CHAPTER 5: A new geopolitical situation, bipolarisation, decolonisation and the emergence of the Third World (1950s, 1960s)

April 14th 1955 to April 18th 1955

Bandung Conference

1 - 6 September 1961

Belgrade Conference

October 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

1911 Revolution

Established the 1^st Republic of China (1911 – 1949)

1^st October 1949

Mao Revolution that puts an end to the Republic and beginning of communism. Mao became the leader of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and creation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Mao wanted to follow a 3^rd way policy between a capitalist and a communist regime (communist collectivism with a one party dictatorship)

24 October 1951

17 point agreement

1949

Chinese Civil War

1949 – 1958

Program of industrial modernisation of China + 1^st  5 year plan implemented in 1953

1950

Alliance treaty with Stalin

1958 – 1962

“Great Leap Forward” policy

1958 – 1963

Sino-Soviet Split

1960s

Development of the military power + growing influence on neighbouring countries which led to the Sino-Soviet Conflict (1965)

1964

Nuclear Bomb developed as the project 596

1966 – 1969

Cultural Revolution => wanted to modernise by giving up all traditions and repression of anti-communist people

5^th of March 1953

Death of Stalin. It accelerated negotiations in Korea and opened a succession crisis at the head of the Soviet communist party. Kruschev became the leader of USSR in 1956.

1949 USSR

USSR 1^st successful atomic bomb in Kazakhstan => consolidated USSR’s block

1955

Warsaw Pact (military organisation of the Eastern Block)

21 July 1969

2 American astronauts walked on the moon for the 1^st time, event broadcasted live on TV all across the world => strengthen US

1962 – 1975

Détente —> relaxation of the relation between US and USSR through verbal communication

1972 Germany

Willy Brandt, chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany, was the 1^st to recognise German Democratic Republic => Ospolitik = politic of Détente

July – August 1975

Last Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in Helsinki, signature of the Helsinki Agreements => principles to establish security in Europe, promote cooperation, respect of existing borders, right of people to self-determination, non-interference in states’ external affairs.

2 September 1945

Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Viet Minh) with Hanoi as capital the day of Japanese troops withdrawal

1949

Independence of Laos

1953

Independence of Cambodia

March – May 1954

Departure of French Forces

21^st of July 1954

Geneva Accords => Indochina = 3 independent countries Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia, end of Indochina War

1955 – 1963

Presidency of Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam

1960

Creation of Viet-Cong/ NLF (National Liberation Front) in order to stop Diem and his government

January 1963

NLF won Ap Bac Battle

February 1963

Start of the American implication because they feared the spread of rapid communism on South-East Asia => Domino theory + most important years 1963 – 1968

November 1963

A small part of the South Vietnamese army murdered Diem. Assassination backed by CIA but without JFK’s consent

August 1964

Gulf of Tonkin main assault

March 1965

1^st American troop sent ≈200 000 troops sent by the end of the year => block the access to the Ho Chi Minh Trail, communication and attack

1965 – 1968

US army intensified bombing in North Vietnam and used 2 chemicals (napalm and agent orange) causing massive fires and terror

31^st of January 1968

Tet Offensive

27^th of January 1973

Paris Peace Agreement but the war continued for 2 years between different Vietnamese factions