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Founding Of NATO
Created by twelve nations after WWII in order to prevent further spread of communism in Europe and around the world. The USSR viewed this as a hostile act and attempted to create their own pact with communist countries to fight back against NATO. -
Berlin Blockade ends
The Berlin Blockade by Russia ended on this day preventing another World War. This was a win for the forces of Democracy and was seen as a victory for the U.S. in the Cold War. -
Atomic Bomb detonated by USSR
This was the first atomic bomb detonated by a country besides the U.S. and made everyone in the U.S. fear the soviets and start an arms race of nuclear weapons in both countries. It was called "first lightning". -
USSR and China sign a friendship treaty
On this day the USSR and Chinese communist governmetns created a pack of friendship. This had the same effect as the Warsaw pact in striking fear in democratic Europe and the U.S. fearing how fast communism was spreading across the world. -
NSC-68 published
This was a report written and published by Paul Nitze about his assessment of the nuclear capabilities of the USSR. He concluded that the USSR was an immenent threat and called for greater government spending on military programs. -
Korean War
Communist North Korea attacked democratic South Korea on this date further spreading the ideals of communism with their USSR allies. In addition it brought the U.S. into another conflict and made them a policing power in the modern world. -
German border closed between Russia and Allies
Russia closed the border between their occupied part of Germany post world war and it's allies occupied part due to the rising tension of communism. This created the infamous "iron curtain" around communist controlled European countries and further escolated the tesnsions. -
First U.S. nuclear submarine
The United States launches the world's first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus. The nuclear submarine would become the ultimate nuclear deterrent. -
West Germany joins NATO
Ten years after the Nazis were defeated in World War II, West Germany formally joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mutual defense group aimed at containing Soviet expansion in Europe. This action marked the final step of West Germany’s integration into the Western European defense system. -
USSR sent military aid to Afghanistan
The USSR hoped to aid Afghanistan. The USSR sent them military weapons and money. -
Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis began with Israeli attack led by Moshe Dayan against Egyptian forces in the Sinai. Egypt ended up taking control of Suez Canal. -
Sputnik 1 Launched
Sputnik 1 was the first sattelite to be launched into space. It was launched by the USSR and created mass panic in the United States because they thought it was a spy satellite thus creating the space race. -
Explorer 1 Launched
This was the first U.S. satellite launched in retaliation to Sputnik 1 and catapult the U.S. into the space race. This brought back confidence in the government and also helped form NASA and future space exploration. -
A-bombs developed by France
On 13 February 1960, France conducted its first nuclear test, code-named “Gerboise Bleue” (Blue Desert Rat). The day marked the beginning of a series of four atmospheric nuclear tests at the Reganne Oasis, in the Sahara Desert of Algeria. -
U-2 incident
An American spy plane was shot down over USSR air space causing a major incident with the East-West summit comming up. This reavealed the rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia and caused great embarassment for the U.S.. -
U.C. Blockades Cuba
The U.S., fearing how close to home a communist government had been established, blockaded Cuba to strike a blow at it's military power and stop USSR aid from reaching them. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
This was an invasion planned by the U.S. government to overthrow Fedel Castro and his communist government in Cuba by training rebels and having them take Cuba back over. It was a failure and only led to an embaressment to the U.S. government. -
Creation of the Berlin Wall
The Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to build a barbed wire and concrete “Antifascistischer Schutzwall,” or “antifascist bulwark,” between East and West Berlin. The official purpose of this Berlin Wall was to keep Western “fascists” from entering East Germany and undermining the socialist state. -
Berlin Wall built
This is the day the the USSR started building a wall around their occupied part of Berlin in order to stop citizens from travelling over the the Allied occupied part fo the Capitol. This was the first step in the USSR's "iron curtain". -
Resumed testing of nuclear weapons
The Soviet Union resumed testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere. The Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibits nuclear weapons tests "or any other nuclear explosion" in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. -
Soviet Party Congress held in USSR
The 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was held from 17 to 31 October 1961. In fourteen days of sessions, 4,413 delegates, in addition to delegates from 83 foreign Communist parties, listened to Nikita Khrushchev and others review policy issues. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuba, after becoming communsit and allying themselves with the USSR, accepted several nuclear missiles. On this day a U.S. spy plane found them and caused a massive panic in the U.S. due to their proximity to the mainland U.S.. -
Limited Test Ban Treaty
The Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. After Senate approval, the treaty that went into effect on October 10, 1963, banned nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. -
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ratified
Efforts to negotiate an international agreement to end nuclear tests began in the Subcommittee of Five (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and the Soviet Union) of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. The treaty prohibited nuclear weapons tests "or any other nuclear explosion" in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. -
China Explodes it's first Atomic Bomb
China had recently been taken over by a communist government and was feared by the U.S. citizens. The fact that another hostile govenrment had created an A-bomb had the U.S. fearing for their survival and strengthining their anticommuist stance. -
U.S troops introduced into combat in Vietnam
On this day the U.S. formally commited troops to help fight in Vietnam in order to free it from communism and to protect France's investment in it. This was a largely debated war at home and ultimately ended in a loss for the U.S.. -
France withdraws from NATO command structure
From the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, France pursued a military strategy of independence from NATO under a policy dubbed "Gaullo-Mitterrandism." NATO has twenty-eight members, mainly in Europe and North America. -
Cambodian Campaign
The Cambodian Campaign was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) during the Vietnam War. The U.S began bombing Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the first moon landing launched by the U.S.. It effectively ended the space race and cemented the U.S.'s spot in space travel history. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified by the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States, among others, entered into force. -
SALT 1 Treaty signed
Stood for Strategic Arms Limitations Talks/Treaty it limited both governments in the buiding of further nuclear bombs but it did not make them dismantle any current warheads. This was an attempt to limit eachother while still keeping their dignigy intact. -
Fall of Saigon/Liberation of Saigon
This was the evacuation of US forces from Saigon due to invading Northern Vietnamese forces led by General Văn Tiến Dũng. The US greatly overestimated their own power and forces predicting that they could hold out until 1976 but the North Vietnamese forces along with their allies quickly took over Saigon and forced the evacuation of US citizens and allies.
