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Truman Doctrine
Communism was beginning to threaten other nations’ governments like Turkey and Greece. In response, President Truman announced the creation and use of the Truman Doctrine which would supply financial aid to any country that was being threatened by communism. This could be considered the first act of opposition in the United States' and the Soviet Union's rivalry. -
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Cold War
The Cold War's start and end date has not been completely agreed upon, but most people agree that it started around 1947 and ended around 1991. The Cold War is a fight over two different forms of government, the United States' capitalism, and the Soviet Union's communism. -
Marshall Plan
President Truman announced George Marshall's the Marshall Plan to provide financial assistance to Western Europe to ensure peace. This helped Western Europe quickly recover from World War II and also may have aided in Western Europe from becoming communist. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviets were against the West's ideas of unification under democracy in Germany, especially in Berlin. To prevent such actions, the Soviets blocked off East Berlin from West Berlin and placed an embargo of supplies to West Berlin. Instead of surrendering, the West flew supplies to West Berlin in the Berlin Airlift causing the Soviet Union to call off the blockade. -
The Korean War
The Korean War shows the effect of the Cold War on other nations. North Korea was communist and controlled by the Soviet Union, while South Korea was not and was controlled by the United States. The Soviet Union wanted to unite Korea under communism and attacked South Korea through North Korea. A year-long war took place that ended with an armistice without much territory gain. -
Sputnik Launch
The Soviet Union was beginning to make advancements almost as fast us the United States with the successful atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb testing soon after testing in the U.S., but when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, Americans were nervous because it was the first time the Soviets had made a major advancement before them. This fear prompted them to try harder to beat the Soviets in the race of technological advancements aiding in the birth of NASA. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba's dictator in 1959 and instated a communist government. This brought the Soviet Union into good terms with Cuba making the U.S. an easier target for missiles. In response, the United States trained 1,500 cuban refugees to attack Cuban forces in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Instead they were easily taken down. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
After the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuba was discovered to be harboring nuclear missiles from the Soviet Union as the U.S. thought could happen. Especially during this time, schools held bombing drills where students would duck and cover or hide in shelters. The Soviet Union was confronted at the United Nations and an agreement was made between the U.S. and them. -
SALT
A few efforts at arms control took place like an open-skies treaty, total nuclear disarmament, and the Test Ban Treaty. When the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) was formed more progress was made with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. -
Berlin Wall Taken Down
When the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 it stopped emigration from East Europe to West Europe, so when it was taken down it was seen as a symbol of the fall of oppression. Its fall also united Germany displaying the coming of an end to the West's and East's tensions towards each other. -
The Soviet Union's Fall
Under Mikhail Gorbachev, communist ideals were no longer being enforced and new reforms were being encouraged. Without the repression from the government, the nations of the Soviet Union stood for independence. Gorbachev allowed the nations to become independent and soon the Soviet Union was no longer.
