end of wwii/coldwar

VE Day

May 8, 1945, marking the official surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.

VJ Day

August 15, 1945, when Japan announced its surrender, officially ending World War II.

Main discussions/outcomes at Yalta

February 1945 meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to plan post-war Europe, including dividing Germany into occupation zones and forming the United Nations.

Main discussions/outcomes at Potsdam

July 1945 meeting between Truman, Stalin, and Churchill (later Attlee) to finalize post-war Europe decisions, including Japan’s unconditional surrender and handling of Germany.

Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech

A 1946 speech warning about Soviet expansion and the division of Europe between democratic and communist states.

US Occupation of Japan

The period from 1945 to 1952 when the U.S. led the reconstruction and democratization of Japan under General Douglas MacArthur.

UN established

October 24, 1945, creation of the United Nations to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts.

Nuremberg War Trials

Series of trials from 1945-1946 where Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Tokyo War Trials

1946-1948 military tribunals prosecuting Japanese leaders for war crimes, similar to the Nuremberg Trials.

Truman Doctrine

1947 U.S. policy to provide military and economic aid to countries resisting communism, beginning with Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

A 1948-1952 U.S. program providing economic aid to rebuild Western European economies after World War II.

The Long Telegram

A 1946 message by U.S. diplomat George Kennan that outlined the Soviet Union’s expansionist nature and influenced the U.S. containment policy.

National Security Act

A 1947 law that restructured the U.S. military, creating the Department of Defense, the CIA, and the National Security Council.

Berlin Blockade

A 1948 Soviet blockade of West Berlin, preventing supplies from reaching the city in an attempt to force Western powers out.

Berlin Airlift

The U.S. and Allied response to the Berlin Blockade, supplying West Berlin via air transport for nearly a year.

NATO formed

The 1949 creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance among Western nations to counter Soviet influence.

Communist victory in China

The 1949 triumph of Mao Zedong’s Communist forces over Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists, leading to the formation of the People’s Republic of China.

American post-war economy boom

The period of rapid economic growth and consumer expansion in the U.S. after World War II.

Beginning of McCarthyism

Early 1950s period of anti-communist hysteria in the U.S., led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, involving aggressive investigations and accusations.

Start of the Korean War

June 25, 1950, when North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, leading to U.S. and UN intervention.

Baby Boom

The significant increase in births between 1946 and 1964 due to post-war prosperity and family growth.

Dr. Spock’s book on childcare

The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946), which influenced parenting styles in the post-war era.