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Period: to
Cold War 1947-1966
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Truman Doctrine
Truman asks Congress to support "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures." Congress grants $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to defend against Communist guerrillas. -
Marshall Plan
Secretary of State George C. Marshall calls on European nations to draft plan for European economic recovery, offering aid in planning and "later support." Eastern Europe walks out of initial Paris meeting at Soviet behest. -
Containment Policy
George F. Kennan, writing anonymously in Foreign Affairs, articulates America's policy to block peacefully the expansion of Soviet political and economic influence into vulnerable areas around the world. -
Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia
Communist over take the Czechoslovakian government and we began seeing other countries taking affect from this -
Brussels Pact organized to protect Europe from communism
A collective self-defense treaty signed in 1948 by the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blockades all highway, river, and rail traffic into Western-controlled West Berlin to force the Western powers out of Berlin. -
NATO Established
All of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, come together to create an alliance -
Berlin Blockade ends
When the Soviet Union lifted its blockade of West Berlin. This 11-month blockade, initiated in June 1948, had cut off land and river access to the western sectors of Berlin, which were under Allied control -
Russia Tested Its First Atomic Bomb
The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949, at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. -
Truman approved H-bomb development
President Harry S. Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb in 1950. He publicly announced his decision on January 31, 1950, directing the Atomic Energy Commission to proceed. -
Joe McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt and loyalty tests
Joe McCarthy's public involvement in the Communist witch hunt and loyalty tests began in February 1950 with a speech where he claimed to have a list of communists working for the State Department. This event marked the start of his campaign to expose alleged communists within the government and other institutions, sparking a period known as "McCarthyism" and the Red Scare. -
Korean War
North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel in a surprise invasion of South Korea. This creating the Korean War. -
Federal Civil Defense Administration established
The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized by President Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, through Executive Order 10186, and became an official government agency via the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 on 12 January 1951. -
Truman fires MacArthur
President Harry Truman did fire General Douglas MacArthur on April 11, 1951. Truman relieved MacArthur of his command as commander of UN forces in Korea after MacArthur publicly criticized his plan. -
Peace treaty with Japan is signed.
United States retains military presence for defense of Japan. United States also negotiates mutual security agreement with Philippines, Australia, New Zealand (ANZUS Pact). -
A-bombs developed by Britain
Their first atomic bomb, codenamed "Hurricane," was tested in 1952. This made Britain the third nuclear power in the world after the United States and the Soviet Union -
Eisenhower elected president.
In January 1952, Eisenhower announced that he was a Republican and that he would be willing to accept the call of the American people to serve as President. -
Truman denounces McCarthy for "anti-Communist tactics."
President Harry Truman publicly criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy for his "anti-Communist tactics". This criticism came after McCarthy had gained national prominence by claiming communist infiltration within the U.S. State Department. -
Joseph Stalin dies.
However, Stalin's condition continued to deteriorate and he died at 9:50 p.m. on 5 March 1953. His death was announced the next day on Radio Moscow by Yuri Levitan. -
RAND report on the "Vulnerability of U. S. Strategic Air Power"
This report showed the true colors of the U.S. air force. This showed how many weak points the air force has. -
Ike's Atoms for Peace speech
In his "Atoms for Peace" speech on December 8, 1953, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed an international atomic energy agency to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology for the benefit of all mankind -
H-bomb Castle-Bravo test
Castle Bravo was the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon design tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, as part of Operation Castle. It was detonated on 1 March 1954. -
Fall of Dienbienphu
The French army is defeated in Vietnam. -
SEATO
Australia, Britain, France, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, and the United States form an anti-communist alliance against "massive military aggression." -
Civil Defense
United States stages first nationwide civil defense exercise. This was a big step for the movement of countries. -
Geneva Summit Conference
Eisenhower, Khrushchev, and Eden discuss disarmament and European security. Eisenhower proposes "Open Skies," which would allow aerial reconnaissance of each other's territories. -
Baghdad Pact signed
It was signed by Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. The United States pledges military and political liaison. -
Khrushchev denounces Stalin
In a speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. -
USSR sent tanks into Poznan, Poland, to suppress demonstrations by workers
In June 1956, the Soviet Union deployed tanks into Poznań, Poland, to suppress demonstrations by workers. -
Hungarians revolt against Communist rule
This causes them to make futile pleas for U.S. assistance as Soviet forces crush the resistance. -
Eisenhower Doctrine presented to Congress
Allowing the President to commit troops to the Middle East to prevent Communist aggression there. This created a bigger and better strategy for the United State Military bergade. -
Common Market
Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany agree to form the European Economic Community (EEC). -
Sputnik launched into orbit
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, marking the beginning of the Space Age and the Space Race -
Explorer I launched
On January 31, 1958, the United States finally became a competitor in the Space Race. Explorer 1 became America's first successful satellite launch. -
NASA began Mercury project using Atlas rocket
This was NASA's first manned spaceflight program, aimed at placing humans in Earth orbit. -
Khrushchev delivers ultimatum
Begin East-West talks over the future of Germany (a reunified, neutral, denuclearized Germany) or face the permanent division of Germany; Khrushchev soon backs down. -
Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro becomes premier of Cuba on January 6. This creates big headlines and creates a long line of terror for Cuba to come. -
The Kitchen Debate
It was a series of impromptu exchanges through interpreters between U.S. vice president (later U.S. president) Richard Nixon and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, at the opening of the American National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow on July 24, 1959. -
Antarctica Treaty
It was signed in Washington; 12 nations agree to reserve Antarctica for scientific research, free from political and military uses. -
Cuban exiles
Eisenhower agrees to CIA proposal to train Cuban exiles to subvert Castro regime. -
U-2 incident
On May 5, 1960, the Soviet Union revealed that a US spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, had been shot down over Soviet territory. The incident, known as the U-2 incident, occurred when a U-2 spy plane, flying at high altitude, was shot down by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile -
Cuba Aligns With Soviet Union
Cuba openly aligned itself with the Soviet Union, particularly after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959. This alliance was rooted in shared Marxist-Leninist ideology, economic interdependence, and strategic considerations during the Cold War. -
John F. Kennedy inaugurated.
