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Period: to
Cold War
A period of tension that occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman wrote this doctrine that stated the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to any nations under threat of communism or authoritarian forces. -
Marshall Plan announced
George Marshall planned an American initiative to aid Western European economies after the end of WWII. -
Rio Pact
An agreement made in Rio that binded the republics of the Western Hemisphere together in a mutual defense system. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roads, and canal access to the sections of Berlin under western control. -
Berlin Airlift Begins
In response to the Berlin Blockade, Truman ordered a massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin. -
Soviet expels Yugoslavia from Communist Bureau
Yugoslavia expelled from the Communist Information Bureau (COMINFORM) which was proof of the permanent split between Russia and Yugoslavia. -
NATO formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization created by many nations to resist Communist expansion. -
Berlin Blockade ends
Soviet Union ends the blockade and reopens the access routes to Berlin. -
Testing of the Atomic Bomb
Soviets test their first atomic bomb in a remote area to see the effects. -
Mutual Defense Pact signed
The Soviet Union and People's Republic of China sign a pact of mutual defense. -
North Korea invades South Korea
North Korea invades South Korea which starts the Korean War following a series of clashes along the border. -
UN crosses 38th parallel
The United Nations crossed the 38th parallel into North Korea during the Korean War to aid the South and occupy North Korea. -
Truman fires MacArthur
US President Harry Truman fires Douglas MacArthur from command of the US forces in Korea and replaces him with General Matthew Ridgeway. -
Truman signs the Mutual Security Act
President Truman signs the Mutual Security Act to announce to the world that the US was prepared to provide military aid to free people. -
Truman asks Congress to aid Yugoslavia
President Truman asks U.S. Congress for military and economic aid for the communist nation Yugoslavia. -
USS Nautilus
The United States creates the world's first nuclear powered submarine called the USS Nautilus. -
UK atomic bomb test
The United Kingdom tests their atomic bomb in Operation Hurricane which makes them the third nuclear power in the world. -
Ivy Mike
The United States tests their first thermonuclear fusion bomb called Ivy Mike. This is a different bomb that uses nuclear fusion. -
Eisenhower becomes president
Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes president of the United States. He was a five star general during World War II. -
Stalin dies
Leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, dies of a massive heart attack which led to a temporary thaw in Cold War tensions. -
Armistice agreement
The armistice agreement was signed and formally ended the war between North and South Korea. -
Soviet's Prime Minister Replaced
Nikolai Bulganin replaces Gregory Malenkov as prime minister of the Soviet Union. -
French leave Vietnam
The French troops agree to leave from North Vietnam to keep peace. -
Defense Treaty signed
The South-East Asian defense treaty was signed in Manila for collective defense in Asia and to resist communist expansion. -
West Germany joins NATO
West Germany formally joins NATO to help contain Soviet expansion in Europe. This was the final step in integrating that nation into the defense system of Western Europe. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland between the Soviet Union and seven European states. -
Geneva Summit
"The Big Four" met in Switzerland. This included the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France. Although they didn't accomplish much, the atmosphere was positive. -
Cominform abolished
The Soviet Union abolished Cominform and the process of de-Stalinization began. -
Political Protests in Poland
Massive political protests occur in Poland against the communist government and 74 people die as a result of the protests. -
Egypt bombing
British and French planes bomb Egyptian airfields during the Suez Canal crisis. -
Prime Minister resigns
Anthony Eden, the prime minister of Britain, resigns as a result of the Suez Crisis. -
Ending nuclear testing
The Soviet Union makes a request that the United States and Britain cease nuclear testing. -
Soviets claim they are superior
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claims that the Soviet Union has missile superiority over the United States. He challenges the US to a missile shooting match to prove this. -
NASA is formed
The US creates NASA which shows they are committed to win the space race against the Soviets. -
China calls for an end to nuclear testing
Nikita Khrushchev meets Mao Zedong in China and calls for an end of all nuclear testing. -
Soviets demand troops be removed from Berlin
Nikita Khrushchev delivered a speech demanding that the Western Powers remove their troops from Berlin. -
Castro enters Havana
Castro and his revolutionaries entered into Havana after Batista fled about a week earlier. -
Fidel Castro becomes dictator
Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that forced Batista into exile. -
China denied admission to UN
The UN members vote against China being admitted into the United Nation. -
Spy planes in the Soviet Union
American U-2 spy plane is shot down in the Soviet Union while conducting an espionage. -
No more aid for Cuba
United States ends all aid to Cuba because of high taxes on US imports and trade deals with the Soviet Union. -
Unified Air Defense Command
NATO introduces a unified air defense command. -
JFK becomes president
John F Kennedy becomes the youngest ever elected president after beating Richard Nixon in the election. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs was a failed military invasion of Cuba orchestrated by the CIA. -
Berlin Wall
East German authorities began building a wall to close off access to the West. This stood as a symbol of the Cold War, representing an iron curtain that divided Europe.
