Events between 1945 - 1949

Events

Yalta Conference

February 1945

Division of Germany & Eastern Europe - argue over influence, USSR will fight Japan after Germany surrender.

Potsdam Conference

July 1945

Truman, Stalin, Churchill/Atlee. Eastern Europe control to USSR (troops), how Germany is treated, reparations.

USA Atomic bomb test

July 1945

Iron Curtain Speech

March 1946

Missouri USA: Encourage Anti-Communism, "world policeman" role to US.

Truman Doctrine

March 1947

"Containment" - money, supplies, equipment to fight communism.

Marshal Plan

June 1947

George Marshall (secretary of state) to Europe, USA owned $11.5 billion, Europe is a mess, so in December 1947 Truman asks congress for $13+ billion - congress decline.

Cominform

October 1947

Co-ordinate communist parties of Eastern Europe, (Stalin controlled).

Trizonia

March 1948

France, GB & USA join together (goes against Yalta Conference).

Marshal Plan Approved

April 1948

New Currency

23rd June 1948

Trizonia introduces Deutschmark - devalues Reichsmark

Berlin Blockade

24th June 1948

USSR shuts down borders to 2.5 million people.

Berlin Airlift

27th June 1948

USA fly 2.3 million tons of supplies in, plane every 3 minutes, for 11 months.

Comecon

January 25, 1949

Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, East Germany = Trading group - Communist control over currency, raw materials, trade (USSR need excuse to get cheap supplies).

NATO

April 1949

USA, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK: USA can put A-bombs next to USSR, use Europe troops, influence "too keep peace" = very threatening to USSR.

West Germany created (FRG)

23rd May 1949

USSR test Atomic bomb

August 1949

China goes Communist (PRC)

October 1, 1949

USA does not recognise it as offical Govt, so communicates with capitalist Taiwan.

East Germany created (GDR)

October 1949