Union tests the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful thermonuclear weapon ever.
November 18: John F. Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to help South Vietnam fight communist groups.
December 18: The Republic of India invades Goa, which was a Portuguese territory.

1962

January 15: Indonesian Armed Forces start moving into Dutch overseas territory of western New Guinea as part of Operation Trikora, the last fight between Indonesia and the Netherlands over imperialism.
February 10: American pilot Francis Gary Powers is swapped for a Soviet spy named Colonel Rudolf Abel.
February 20: John Glenn orbits the Earth aboard Friendship-7, the first American to do so.
July 1: Rwanda-Burundi becomes independent from Belgium.
August 2: Jamaica becomes independent from the UK.
August 27: Mariner 2 is launched to fly by Venus.
August 31: Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent from the UK.
September 8: A war starts between China and India, called the Himalayan War, with China claiming areas along the border.
September 26: The North Yemen Civil War begins between two groups in Yemen.
October 9: Uganda becomes independent from the UK.
October 16: Cuban Missile Crisis: The Soviets put nuclear weapons in Cuba, very close to the US. Kennedy orders a naval blockade of the island. Both sides agree to a compromise. The Soviets remove their nuclear missiles from Cuba if the US removes missiles from Turkey and Italy and promises not to attack Cuba.
October 20: A war starts between India and China over a disputed area called the Sino-Indian War.
November 1: The Soviet Union launches Mars 1 to fly by Mars.
November 20: The Sino-Indian War ends. China keeps a small part of the disputed land.
December 14: Mariner 2 reaches Venus, the first US spacecraft to reach another planet.

1963

January 20: Indonesia says it does not accept the formation of Malaysia. Sukarno, the President of Indonesia, calls Malaysia a British puppet state in Southeast Asia. This starts Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.
June 9: A war called the Dhofar Rebellion begins in Oman.
June 16: Vostok 6 is launched, and Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.
June 20: The United States agrees to set up a direct communication line, or hotline, with the USSR.
June 26: U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in Berlin.
August 5: The Partial Test Ban Treaty is signed by the US, UK and USSR, stopping nuclear tests except underground.
September 16: Malaysia is formed with Tunku Abdul Rahman as its first prime minister.
November 2: South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is killed in a coup supported by the CIA.
November 22: John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas. His vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President of the United States.
December 12: Kenya becomes independent from the UK.

1964

January 27: France recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China ends diplomatic ties with France on February 10.
March 31–April 1: A military coup d'état removes president João Goulart from power in Brazil.
May 27: Jawaharlal Nehru dies. The Colombian conflict begins.
July 4: The Rhodesian Bush War begins when rebels fight against colonial rule in Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe). Nyasaland (renamed Malawi) becomes independent from the UK.
August 4: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson says North Vietnamese ships attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Later, it is shown that American ships entered North Vietnamese waters first, and the second attack did not happen. The Gulf of Tonkin incident leads to the United States getting involved in the Vietnam War.
September 21: Malta becomes independent from the UK.
September 24: The Mozambican War of Independence begins in Portuguese Mozambique.
October 12: The first spaceflight with a crew of more than one person, Voskhod 1, is launched.
October 14: Leonid Brezhnev becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with Alexei Kosygin as Premier.
October 16: China tests its first atomic bomb, making it the world's fifth nuclear power.
October 24: Northern Rhodesia changes its name to Zambia and becomes independent from the UK.
November 28: Mariner 4 is launched.

1965

February 18: The Gambia becomes independent from the UK.
March 18: Alexei Leonov does the first spacewalk from his spacecraft, Voskhod 2.
April 24: Dominican Civil War: Forces loyal to former President Juan Bosch take over from current leader Donald Reid Cabral.
August 5: The Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 begins.
August 9: Singapore becomes independent after leaving Malaysia.
October 1: Six Indonesian generals are killed in a failed coup try blamed on the Communist Party of Indonesia. Mass killings of people thought to be communists start soon after.
November 1: The Chadian Civil War begins between rebels and the Chadian government.
November 11: The government of Rhodesia, which is mostly white, declares its independence. The British Prime Minister Harold Wilson says this is illegal.
December 4: The Gemini 7 completes its trip around the Earth, the same distance as a trip to the Moon.

1966

January 31: Luna 9 is launched.
February 3: Luna 9 lands on the Moon, the first spacecraft to land softly on another world.
March 1: Venera 3 becomes the first human-made object to hit another planet.
March 10: France leaves NATO's command.
March 11: President Sukarno of Indonesia signs a document giving power to Major General Suharto. Suharto later starts a new government in Indonesia.
May 8: Communist China tests a third nuclear device.
May 26: Guiana becomes independent from the UK.
May 30: Surveyor 1 is launched.
June 2: Surveyor 1 lands on another extraterrestrial body, the first American spacecraft to do so.
August 11: An agreement is signed to end fighting between Indonesia and Malaysia.
September 30: Botswana becomes independent from the UK, after being called Bechuanaland.
October 5: Small fights start in the Korean DMZ between North Korea and South Korea, with the US helping South Korea.
November 30: Barbados becomes independent from the UK.

