A Period of Transition

By rywill

  • The Truman Doctrine (Cold War)

    Truman asked for $400 million in military and economic assistance for Greece and Turkey. It also would guide U.S. diplomacy for the next 40 years. (Truman Doctrine).

  • The Marshall Plan (Cold War)

    It was an extension of the Truman Doctrine. Any country who wants aid to have free elections and self government will receive money from the US. (Marshall Plan).

  • Loyalty Review Board (Cold War)

    This board investigated 3.2 million federal employees, after which 2,900 resigned, and 212 were fired. The board was investigating the employees to see whether they were communists.

  • Brussels Pact (Cold War)

    This treaty organized to protect Europe from communism. It led to the creation of a defense union called the Western European Union, similar to NATO excluding the US and Canada. (Brussels Pact)

  • Berlin Airlift (Cold War)

    Soviets created a blockade wround Berlin, so the US decided to fly supplies in by air. As a result NATO was created (1949) for Democratic countries and the Warsaw Pact was created by the Soviets for Eastern European countries.

  • Mao Zedong ( Cold War)

    Communist Mao Zedong takes control of China and establishes the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek moved to formosa to create the Nationalist government.

  • Korean War (Cold War)

    Stalin supports North Korea who invades South Korea using weapons provided by the Soviets. The US gave soldiers and aid along with the UN to the South Koreans and were able to push North Korea back to the 38th parrallel.

  • McCarran Internal Security Act (Cold War)

    This required members of Communist organizations to register with the Attorney General. People found participating in "subversive" or "totalitarian" groups would be detained and could lose citizenship. (Internal Security Act).

  • Creation of Hydrogen Bomb(Cold War)

    This was 100x bigger than the atom bomb, and was created in preparation for an attack by the Soviet Union.

  • Overthrow in Cuba (Cold War)

    Cuba was a prime spot for the Soviets to have an aircraft base. Fulgencio Batista was not communist, so the US liked him, but Fidel Castro successfully rose to power, and was Communist, and a threat to the US.

  • Iranian Coup (Cold War)

    There was a coup in Iran because Shah Pahlavi (in power at the time) supported the US. After the coup, Prime Minister Mossadeq took over and had communist notions. The CIA staged a coup to put Pahlavi back in power.

  • Guatemalan Coup (Cold War)

    Jacob Guzman was elected into office in 1952 but had Socialist tendencies. After nationalizing the land in Guatemalo, the CIA organized rebels and had them ovethrow Guzman.

  • Supreme Court Case Brown vs. Board of Education (Civil Rights)

    Case overrules Plessy vs. Ferguson and declares segregation unconstitutional and illegal. It kicks off the civil rights movement and begins the desegregation of schools. It is the first event that makes civil rights a Federal concern. (Notes)

  • The Geneva Conference (Vietnam)

    It was held to resolve problems in Indochina. First, was the two state solution, in which there would be a Communist North Vienam, and Democratic South Vietnam. There would also be a two year deadline for elections, which were held to unify Vietnam under a common government.

  • The death of Emmett Till (Civil Rights)

    The brutal death of Emmett Till brought light to the brutality of Jim Crow segragation laws and helped to accelerate and fuel the early civil rights movement. (Class notes)

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott (Civil Rights)

    Starts on Dec. 1 with elderly black women Rosa Parks resuing to give up her seat to a white man. Gained huge support from the black community who boycotted the bus for over three hundred days until they succeded and the buses were desegregated.(CNN)

  • Civil Rights Act of 1957 (Civil Rights)

    The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was first drafted in 1957 and established a federal commision on civil rights as well as a civil rights division in the justice department to help enforce civil rights laws. It enlarged federal power to protect voting rights but was largely unsuccesful in granting blacks thier votes.

  • Eisenhower Doctrine (Cold War)

    Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another state. (Eisenhower Doctrine).

  • The Desegregation Of Little Rock Highschool (Civil Rights)

    It was the first high school to be desegregated in Arkansas. Nine students were integrated into the school against governor Faubus will. Federal troops intervene and guarantee the students placement. It was the beginning of educational desegreation and showed the federal governments power to enforce its laws. It also brought media attention onto the civil rights movement. (Class notes)

  • Creation of the National Liberation Front (Vietcong) (Vietnam)

    They opposed President Diem (of South Vietnam) and opposed the US getting involved. They used the same guerilla tactics that defeated the French. (PBS)

  • The Sit-in Movements (Civil Rights)

    first Sit in Movement occured in Greensboro N.C. at the woolworth Lunch Counter. These movements challenged segreagtion by simply sitting and asking for food. They showed the power of non violent resistance and helped the formation of the SNCC to would look to accelerate the pace of change. (class notes)

  • U-2 Incident (Cold War)

    At the Geneva summit, Eisenhower met with Khrushchev to discuss that the air is open. Krushchev disagreed because the Soviets did not have the technology to fly over the US, but Eisenhower continues with his plan regardless. A U-2 aircraft was shot down, meaning the Soviets could shoot down planes.

