Superpower Relations

Tehran Conference

Second front on the West opened, USSR promise to declare war on Japan after Germany defeated, no tension

Yalta Conference

Stalin had negotiating power due to close to Germany so tried to keep land as a buffer zone and wanted forced Polish soviets, Germany to be divided into four zones, Nazis would be hunted and prosecuted, tension increases

Potsdam Conference

Berlin would be in four zones and allies would take reparations from their own zones, Germany would become a democracy, Stalin lied about free elections, Different leaders = Different dynamic = Increased tension

Long Telegram

American in Moscow told the US state department that the USSR was too ambitious and paranoid to co-exist

Greek Civil War

Proxy war with USA supporting monarchists and the USSR supporting the communists

Novikov Telegram

Soviet in Washington told the USSR that the USA was strong and "bent on world domination", so the buffer zone needed to be expanded

Truman Doctrine

Announcement of breaking Isolationist policy (no international interference) and starting a policy of containment of communism

Marshall Plan

$13 billion given to European countries to help them repair without falling to communism so long as they trade with the US

Cominform

Bureau that enforced the Authoritarian aspects of soviet control (e.g. removing opposition, spreading propaganda)

Berlin Blockade

Stalin blocks all road, rail and canal links to West Berlin in an effort to force them into soviet control

Berlin Airlift

Supplies were flew in constantly to West Belin to combat no land access, one plane landed every three minutes

Comecon

Soviet scheme that gave money to Eastern European countries to repair so the Marshall Plan did not lure them in

Castle Bravo

A US dry-fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb with a yield to the equivalent to 15 Megatons of TNT

Warsaw Pact

 An organisation of satellite states protecting each other, in essence the Soviet response to NATO

Secret Speech

Khrushchev denounces Stalin and begins period of De-Stalinization

Hungarian Uprising

Rákosi uses AVH to control, Students hold demonstrations, 12 killed by Soviet tanks, US support pledged, Nagy into power and reforms (Free elections, free speech, freedom of press, western trading) , K agrees to reforms, Nagy wants to withdraw from Warsaw, 200K soldiers and 6K tanks invade, Nagy asks for help but gets none, Hungarian guerrillas defeated in 2 weeks, Nagy arrested and hung, Kadar in power

Berlin Ultimatum

K told the West to leave Berlin within six months as he wanted it to be a demilitarised free city and threatened to sign a deal with East Germany transferring access routes to West Berlin

Cuban Revolution ends

Dictator Fulgencio Batista overthrown and replaced with a socialist government led by Fidel Castro

Geneva Summit (1)

Foreign ministers meet and put forward plans for Berlin and both saw they wanted a peaceful solution

Camp David Summit

E and K meet in the USA, K retracts Berlin ultimatum, showed a positive step toward progress

Paris Summit

Confrontation about U2 spy plane shot down over Russia, weather plane idea fails when pilot admits, K storms out, no nuclear or Berlin decisions made

Vienna Conference

Berlin ultimatum re-instated, JFK stood ground so no promises made, JFK increases nuclear spending to prove dedication to fight for Berlin

Bay of Pigs Incident

Eisenhower chose 1500 Cubans that fled Castro and  trained them to invade and take over the capital so the US could deny involvement in case of failure, JFK removed air support shortly before, Castro became aware of plans and put 20K strong army on high alert, Cubans did not defect during the invasion as expected, invasion lost within 72 hours and exiles were either captured or killed, Cuban confession and international questioning later revealed US involvement

Berlin Wall constructed

Heavily guarded barbed wire fence around West Berlin, aimed to stop the brain drain, attempted escapees shot

Tsar Bomba

Most powerful weapon ever tested, yielded 50 megatons of TNT, purely feat of technical strength with no practical purpose as deemed too dangerous

