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Truman Signs the Marshall Plan
As a result of the European economic devestation from WWII the Marshall plan would aid $13 million to various European countries. It was significant because it broadened American market for goods into europe. -
Berlin Airlift Begins
The US sends food, medicine and other vital needs to the citizens of West Berlin. Whithout these American resources the citizens of West Berlin could have starved, as they had few ways of gaining food or other resources. This was a bold move for the US as it showed other countries that the US was taking a stance against the East Berlin citizans and Russia and showed the Russians how modern our aircraft was. -
NATO Organization
12 Western nations unite to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in order to back each other to hopefully defeat the Soviet Union, a member of the Warsaw Pact. -
Korean War
The war began in 1950 when 75,000 North Korean soldiers crossed the boundary separating North Korea (backed by the Soviet Union) and South Korea. In July of 1950 The U.S. entered the war to support South Korea and is significant to U.S. History because it demonstrates how the U.S. once again interefes to rid a country of communism. -
Warsaw Pact Creation
8 countries sign the Warsaw Pact promising to eachother that they will defend if any outsider invades or attacks the country by setting up one unified military system. This is significant because it was a direct response to the creation of NATO, showing that the Soviets were threatened by NATO. -
Vietnam War
In northern Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, a communist, and his party Viet Minh claim power. Many people think thtat if one Asian country becomes communist that others will follow. So in an effort to avoid communism advisors were sent to vietnam and eventually more and more troops were sent by Kennedy to Vietnam. In April of 1975 the war finally ended, showing the U.S.'s interference to avoid communism once again. -
Soviet Union lauches Sputnik I
The Soviet Union successfully launched an unmanned aircraft. While it was not an American success it was significant because it showed Russia's technological improvments to the US and marked the beginnning of the "space race." -
Bay of Pigs
Fidel Castro was a concern to the US ( as he was a communist), so Eisenhower ordered the CIA to train a group of exiles from Cuba. The hope was that the Cuban exiles would spark a rebellion against communism in the country and the citizens would overthrow Castro. However the small cuban army defeated the exiles by sinking ships and capturing many of the exiles. It was significant because it shows that the US was so eager to get rid of communism that they would interfere. -
Berlin Wall
On August 13th of 1961 the communists of East Germany build a wall of concrete and barbed wire dividing East from West Berlin meant to keep the western "fascists: out of East Berlin. On November 1989 West Berlin people knocked over the wall reuniting Berlin. Parts of the wall have been preserved and are iconic pieces of the cold war. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 22nd of 1962 President John Kennedy notifies the American public that the Soviets had put missiles in Cuba. This scared the American public as they feared a nuclear war would erupt. However the public was eased when the Soviet leader offered to remove the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy offered to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. -
US sends Man to the Moon
After many failed attempts by the Soviet Union to send a man to the moon, the US lands Neil Armstrong to be the first man on the moon. Therefore showing the soviet Union that the US was technologically more advanced than the Soviets. -
1980 Olympic Hockey Game
The US underdog team beats the Soviet Union team a four time Gold medal team. HTough it was not the championship game the US team did win the gold medal, thus showing the Soviet Union superiority. -
Berlin Wall TAKEDOWN
Citizens of West Berlin knock over the Berlin wall and Berlin is unified as one city rather than divided. Parts have been preserved as memorablia of the cold war. -
Soviet Union Collapse
Christmas day 1991 the Soviet flag flies for the last time as earlier in the week some countries claimed independence while others announced they would be withdrawing from the Union and becoming a separate republic. The Soviet Union may have also disbanded due to the Soviet leader's new reforms. This was significant to Americans because the Soviet Union was no longer a threat to the US.
