Cold War Timeline (1945-1962)

Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945)

The “Big Three” gathered in Russia to discuss the USSR’s participation in the Pacific War and the fate of Eastern European nations. The US and UK agreed for the USSR to create non-hostile states in the region to prevent another invasion. The USSR was promised control of Manchuria if they helped invaded Japan while they pledged to hold free elections for the later elections of the Eastern European Nations. France was also agreed to be another permanent member of the UN.

 

VE Day (May 8, 1945)

Germany officially surrendered to the Soviets after the suicide of the Adolf Hitler.

 

Potsdam Conference (July, 1945)

Berlin was split into four zones of occupation between the “Big Three” and France. The death of President Roosevelt brought changes to policy with Truman, who disagreed with the solutions of the USSR. They opposed the Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe and tried to reduce the punishment on Germany to prevent a reoccurrence of extremist ideologies. Germany was to be demilitarized and a declaration to destroy Japan was created, although the USSR was left out of it. President Truman first mentioned to US development of atomic bombs to Stalin, who already knew about them.

 

The Dropping of Atomic Bombs (August 6/9, 1945)

The US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to demonstrate the strength of their arsenal to the USSR. They also hoped for the atomic bombings to get Japan to surrender before the Soviet invasion to prevent the increase of their territory.

 

Soviet Invasion on Manchukuo (August 8, 1945)

The USSR invaded Japanese territory as planned, right before the second atomic bombing.

 

VJ Day (August 15, 1945)

Japan surrendered due to the participation of Soviets in August 14. The emperor officially made the speech the next day.

 

Soviet Spying Discovered (September 5, 1945)

It was revealed how the Soviets had spies in both US and Canada, with the primary target being information on the atomic bombs.

 

The Division of Korea (September 8, 1945)

The US occupied what is now South Korea while the Soviets occupied what is now North Korea.

 

Ratification of the UN Charter (October, 1945)

The US contributed to the creation of an improved League of Nations, this time with the inclusion of important states and a revised system.

Stalin’s Speech (February 9, 1946)

Joseph Stalin makes a considerably hostile speech in the national radio, stating how another war was inevitable due to how Communism and Capitalism are incompatible.

 

Ho Chi Minh elected president of North Vietnam (March 2, 1946)

 

Churchill’s Speech (March 5, 1946)

Winston Churchill, no longer prime minister of Britain, makes a speech in the US opposing Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe. This influences the perspective of the US and its allies.

 

Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947)

This doctrine shaped much of the US policy during the Cold War, with the priority of “containing” Communism.

 

Communist Take-Over in Czechoslovakia (February 25, 1948)

Backed by the Soviets, the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia gained power and began a dictatorship lasting for decades. This was the last republic in Eastern Europe that was defeated by Soviet expansion.

 

Marshall Plan (April 3, 1948)

The US planned to help rebuild Europe after the war, and the Marshall Plan came into effect in 1948. The economic aiding lasted four years.

 

Berlin Blockade Begins (June 24, 1948)

The Soviets begin blocking Western ground transportation into Berlin. The US and its allies began the Berlin Airlift during the blockade’s duration to maintain the supply of resources for the Germans.

 

NATO Ratified (April 4, 1949)

This coalition was created as opposition to the Soviet Union, consisting of the US and many of its Western allies.

 

Berlin Blockade Ends (May 12, 1949)

The Soviets gave up their blocking efforts due to the success of the airlift operations.

 

Soviet’s First Atomic Bombs (August 26, 1949)

The USSR tested their first atomic bomb.

 

Creation of PROC (October 1, 1949)

Communist Mao Zedong took control of China and established the People’s Republic of China. Chiang Kai-shek moved to Taiwan in December to continue the Republic of China.

 

US Begins H-Bomb Development (January 30, 1950)

Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb in response to the Soviet’s growing arsenals of weapons of mass destruction. The NSC-68 document was also created, stating how competition against Communism was of highest priority.

 

Korean War Begins (June 24, 1950)

The USSR supported North Korea with equipment to attack South Korea. This would be one of the first major conflicts between the two superpowers throughout the Cold War.

 

Korean War Ends (July 27, 1953)

Both sides of the war stopped fighting when an armistice was signed.

 

Vietnam Split into North and South (July, 1954)

 

Creation of the Warsaw Pact (May, 1955)

The Soviets gathered all its communist allies to support against NATO. These become the two main sides of the Cold War led by each superpower.

 

The Initial Space Race (1957-1958)

The US and USSR began competing into sending crafts into space over these two years. The competition didn’t end there, as more developed spacecraft were later made.

 

Cuba Taken Over by Fidel Castro (January, 1959)

Fidel Castro took over Cuba from the puppet government set by the US.

 

Cuba Allies with USSR and its Policies (December 19, 1960)

 

Construction of Berlin Wall Begins (August 17, 1961)

 

US Involvement in Vietnam (1962)

The US got more involved in the Vietnamese conflict with more troops and air support for South Vietnam.

