Spheres of Influence in Europe

Background: Post-World War II tensions between the West (USA) and the USSR lead to the establishment of spheres of influence in Europe.

May 1943: Stalin dissolves Comintern, indicating a shift in Soviet foreign policy and the end of direct promotion of international communism.
November 1943:
- Tehran Conference:
  - Discussion on opening a second front through Operation Overlord.
  - Limitations on Western involvement in Eastern Europe.
July 1945:
- Yalta Conference:
  - Agreement to split Germany into "zones of occupation" (Western and Eastern).
  - Establishment of the Allied Control Council (ACC) to govern post-war Germany.
- Successful testing of the Atomic Bomb on 16 July 1945.
- Creation of the United Nations in October 1945 to promote international cooperation.
August 1945:
- Potsdam Conference:
  - Solidification of zones of occupation in Germany, focusing on denazification and demilitarization.

1 January 1947: Creation of Bizonia, a merged economic area consisting of the British and American zones of Germany.
12 March 1947: Truman Doctrine speech launched to counter Soviet expansion.
4 June 1947: Discussion of the Marshall Plan, aimed at the economic recovery of Europe.
July 1947: Molotov Plan, a Soviet initiative to support Eastern European nations as a counter to the Marshall Plan.
October 1947: Formation of Cominform to coordinate communist activities across member parties globally.

February 1948: Establishment of communist governments in:
- Albania
- Romania
- Yugoslavia
- Bulgaria
- Poland
- Hungary
- Czechoslovakia
April 1948: Start of the Marshall Plan in Western Europe to stimulate economic revival.
20 June 1948: Introduction of the Deutsche Mark in the Western zone of Germany.
21 June 1948: Formation of Trizonia, the unification of the American, British, and French zones of Germany.
24 June 1948: Berlin Blockade begins, leading to the Berlin Airlift on the same day as a response by the West.
24 July 1948: Introduction of the East German Mark in the Eastern zone of Germany.

January 1949: Creation of Comecon, aimed at coordinating the economies of communist nations in response to Western initiatives.
4 April 1949: Establishment of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) for collective defense among Western allies.
12 May 1949: End of the Berlin Blockade, a significant cold war standoff.
23 May 1949: Establishment of West Germany (German Federal Republic).
29 August 1949: USSR successfully tests its first nuclear weapon.
7 October 1949: Establishment of East Germany (German Democratic Republic).

16 June 1953:
- Second Berlin Crisis where uprisings in East Germany are suppressed by Soviet and East German troops.
- US responds by implementing an aid program for East Germans to gain support for the West, lasting until October 1953.
9 May 1955: West Germany joins NATO, solidifying its position in the Western alliance.
14 May 1955: Establishment of the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of Eastern European socialist states.
November 1958: Third Berlin Crisis as Khrushchev issues an ultimatum regarding Berlin, which is largely ignored by the West.
February 1959: US installs nuclear weapons in Turkey, increasing tensions during the Cold War.
13 August 1961: Start of the construction of the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West.