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President Franklin Roosevelt advocated for an international peace organization to prevent any future wars. The Senate approved the Charter for the organization in July 1945 and the UN was formed in October after 29 more nations approved the charter. -
When Britain withdrew it's aid from Greece and Turkey, it became America's responsibility to protect the nations from the spread of communism. Truman asked Congress to send $400 mil of military and economic aid to the two nations to stop communist's spread. Truman argued that if Greece and Turkey fell to communism, other states would soon join; this convinced Congress to pass the Truman Doctrine in 1947. -
After WWII, many states in Europe were unstable; to combat this economic instability, the US created the Marshal Plan--a program to fund restoration and rebuild the European economy. The US wanted to restore Europe to create a market for American goods, gain reliable trade partners, and encourage the development of stable democracies. Without strong governments, the US feared that communism could sweep throughout Europe and the Soviet Union would gain too much power. -
Early in the Cold War, 10 members of the Hollywood film industry protested the methods used by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to identify and punish alleged communists. This disapproval led to their arrest by the HUAC after they refused to answer questions surrounding their alleged communist affiliation. This case sparked debate around the intense anti-communism campaign and created the culture of suspicion associated with the Cold War. -
After WWII, many European nations were left weak, but the Soviet Union was prepared to spread its communist propaganda across the continent. In response, NATO was formed in 1949 with America, Canada, and several other European nations to provide protection against the Soviet Union. -
When Japan surrendered its Korean territory following its loss in WWII, the land was split between the US and the Soviet Union. The Soviets controlled the north and swiftly established a communist government, while the US built a military gov in the south. However, Stalin wished to unite the Korea's under his communist rule, so he ordered an invasion of South Korea. Fearing this was the start of Stalin's plan for world domination, the US sent troops to the south to stop communism's spread. -
The Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union began when the Soviets launched the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The US, which had planned to launch their own satellite, was shocked to hear that the Soviets could develop such technology so quickly after WWII. From there, the US and Soviet Union engaged in a battle to see who had the superior technology. The US won the battle in 1969 when they sent the Apollo 11 to land the first people on the moon -
In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the previous Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, and became Premier. He quickly cut ties with the US and grew close to the Soviet Union; this relationship worried the US and they viewed Cuba as a threat to Latin American. JFK's response was the Bay of Pigs invasion: an invasion to overthrow Castro and establish an anti-communist government. This plan, however, failed, which only strengthened Castro. -
Germany builds the Berlin Wall the prevent East Germans from escaping the Soviet-controlled East and fleeing to the West. Because the migration of East Germans threatened the economic stability of the region, the East built the wall the protect the economy. They also built the wall to keep Western "fascists" from entering the state and undermining the socialist government -
When Vietnam split into the communist North and democratic South, America immediately began to worry about communism spreading throughout Southeast Asia. The US sent the South military aid in the early 1960s, but it wasn't until 1965 did the US officially enter the war by creating an airstrike campaign to aid the South. -
In 1978, the existing Afghanistan government was overthrown by Marxist-Leninist military leaders. The communist government established was unpopular with the people, and coups were attempted to overthrow the government. Upon hearing about the protests, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to silence opposition; the Soviet troops would remain in the country until 1989. -
As communist influence began to decline from protests and internal pressures, it was clear that political reform was imminent. The East German leaders gave in to the growing protest, and on Nov 9 they declared that any East German could cross the border.