1967

March 11: The Cambodian Civil War begins with the Samlaut Uprising.
March 12: General Suharto takes over as president of Indonesia from Sukarno. Indonesia changes from being friends with countries like the Soviet Union and China to being friends with western countries like the United States.
April 21: The Hellenic Armed Forces take over Greece in a coup, starting the Greek Junta which stays in power until 1974.
May 18: Yuri Andropov becomes head of the KGB.
May 23: The United Arab Republic blocks a water way called the Straits of Tiran, removes UN peacekeepers, and moves troops to the Sinai Peninsula near Israel.
May 25: A revolt starts in Naxalbari, India, spreading a movement called Maoism that fights against the US and Soviet Union.
May 30: The Nigerian state of Biafra leaves Nigeria and calls itself the Republic of Biafra.
June 5: Israel attacks after aggression from Egypt, starting the Six-Day War.
June 17: China tests its first hydrogen bomb.
July 1: The War of Attrition begins.
July 6: The Nigerian Civil War begins after Biafra leaves Nigeria.
August 8: The Bangkok Declaration is made to stop the communist threat in Southeast Asia. This creates ASEAN.
October 8: Che Guevara is captured in Bolivia by soldiers trained by the US.
October 9: Che Guevara is killed after being captured.
November 29: Robert McNamara says he will leave his job as U.S. Secretary of Defense to become head of the World Bank.

1968

January 30: The Tet Offensive in South Vietnam begins.
March 1: The years of Lead start in Italy with fights between far-right and far-left groups.
March 12: Mauritius becomes independent from the UK.
March 18: The Moro conflict begins in Southern Philippines.
March 30: Johnson stops bombing North Vietnam and says he will not run for re-election.
June 8: The Tet Offensive ends; though the US wins, it shows that the war in Vietnam is hard for the US.
July 1: The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is opened for countries to sign.
July 17: Abdul Rahman Arif, the President of Iraq, is removed from power by a coup by the Iraq Ba'athist Party. This leads to the Ba'athist government in Iraq.
August 20: Changes in Communist Czechoslovakia are stopped by the Soviet Red Army and other Warsaw Pact countries.
September 6: Swaziland becomes independent from the UK.
October 3: Peruvian General Juan Velasco Alvarado takes over from President Fernando Belaunde Terry in a military coup.
October 12: Spanish Guinea (now Equatorial Guinea) becomes independent from Spain.
December 21–27: Apollo 8 is launched, the first trip where people orbit the Moon but do not land on it.

1969

January 20: Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States.
March 2: Border clashes happen between the Soviet Union and China.
March 17: The US starts bombing areas in Cambodia that help Communists.
July 16: Apollo 11 is launched.
July 20: The US lands the first people on the Moon with Apollo 11. The crew is Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
July 24: Apollo 11 returns to Earth.
July 25: Vietnamization starts with the US reducing troops in Vietnam and South Vietnam taking more responsibility for fighting.
September 1: Muammar Gaddafi overthrows the Libyan monarchy and kicks out British and American forces. Libya becomes friendly with the Soviet Union.
September 2: Ho Chi Minh, leader of North Vietnam, dies.
October 21: Siad Barre takes over Somalia in a quiet takeover. He becomes President of Somalia and makes it a one-party communist state called the Somali Democratic Republic.
November 17: Talks about limiting arms between the US and the Soviet Union start in Helsinki.
November 27–December 6: The al-Wadiah War happens between South Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
December 12: A bomb goes off in a bank in Milan, Italy, killing 17 people and hurting 88. This is one of the worst attacks in Italy during the years of lead.

1970s

The 1970s were a time of big changes and tensions between countries. Important events included the end of the Nigerian Civil War and the start of the Bangladesh Liberation War. A U.S. president visited China for the first time. There were also many space missions, like the first spacecraft to land on another planet and the first space station. Leaders changed in many countries, and new nations became independent. This period showed the continuing struggles and shifts in power during the Cold War.

1980s

The 1980s were a time of big changes in the world as the Cold War continued. The United States and the Soviet Union kept having political and military disagreements.

In 1980, important leaders like President Jimmy Carter and Robert Mugabe made big decisions. There were also big events like the boycott of the Moscow Olympics and the start of a war between Iraq and Iran.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan became President of the United States and made strong speeches against the Soviet Union. There were also important moments like the death of President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and big changes in Poland with the Solidarity trade union.

The 1980s kept bringing major world events, with leaders making important decisions and many countries seeing big changes in their governments and policies.

1990s

The 1990s brought big changes as the Cold War ended. In 1990, some countries started to leave the Soviet Union. Lithuania was the first on March 11. Germany became one country again on October 3. By the end of 1990, more nations like Estonia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan also left.

In 1991, more countries left the Soviet Union, including Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. On December 25, Mikhail Gorbachev stepped down as leader of the Soviet Union. The next day, the Soviet Union ended for good. This was the end of the Cold War, leaving the United States as the world's only superpower.