On Inauguration Day, January 20, 1961, nearly one million people in the nation's capital braved the subfreezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of the new President they had elected. The hard issues of the day---the Communist threat, a nuclear arms race, racial unrest, and economic distress---awaited the President and the nation. -
Vienna Summit
Khrushchev reissues ultimatum to begin talks on Germany within 6 months or face a permanent the division of Germany. Kennedy responds with call for military build-up, beginning of civil defense program. -
Berlin border is closed
In August 1961, East German premier Walter Ulbricht, after consultation with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, decided to close the border separating East and West Berlin. -
U.S. involvement in Vietnam increases
In 1962, the United States significantly increased its military presence in South Vietnam. This involved a rise in the number of military advisors, a shift towards more active combat roles, and the establishment of new command structures -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day period in October 1962 when the United States and the Soviet Union came close to nuclear war. It resulted from the Soviet Union's secret deployment of nuclear missiles to Cuba, which is just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. -
United States ends Cuban blockade
The United States lifted its naval blockade of Cuba on November 20, 1962, after the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle and remove its nuclear missiles from the island. -
"Hot Line" established
A direct teletype link between the White House and the Kremlin, to start service August 30. -
Kennedy signs Limited Test Ban Treaty Britain
This treaty, also known as the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, banned nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and under water. -
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is assassinated.
On 1 November 1963, the country's leading generals launched a coup d'état with assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency. Diệm and his brother, Nhu, initially escaped, but were recaptured the following day and assassinated on the orders of Dương Văn Minh, who succeeded him as president. -
Gulf of Tonkin incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident refers to a series of events in August 1964 that led to a significant escalation of US involvement in the Vietnam War. Two reported attacks on US destroyers, the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy, by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to seek congressional approval for increased military action. -
A-bombs developed by China
In 1964, China detonated its first atomic bomb, codenamed "Project 596" or "Miss Qiu," on October 16th. This event, which took place at the Lop Nur test site, marked China's entry into the global "nuclear club" and made it the fifth nation to possess nuclear weapons -
Lyndon B. Johnson elected President
Lyndon B. Johnson was elected President. He assumed the office after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963, and then won the 1964 presidential election. Johnson's win in 1964 was a landslide victory, making him the most popular vote share for the Democratic Party in history. -
U.S. Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight Communism
In 1965, U.S. Marines were sent to the Dominican Republic, primarily to evacuate American citizens and other foreign nationals, but also to prevent a perceived communist takeover. President Lyndon B. -
Announcement of dispatching of 200,000 U.S. troops to Vietnam
President Lyndon B. Johnson announces that he has ordered an increase in U.S. military forces in Vietnam, from the present 75,000 to 125,000. Johnson also said that he would order additional increases if necessary. He pointed out that to fill the increase in military manpower needs, the monthly draft calls would be raised from 17,000 to 35,000. -
Battle of the Ia Drang Valley
The first major clash between the United States and North Vietnamese Army. -
B-52s Bomb North Vietnam
Strategic Air Command B-52 bombers attack targets in North Vietnam for the first time. They strike the Mu Gia Pass, a crucial enemy supply route adjacent to Laos near an entrance to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This bombing is part of Operation ROLLING THUNDER -
Anti-Vietnam War rallies
In 1966, the anti-Vietnam War movement grew significantly, fueled by the escalating war and changes in the Selective Service System's draft policy. Protests escalated from teach-ins to sit-ins, and student takeovers of administration buildings became increasingly common. -
Chinese Cultural Revolution begin
The Cultural Revolution in China was a social and political movement from 1966 to 1976. Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), initiated it with the aim of reasserting his authority and strengthening the revolutionary spirit in the country.