Pre-World War Two

1917
October: Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.
1918-1920
Unsuccessful Allied Intervention in Russian Civil War.
1919
March 15: Lenin creates the Communist International (Comintern) to
promote international revolution.
1922
December 30: Creation of the USSR.
1933
United States begins diplomatic relations with USSR for the first time.
World War Two
1939
August 23: Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact (Non-Aggression Pact): Germany and
Russia agree to divide Poland.
September: Germany and Russia invade Poland.
1940
June 15 16: USSR occupies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania citing security
concerns.
1941
June 22: Operation Barbarossa begins: the German invasion of Russia.
November: US begins lend-lease to USSR.
December 7: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour causing the US to enter the
war.
December 15 18: Diplomatic mission to Russia reveals Stalin hopes to
recover gains made in the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact.
1942
December 12: Soviet-Czech alliance agreed; Czechs agree to co-operate
with the USSR after the war.

1943
February 1: Siege of Stalingrad by Germany ends with Soviet victory.
April 27: USSR breaks off relations with Polish government-in-exile over
arguments about the Katyn Massacre.
May 15: Comintern is closed to appease Soviet allies.
July: Battle of Kursk ends with Soviet victory, arguably the turning point of
the war in Europe.
November 28 December 1: Tehran Conference: Stalin, Roosevelt and
Churchill meet.
1944
June 6: D-Day: Allied forces land successfully in France, opening a second
front which liberates Western Europe before Russia needs to.
July 21: Having liberated east Poland, Russia sets up the Committee of
National Liberation in Lublin to govern it.
August 1 October 2: Warsaw Uprising; Polish rebels attempt to overthrow
Nazi rule in Warsaw; Red Army sits back and allows it to be crushed to
destroy the rebels. August 23: Romania signs armistice with Russia
following their invasion; a coalition government is formed.
September 9: Communist coup in Bulgaria.
October 9 - 18: Moscow Conference. Churchill and Stalin agree percentage
spheres of influence in Eastern Europe.
December 3: Conflict between British and pro-Communist Greek forces in
Greece.
1945
January 1: USSR recognises their communist puppet government in
Poland as the provisional government; US and UK refuse to do so, preferring
the exiles in London.
February 4-12: Yalta summit between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin;
promises are given to support democratically elected governments.
April 21: Agreements signed between newly liberated communist Eastern
nations and USSR to work together.
May 8: Germany surrenders; end of World War Two in Europe.
1945
March: Communist dominated coup in Romania.
July-August: Potsdam Conference between US, UK and USSR.
July 5: US and UK recognise communist dominated Polish government after

it allows some members of the Government-in-exile to join.

August 6: US drops the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima.
1946
February 22: George Kennan sends the Long Telegram advocating
Containment.
March 5: Churchill gives his Iron Curtain Speech.
April 21: Social Unity Party formed in Germany on Stalins orders.
1947
January 1: Anglo-American Bizone formed in Berlin, angers USSR.
March 12: Truman Doctrine announced.
June 5: Marshall Plan aid programme Announced.
October 5: Cominform Founded to organise international communism.
December 15: London Foreign Ministers Conference breaks up without
agreement.
1948
February 22: Communist Coup in Czechoslovakia.
March 17: Brussels Pact Signed between UK, France, Holland, Belgium and
Luxembourg to organise mutual defence.
June 7: Six Power Conference recommends a West German Constituent
Assembly.
June 18: New currency introduced in Western Zones of Germany.
June 24: Berlin Blockade Begins.
1949
January 25: Comecon, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, created to
organise Eastern bloc economies.
April 4: North Atlantic Treaty signed: NATO formed.
May 12: Berlin Blockade lifted.
May 23: Basic Law approved for Federal Republic of Germany (FRG):
Bizone merges with French zone to form new state.
May 30: Peoples Congress approves German Democratic Republic
Constitution in East Germany.
August 29: USSR detonates first atomic bomb.
September 15: Adenauer becomes first Chancellor of Federal Republic of
Germany. October: Communist Peoples Republic of China proclaimed.
October 12: German Democratic Republic (GDR) formed in East Germany.

1950
April 7: NSC-68 finalised in US: advocates a more active, military, policy of
containment and causes a large increase in defence spending.
June 25: Korean War begins.
October 24: Pleven Plan approved by France: rearmed West German
soldiers to be part of a European Defence Community (EDC).