Final answer:
The Cold War was marked by the division of Europe, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Iron Curtain speech, and the Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. Four key events that led to the Cold War include:
- The Yalta Conference (1945): At this conference, held near the end of World War II, the leaders of the United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain met to discuss the post-war division of Europe. It marked the beginning of mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union, as disagreements arose over the future of Poland.
- The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings (1945): The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States caused shock and fear among the Soviet Union and its allies. This led to an arms race and an increase in tensions between the two superpowers.
- The Iron Curtain speech (1946): In a speech delivered by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he described the division of Europe into two parts, with Western Europe falling under the influence of the United States and Eastern Europe becoming part of the Soviet bloc. This further deepened the divide between the two sides.
- The Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949): In response to the Western powers' introduction of a new currency in Berlin, the Soviet Union blocked all land access to West Berlin, hoping to force the Allies to abandon the city. In response, the United States and its allies organized a massive airlift to supply the people of West Berlin. This event solidified the division of Germany and heightened tensions.