 

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

The world nearly got destroyed in a nuclear conflict. The USSR was sending nuclear missiles to Cuba in response to the US missiles in strategic locations like Turkey. The US discovered the transporting and set up a blockade. The tensions escalated quickly until an agreement of the removal of missiles for both sides.

Were the two atomic bombings of Japan justified?

For decades have the American children been taught that the two atomic bombings of Japan were needed for reasons such as preventing a potential major loss of more American troops. They would say that it won the war- that it ended World War II. The United States being the first nation to drop a weapon of mass destruction wasn’t agreed by many, as it had potential to ruin the public image of the nation. The amount of deaths and destructions caused by the two atomic bombs weren’t leagues above other mass murders, but their justification was heavily debated upon due to the threat those posed to world peace in the near future. The most popular and perhaps the only justification for the use of these weapons was to prevent a potential high-casualty invasion that was required to end the war. The calculated numbers varied from a quarter to one whole million. If this reason was to be challenged, then the only atomic bombings on a foreign nation may have been one of the biggest celebrated crimes in American history. Based on evidence that took decades to be declassified for the public, the justification for the two atomic bombings of Japan became moot, as it the actions were actually unnecessary for ending the war. After looking over the effects of the atomic bombings, it would be necessary to view both historical perspectives to determine whether those were justified.

Many can already visualize a bright, eye-burning light, and then followed by a colossal mushroom cloud with an expanding ring from either an aerial view or from a distance. These can be present in war films, usually shown briefly before the celebration of VJ Day. Those documentaries would’ve also done a great service had they shown pictures not just of ruined buildings, but also ruined people. There wouldn’t be much to see from ashes within the radius of the impact zone, as the people were granted a quicker, inevitable death from burning. The rest of the victims’ statuses are in a hierarchy based on the distance from the impact zone. Basically the closer you are, the less likely you are to survive. Some can face severe burning but still survive. They’ll then be greeted by radiation. Others can be spared from burning but still face physical injuries like all before. Some that were affected weren’t even born yet, although they may not have been given birth either. The last victims would be the unfortunate ones that came back too early, therefore also affected by radiation. The radiation would cause a wide diversity of mental and physical illnesses or simply death within weeks. The physical injuries add disabilities or mutilations of the body. The deformed victims would either die soon or live long enough to suffer discrimination while trying to lead life ordinarily. These events were terrible for the victims, and at least ten of them suffered both bombings. For Japan as a whole, the nation lost two cities and many lives. The effects of radiation poisoning had long-term effects that killed more and created more birth defects over the decades.

 

The United States President Harry S. Truman justified the bombings with an estimate of the amount of lives it would take for a land invasion on Japan. The results of the estimates were merely given, and rose from 400,000 casualties all the way to a whole million towards the end of the 1940s. That was of course right when an advocate must defend his or her actions- right when the controversies rise. The bombs, their capabilities, and psychological effects were seen as necessary to make the honor-bound Japan surrender. The Japanese acts of bravery and brutality were present in their policies of no surrendering, and the American public was well aware of that. It was supposed that Japan wouldn’t surrender easily, and they indeed lived up to their honor with the first atomic bomb. The second one sealed the deal. All seemed well, as the sacrifice of a few hundred thousand people in the dense area of just two cities seemed a better option than the sacrifice of a “so-called million” American lives and added Japanese defenders across their island.

 

All would be well after VJ day, except when the Cold War began with the threat of a nuclear war actually being a thing to worry about. So the introduction of the weapon of mass destruction actually did bring consequences that the public was allowed to know about. This conflict between the US and the USSR would not begin after WWII, but before the end of it- including the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The justification for the atomic bombs was the threat of the loss of more American lives. The only way to challenge that argument would be to show an alternative. It should already be a widely accepted consensus that no one would use an atomic bomb if he or she doesn’t need to. And not surprisingly, an alternative does exist… although unfortunately in form of the USSR. This shaky relationship of mistrust between the Allies existed all the way from the beginning, and there was apparently no reason for the Americans to break the “cold” barrier now. (Hehe, get it?) As the Germans were already defeated, the Soviets would be able to direct a large portion of the army into Asia, and they were perhaps the biggest force to be reckoned with. Let battle-hardened Russians fight the battle-hardened Japanese, and Stalin would achieve victory with sheer number, resources, and force. That’s not to say that much effort was required, as the US were already able to drop napalms all the way to Japan. Indiscriminate bombing were common throughout WWII and generally frowned upon. Those alone easily killed more than the two atomic bombs, but the mighty nukes were no exceptions to indiscriminate bombing. Back to the USSR, some evidence revealed that Japan would absolutely surrender if the Soviets joined the fight. It should be understood that all their glorious sacrifices were made for their emperor, and they would definitely not want to lose him now. Perhaps the Americans might spare him, but the Russians had a good record with killing Tsars (or at least one). Japan actually may have wanted to surrender already, as many sane people would also choose the same. However, the US wanted an unconditional surrender. They may not have mentioned it, but the Japanese took no risks in preserving the emperor. The Russians would drive them to an unconditional surrender, and perhaps the emperor would still have a chance. The USSR was also promised Manchuria if they helped fight Japan. To please their anti-Communist meter, the Americans decided to end the war as soon as possible without the help of Russians. As they were already dropping napalms over Japan, it was time to select the biggest, baddest bombs. Noting that Japan would surrender either with an invasion from the Soviets or a condition for preserving the emperor, the US went ahead and dropped the first one anyways. The US in fact tried their best to keep the Soviets away from this. After the first drop, Japan did not surrender due to their zealous love towards the emperor. However, evidence revealed that it was possible that they weren’t all that bothered by the atomic bomb. With all their worry of Russians, there was not one single talk of that mushroom cloud over the horizon. If the lives of thousands didn’t matter to the Japanese strength determination, then it was probably unnecessary for the bomb to be dropped. They went ahead and dropped the second one. The Soviets then invaded Manchuria and Japan surrendered. Stalin also displayed interest in these cool, new bombs that the Americans had…

