America’s Cold War

WW II ends with Japanese surrender

Sep 2, 1945

Aboard the USS Missouri, Douglas MacArthur accepts the Japanese surrender on Sept. 2, 1945. The Cold War between the US and USSR is poised to start

America and the Cold War

Period: Sep 2, 1945 to Dec 22, 1990

Marshall plan helps rebuild Europe

Jan 20, 1948

George Marshall, US Secretary of State, comes up with a plan to help rebuild Europe, especially Western Europe, to help contain the spread of communism

Soviets have their own atomic bomb

Mar 20, 1949

China falls to Communism under Mao Zedong

Mar 20, 1949

Truman is accused of “losing China” to Communism, as the US did nothing when Mao Zedong took over. This now creates more fear that Communism is indeed spreading, having now spread to Asia

Korean War starts

Jun 25, 1950

McCarthyism and Red Scare

Jan 20, 1953

Korean War Ends 1953

Jul 20, 1953

Berlin Wall built by Soviets

Jan 20, 1961

JFK presidency 1961-63

Jan 21, 1961

Bay of Pigs invasion fails

Apr 16, 1961

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 21, 1962

Vietnam war 1963-1973

Jan 20, 1963

Richard Nxon becomes President

Jan 20, 1969

Ronald Reagan Cold War President 1980-88

Jan 20, 1981

Berlin Wall falls

Sep 20, 1989

Communism falls apart in USSR

Dec 20, 1990