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Formation of the United Nations
Following the catastrophe of WWII, the Allied powers came together to form the United Nations; an intergovernmental power, designed to keep the peace between nations. -
Creation of the Truman Doctrine
Aimed at containment of Soviet ideology, it called for the United States to aid "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." -
The Hollywood 10
A group of 10 motion-picture producers, directors, and screenwriters were accused of being communists by Congress. They suffered a blacklist in their industry after serving 6 months to a year. -
Enactment of the Marshall Plan
A US-sponsored program, designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in the wake of WWII. -
Formation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, is a millitary alliance dedicated to protecting and preserving democracy in Europe. -
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Korean War
The Korean War was one of the first proxy wars in the Cold War, where the two ideologies could fight it out without risking a nuclear confrontation. The Korean War is still ongoing today, as a peace treaty was never signed, only an armistice. -
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Space Race
A period in which the two superpowers of the world raced to be the first to explore space. It culminated with the Internation Space Station, a project where both superpowers could work together. -
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US involvement in the Vietnam War
A deeply unpopular war in the US, it lasted until 1975 with the withdrawal of the US army and the collapse of South Vietnam. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A failed invasion by US-backed exiles on Cuban soil firmly cemented Cuba in a Soviet sphere of influence. -
Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall represented an ideological and physical barrier between the two superpowers at the time: the United States and the Soviet Union. -
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Soviet-Afghan War
The long-held Russian interest in Central Asia culminated in the Soviet-Afghan War, where the Soviets attempted to establish a communist government in Afghanistan, ultimately failing. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of the first chips in the Soviet armor, with East and West Germany reuniting within a couple of days.