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Postdam Agreement
The "Big Three", Churchill, Stalin, and Truman discussed the negotiation terms to end WWII. Significance: The debate would help set the stage for the Cold War -
Marshall Plan
The plan, created by the US, proposed to rebuild the continent of Europe, as it was faced with famine and economic crisis. Significance: The US feared that poverty and unemployment would entice countries to join Communism -
NATO
The US and 11 other Western nations formed the North American Treaty Organization. Significance: the USSR and its allied Communist nations founded a rival alliance, the Warsaw Pact. -
Soviet Atomic Bomb
The Soviets exploded its first atomic bomb, shocking the United States. Significance: It provided the basis for an arms race between the USSR and the US -
Korean War
South Korea, aided by a US-dominated UN coalition, was invaded by the North, aided by the USSR and China, ending in a military stalemate. Significance: the US and USSR would indirectly fight in many proxy wars during the Cold War -
Eisenhower
American general during WWII, "Ike", became the 34th president of the US. Significance: The Eisenhower Doctrine promised military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting communist aggression. -
Warsaw Pact