 

So perhaps things could’ve been worse. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of American lives would’ve been lost, but it was difficult to put trust in the unexplained estimates of the casualties. President Truman defended such with a few hundred thousand possible casualties all the way to a million by the end of the decade, in what seemed like a desperate attempt to save face. Recent documents then showed that the Americans developed the bombs only to intimidate and oppose the Russians. The Russians then went ahead and built more for mighty Stalin. But even if the costs of an invasion may be high, the rivalry between the Americans and Russians blocked a perfect alternative. Had the Americans allowed Russia to invade, causing Japan to surrender, they would’ve saved two atomic bombs. They might even be able to keep the development of those weapons in secret, giving them leverage later in the Cold War. Being a victim of an atomic bomb was terrible. These actions displayed some of the US’s first cruelties in other nations for another “greater” cause, usually against Communism. From a moral standpoint, no war or actions of war is justified. From the same standpoint, choosing to drop two atomic bombs over a more passive alternative is also wrong. The calculations given by Truman were difficult to trust. The nukes were not necessary to end the war. Terrible deaths and generations of defects could’ve been prevented. The two atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not justified.

Was WWII preventable through diplomacy during the 1938 Munich Crisis?

(Irrelevant Prologue)
Another interesting question would be whether if WWII was even preventable through force during the same crisis. According to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, no- not possible. Even if the military was prepared (in which he said wasn't), the people weren't prepared, or rather, unwilling to act. It was simply impossible to overthrow Germany before the war expand globally. No matter how naive he may seem in proclaiming "peace for our time" after the Munich Crisis, his actions were understandable; not everyone is a genious "know-it-all" that knew the perfect, unbiased solution- not even Winston Churchill. But even if Chamberlain failed, was diplomacy a plausible solution for the crisis? Winston Churchill made a statement where war was inevitable after the nations failed to act at the first sign of Hitler's aggression, which was nearly a decade ago. Now, with us knowing how Hitler already decided for war from early on, appeasement, the policy of concession used by Chamberlain, was agreed universally not to work in this situation. Hitler wouldn't stop until Germany was redeemed- an all or nothing future with unknown boundaries, confirmed to at least include conquering the USSR and much of Europe. To be clear, Chamberlain was naive on believing he achieved peace, but the reason for diplomacy wasn't.

Diplomacy is the action of negotation between states which would avoid aggression. The Munich Crisis took place in 1938- WWII started a year later. Diplomacy appeared to have failed in this case, but would direct opposition have prevented the war? The Allies, especially Britain, were passionate about keeping the peace for their own nations. WWII was not preventable through any rational action in diplomacy, due to the fact that Hitler was already bent on a war. In fact, it's unknown if WWII was even preventable by 1938. A direct opposition at the Munich Crisis would merely start the war much earlier, with no plausible means for either the Allies or Axis to win before escalation. It's important to understand a Chamberlain's reasons, opposition, and Hitler's intentions. However, it should also be clear how such topic involves "alternate history", and until we were shown a simulation, we would know not of the infinite possibilities.

Chamberlain defended his actions at Munich with the support of public opinion and military ability of Britain. He made it clear how the people of Britain feared another war. Many historians and Winston Churchill himself stated how war was no longer preventable by 1938, as the Western nations failed to act at Hitler's first grab for power. Hitler secretly declared how he was going full on in a glorious all-or-nothing conflict. However, as the topic is about preventing WWII, Churchill's means of direct action would be irrelevant, as it would only kick start the war earlier. Hitler had plans to attack, and as made clear in one of his speeches that it was to be carried out as soon as possible. If appeasement and direct opposition wasn't going to work, then there would be one last way it would work. The point is that there was no rational, diplomatic way to respond, and that's why the only way to prevent any war would absolute concession. One would have to lose the war before it began, therefore preventing WWII. It's absolutely irrational and unrealistic to just surrender and end a state just like that, but it answers the EQ. As stated before, there was no rational way for diplomacy by the time of 1938, especially after Hitler's Germany already militarized. Of course, one can read a few of Hitler's works and understand things a little better before the assumption of "peace for our time".