H Superpower Relations

Tehran Conference

1943

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

Yalta Conference

January-February 1945

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

July-August 1945

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

1946

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

Greek Civil War

1946

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

Novikov Telegram

1946

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

1947

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

Marshall Plan

1947

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

Cominform

From 1947

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

Berlin Blockade

June 1948 - May 1949

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

Berlin Airlift

June 1948 - September 1949

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

Comecon

From 1949

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

Castle Bravo

1954

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

Warsaw Pact

1955 - 1991

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

Secret Speech

1956

Khrushchev denounces Stalin and begins period of De-Stalinization

Hungarian Uprising

1956

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

1958 - 1959, 1961 -

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

1959

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

Geneva Summit (1)

1959

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

Camp David Summit

1959

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

Paris Summit

1960

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

1961

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

1961

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

1961

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

Tsar Bomba

1961

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

1963

1. USA spy planes detects soviet missiles in Cuba

2. Naval blockade of Cuba put in place and all Soviet ships were checked

3. DEFCON 3 active and ready to fight within 15 minutes

4. New photos reveal missiles ready to launch

5. 15 ships shadowed by a Nuclear submarine hold a standoff at the quarantine line

6. DEFCON 2 active (highest in US history)

7. 12K troops wait in Florida preparing to invade Cuba

8. K sends letter asking a promise to not invade Cuba

9. Spy plane shot down and JFK told to bomb Cuba

10. Second letter add removal of Turkish missiles to demands,

11. Nuclear sub hit with depth charges and almost launches nuclear missiles,

12. JFK agrees to second letter

Limited Test Ban Treaty

1963

All forms of nuclear testing prohibited

Outer Space Treaty

1967

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

Prague Spring

1968

Dubcek introduces "socialism with a human face" style reforms

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

1968

International sharing of nuclear technologies banned to prevent another missile crisis

Invasion of Prague

1968

1. Tanks take position on border,

2. Dubcek promises to remain in Warsaw Pact

3. Tito visits Dubcek and creates worry for B

4. B tells Dubcek to reverse reforms but he refuses

5. 500K troops invade Czechoslovakia

6. 1K arrested and 170 killed

7. Dubcek arrested and strict soviet control re-instated

Brezhnev Doctrine

From 1968

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

SALT 1

1972

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

1975

All but 2 European countries signed to agree on the following baskets:

Basket 1 protected borders

Basket 2 encouraged international economic and technological co-operation (excluding weaponry)

Basket 3 protected basic human rights (not respected by the USSR)

SALT 2 signed

1979

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

Soviets invade Afghanistan

1979

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

1980

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

Carter Doctrine

From 1980

Extending influence beyond Persian Gulf would not be tolerated

Rapid deployment force created

Increase CIA espionage

Draft registration called for

Moscow Olympics boycotted

1980

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

SDI launched

1983

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

KAL007 shot down

1983

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

1984

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

Gorbachev’s new thinking

From 1985

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

Geneva Summit (2)

1985

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

Reykjavik Summit

1986

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

INF Treaty

1987

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

Poland free

1989

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

Hungary free

1989

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

Sinatra Doctrine

From 1989

Warsaw Pact countries given more freedom

Czechoslovakia free

1989

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

Romania free

1990

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

Bulgaria free

1991

Mladenov resigns and free elections held, renamed commies win democratically

Coup in Moscow

1991

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

1991

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

USA Presidents 1943 - 1991

• Roosevelt (FDR)

• Truman

• Eisenhower

• Kennedy

• Johnson

• Nixon

• Ford

• Carter

• Reagan

• Bush (HW)

USSR Secretaries 1943 - 1991

• Stalin

• Malenkov

• Khrushchev

• Brezhnev

• Andropov

• Chernenko

• Gorbachev