Cuban Missile Crisis

USA spy planes detects soviet missiles in Cuba, Naval blockade of Cuba put in place and all Soviet ships were checked, DEFCON 3 active and ready to fight within 15 minutes, new photos reveal missiles ready to launch, 15 ships shadowed by a Nuclear submarine hold a standoff at the quarantine line, DEFCON 2 active (highest in US history), 12K troops wait in Florida preparing to invade Cuba, K sends letter asking a promise to not invade Cuba, spy plane shot down and JFK told to bomb Cuba, second letter add removal of Turkish missiles to demands, Nuclear sub hit with depth charges and almost launches nuclear missiles, JFK agrees to second letter

Limited Test Ban Treaty

All forms of nuclear testing prohibited

Outer Space Treaty

Space was only to be used for peaceful purposes, meaning no weapon storage or testing

Prague Spring

Dubcek introduces "socialism with a human face" style reforms

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

International sharing of nuclear technologies banned to prevent another missile crisis

Invasion of Prague

Tanks take position on border, Dubeck promises to remain in Warsaw Pact, Tito visits Dubcek and creates worry for B, B tells Dubcek to reverse reforms but he refuses, 500K troops invade Czechoslovakia, 1K arrested and 170 killed, Dubcek arrested and strict soviet control re-instated

Brezhnev Doctrine

Any countries seen to be "security threats" to Soviet power can be invaded to prevent further defection

SALT 1 -

ICBM ownership limited to 100, five year freeze on missile building, no new missile launchers, Number of ABM deployment areas limited to 2 (for each)

Helsinki Agreements

All but 2 European countries signed to agree on the following baskets: Basket 1 protected borders, Basket 2 encouraged internation economic and technological co-operation, Basket 3 protected basic human rights (not respected by the USSR)

SALT 2 signed

Banned ICBM launchers, Restricted MIRV (ICBM payloads) ownership to 1320 per side, Reduced nuclear delivery vehicles to 2400 per side

Soviets invade Afghanistan

Taraki murdered and replaced with Amin by Mujahideen with holy mission, 50K Soviet troops invaded, Amin shot and replaced with Kamal, USA funds Mujahideen to resist

SALT 2 not ratified

Carter asked the senate not to ratify due to new mistrust of Soviets

Carter Doctrine

Extending influence beyond Persian Gulf would not be tolerated, Rapid deployment force created, Increase CIA espionage, Draft registration called for

Moscow Olympics boycotted

USA and 61 other countries refused to attend and made events look pathetic

SDI launched

Strategic Defence Initiative that comprised of a satellite in space that could use lasers to shoot down and destroy USSR nukes

KAL007 shot down

Korean airline flight drifts from set path into Soviet airspace and gets shot down, All 246 passengers and 23 crew killed including US representative Larry McDonald

Los Angeles Olympic boycotts

USSR and 13 satellite nations refused to attend, costing McDonalds millions as the US had practically no competition

Gorbachev’s new thinking

Glasnost allowed more free speech and less corruption, Perestroika introduced capitalist elements to the economy

Geneva Summit (2)

Met without advisors, Reduced weapon supplies by 50%, established mutual want to improve relations

Reykjavik Summit

USSR removed from Afghanistan, Both limited nuclear testing, G wanted no more SDI but R refused

INF Treaty

All nuclear missiles with a range of 500 to 5500 km were destroyed, prohibited future production or testing, Missile site inspections established

Poland free

Solidarity's banning causes protests, Soviets agree to free elections, Solidarity's Walesa wins

Hungary free

Non-communist government wins free elections, Border opens with Austria for trade and travel

Sinatra Doctrine

Warsaw Pact countries given more freedom

Czechoslovakia free

Hungary and Poland make commies realise power loss, Free elections make Havel (non-c) president, "velvet revolution"

Romania free

Protests become revolt, Ceausescu shoots protests, military defect and overrun commie HQ, Leader and wife executed, Free elections held

Bulgaria free

Mladenov resigns and free elections held, renamed commies win democratically

Coup in Moscow

Hard-line commies try to take over, G becomes incapacitated so Yeltsin is able to take control and dissolve the USSR before Gorbachev's official resignation

End of USSR

Yeltsin dissolves on 17/12, Gorb resigns on 25/12