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announced setting a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutrition -
The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was established in 1950 by President Harry S. Truman. Its purpose was to prepare American civilians for the possibility of a nuclear attack during the Cold War by promoting emergency planning, air raid drills, and public awareness campaigns. -
Truman declares active role in Greek Civil War -
U.S. meet 19 Latin American countries and created a security zone around the hemisphere -
In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, backed by the Soviet Union, seized full control of the government through a political coup. This marked the beginning of four decades of communist rule, aligning Czechoslovakia with the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. -
created to catch Cold War spies -
organized to protect Europe from communism -
NATO, standing for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a political and military alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe, founded in 1949 to provide collective defense and security. -
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On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, ending the U.S. monopoly on nuclear weapons and starting the nuclear arms race during the Cold War. -
President Harry S. Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb on January 31, 1950. This decision was made in response to the Soviet Union's successful test of an atomic bomb in 1949 and marked a significant escalation in the nuclear arms race. -
In 1950, Senator Joe McCarthy began leading a campaign to root out alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions. This period, known as the Red Scare, involved loyalty tests, accusations without proper evidence, and damaged many reputations during what became known as McCarthyism. -
In June 1950, the Korean War began when North Korea, backed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and equipped with Soviet weapons, invaded South Korea. This marked a significant conflict in the Cold War, as the U.S. and United Nations forces intervened to support South Korea and stop the spread of communism. -
During the Korean War, Chinese and North Korean troops recaptured Seoul, South Korea’s capital, escalating the conflict. -
The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was established in 1950 by President Harry S. Truman. Its purpose was to prepare American civilians for the possibility of a nuclear attack during the Cold War by promoting emergency planning, air raid drills, and public awareness campaigns.
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President Harry S. Truman fired General Douglas MacArthur in April 1951 during the Korean War. The decision came after MacArthur publicly criticized Truman’s strategy of limited war and advocated for expanding the conflict into China, defying civilian control of the military. -
The U.S. successfully detonated the first hydrogen bomb (thermonuclear bomb) at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. -
In response to the U.S. test, the Soviet Union accelerated their hydrogen bomb program, increasing nuclear tensions. -
Eisenhower won the presidential election, promising to end the Korean War and confront Soviet aggression. -
Stalin’s death marked a major turning point in the Soviet Union and the Cold War, leading to a power struggle and eventually the rise of Nikita Khrushchev. -
The Rosenbergs were executed for espionage, accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, heightening fears of communist infiltration in the U.S. -
An armistice was signed, effectively ending active fighting between North and South Korea, although no formal peace treaty was signed, leaving tensions unresolved. -
The Viet Minh forces defeated the French in Vietnam, leading to the end of French colonial rule and the Geneva Accords, which temporarily divided Vietnam into North and South. -
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, an important civil rights milestone that influenced U.S. social policy during the Cold War. -
Representatives from major powers met to negotiate peace in Indochina and Korea, resulting in the division of Vietnam and agreements to hold elections (which never fully happened). -
West Germany officially became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -
The Soviet Union and seven Eastern European countries signed the Warsaw Pact, establishing a military alliance. -
The leaders of the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France met in Geneva to discuss Cold War tensions. -
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin's cult of personality and purges during a closed session of the 20th Communist Party Congress. This marked the start of de-Stalinization. -
A workers' protest in Poznań, Poland, escalated into a major uprising against communist rule. It led to political changes and the rise of Władysław Gomułka. -
The USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. -
Hungarians revolted against Soviet control and demanded political freedom. The uprising was brutally suppressed by Soviet tanks. -
President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated that the U.S. would use force to help any Middle Eastern country resist communist aggression. -
The Soviet Union launched the R-7 Semyorka, the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile. -
USSR launched Sputnik 2, carrying Laika, the first living creature in orbit. -
The U.S. entered the Space Race by successfully launching Explorer 1. -
Nikita Khrushchev took over as Premier, consolidating power as both party leader and head of state. -
Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, U.S. forces landed in Lebanon to support the pro-Western government during a time of crisis and prevent a potential communist takeover. -
Fidel Castro overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. -
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev toured the U.S., including a visit to Camp David with President Eisenhower. -
Both the U.S. and USSR increased deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). -
An American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet airspace. -
The planned summit between the U.S., USSR, UK, and France was canceled after the U-2 incident. -
The Democratic Republic of Congo became independent from Belgium. -
President Dwight D. Eisenhower severed ties with Fidel Castro’s communist government in Cuba. -
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1, making the USSR the leader in the Space Race. -
A U.S.-backed force of Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro but failed disastrously. -
President John F. Kennedy extended the U.S. trade embargo to cover all Cuban imports and exports. -
Kennedy announced a naval blockade (called a "quarantine") around Cuba. -
The most dangerous day of the Cuban Missile Crisis: A U.S. U-2 was shot down over Cuba. Another U.S. U-2 accidentally strayed into Soviet airspace, nearly triggering war. -
President John F. Kennedy delivered his famous speech in West Berlin. The speech symbolized solidarity during the Cold War divide between East and West. -
The United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom signed this treaty. -
Johnson won a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater, ensuring continued U.S. commitment to Cold War containment strategies, including the Vietnam War. -
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. -
3,500 U.S. Marines landed at Da Nang, becoming the first official American combat troops deployed in Vietnam. -
U.S. naval vessels were allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin. -
Soviet leader Khrushchev was forced to resign. -
The United States launched a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam. -
3,500 U.S. Marines landed at Da Nang, becoming the first official American combat troops deployed in Vietnam.
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President Lyndon B. Johnson sent over 20,000 troops to the Dominican Republic to prevent what he claimed was a potential Communist takeover during a civil war. -
U.S. troop numbers in Vietnam surpassed 380,000 by the end of the year. The war increasingly dominated U.S. foreign policy and public opinion, with growing anti-war protests. -
A U.S. B-52 bomber collided mid-air with a refueling plane over Palomares, Spain, accidentally releasing four hydrogen bombs. -
President Charles de Gaulle announced that France would pull out of NATO's integrated military command, asserting national sovereignty.