  • Bay of Pigs (Cold War)

    Eisenhower wanted to use American Cubans to launch an attack on Cuba. Kennedy was elected and created a covert mission to train Cubans in Florida to invade Cuba, but it went terribly wrong.(cold War)

  • Freedom Rides of 1961 (Civil Rights)

    The first Freedom ride left Washington D.C. on May 4 1961. Their goal was to bring the Civil Rights movement to the south and confront southern resistance to desegregation. Howver their success was halted in the south due to violence and police actions

  • Operation Ranch Hand (Vietnam)

    Objective was to clear away trees and vegetation away. This Operation was developed to make it more difficult for the Vietcong to hide themselves for surprise attacks on American troops. Agent Orange and other herbicides were used to kill the plants. (Operations Ranch Hand).

  • Operation Chopper (Vietnam)

    This is America's first combat missions against the Vietcong. U.S. helicopters brought 1,000 Vietnamese soldiers to fight a National Liberation Front near Saigon. (PBS)

  • Birmingham Campaign (Civil Rights)

    Organized by the SCLC and followed the same model as the Montgomery Bus boycott. it was initailly unsuccesful due lack of support and police resistance but gained huge amounts of support from young students as the campaign went on. (CNN)

  • March on Washington (Civil Rights)

    250,000 protestors gathered on the National mall and demanded the desegregation of federal facilities and equal access to jobs and opportunities. the vent was widely televised and gsined the support of the american people.(class notes)

  • 24th Amendment (Civil Rights)

    This amendment outlawed poll taxes in federal elections and therefore opened voting to many more people who were held back by the tax. (Class notes)

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Civil Rights)

    Signed on July 2 of 1964 this act banned discrimination in employment and public accomodations. It also enlarged federal power to protect voting rights and speed up desegregation. The Equal Employment opportunity commision was also created to ensure fair treatment in employment.(Class notes)

  • Attack of USS Maddox (Vietnam)

    The U.S.S. Maddox is fired on fired on. A retaliation against North Vietnam is ordered by President Johnson. American jets bomb two naval bases, and destroy a major oil facility. (PBS)

  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Vietnam)

    The US congress passes the gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving Lyndon Johson the power to take whatever actions he feels necesary to defend souhteast Asia.

  • Chinese Nuclear Testing (Vietnam)

    North vietnams neighbor and allie succesfully test a nuclear bomb severly increasin tensions in the Vietnam War and putting an even greater risk on American Soldiers and southeast Asia.

  • Operation Rolling Thunder (Vietnam)

    President Johson authorizes Operation Rollin Thunder, a long bombing offensive aimed on stopping North Vietnam from supporting the Vietcong in the south. (PBS)

  • Selma to Montgomery March (Civil Rights)

    Began on March 7th and was a 54 mile march to protest efforts that were made to stop black voters. March 7th is known as Bloody sunday were 500 marchers gathered and were beaten by state troopers. The beatings were televised and shifted the national opinion in support of the blacks. It also led to the introduction of the Voting rights act to Congress.(class notes)

  • Battle of Ia Drang Valley (Vietnam)

    The objective was to fight the North Vietnamese on their own ground and they began this with a trip to Ia Drang Valley, that was code-named X-Ray. This was right on the territory of the PAVN. The North Vietnamese heard of the attack on their region earlier and they were ready. (Burbeck).

  • Formation of Black Panthers (Civil Rights)

    The Black Panthers was a Radical civil rights group that emerged in 1966 and expresses black hatred and impatience with segreagtion. They were famous for their violent protests and actions as they hoped to speed up the civil rights movement. Howwver their violence led to a loss of support and overall damaged the Civil rights movement.(class notes)

  • Operation Crimp (Vietnam)

    The largest American operation of the war, 8000 troops are deployed to capture the Vietcong's headquarters for the Saigon area. They fail to locate any base. (PBS)

  • Operation Birmingham (Vietnam)

    I5,000 U.S. troops,helicopters, and amored vehicles sweep the area around north of Saigon. The battles are dictated by the Vietcong and in a three week period only 100 Vietcong members are killed.

  • Operation Cedar Falls (Vietnam)

    Operation intened to drive the vietcong into the saigon river area.16,000 US troops and 14,000 South Vietnamese soldiers move into saigon river area. Large amounts of enemy supplies are taken but 72 american soldiers are killed. (PBS)

  • The Tet Offensive (Vietnam)

    It started the first day of the Lunar New Year, Vietnam's most important holiday. North Vietnam captured cities, including the capital of Hue.It was a failure for the North Vietnamese Communists and Vietcong, but it was a political victory for them because it proved claims by the U.S. government saying the war was over, false. (Tet Offensive).

  • Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Civil Rights)

    Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968 this act prohibited discrimination in the sale or rental of most housing and strengthened antilynching laws. It also made it a crime to harm civil rights workers.(CNN)

  • Operation Breakfast (Vietnam)

    Nixon authorised the covert bombing of Cambodia in an attempt to destroy supply routes. It was meant to destroy a "Bamboo Pentagon", a central headquarters in the Cambodian where North Vietnamese communists were raiding into South Vietnam. (Operation Breakfast).

  • The Draft (Vietnam)

    America re-activated it's draft. In Vietnam, the draft was lottery-based, and most of the soldiers who were drafted were in their twenties. (PBS)

  • Swann vs. Charlotte Mecklenberg (Civil Rights)

    Ruling upheld the federal courts decision for a plan to completely desegregate public schools. And affirmed the role of the federal district courts in overseeing operations of local school districts. (CNN)