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Truman Doctorine
Harry Truman was the president of the United States from 1945 to 1953. The Truman Doctorine was the US policy of fighting the spread of containment by limiting it to countries where it already existed. -
Berlin Blockade
Stalin- the leader of the Soviet Union- ordered a blockade, hoping keep French, Great Britain, and United States out of Berlin. The blockade took place between April 1, 1948 and May 12, 1949 -
Marshall Plan
On April 3, 1948, the Marshall Plan was signed. George Marshall was the secretary of state) The purpose of this was to help Europe recover from the war. Under the Marshall Plan, the US sent large amounts of money to 16 nations in Europe for rebuilding cities, factories, railroads, etc. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The treaty was signed on April 4, 1949. It was created by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the United States enetered into outside of the Western Hemisphere. -
Arms Race
On August 29, 1949, the Soivet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. The arms race was a competition to manufacture and develope ever more powerful and destructive weapons. -
Korean War
The Korean War lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. The Soviets installed a communist government in North Korea, while in South Korea the Americans encouraged a government that favored capitalism. The war began when North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded non-Communist South Korea. As North Korean's army, armed with Soviet tanks, quickly overran South Korea, the United States came to South Korea's aid. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw pact was a collective defense treaty among eight communist provinces/states/territories- Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, and East Germany. The treaty was made in Warsaw. This was a response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuban exiles landed on a Cuban Beach in the Bay of Pigs, this invasion was a revolt against Castro (the Cuban leader), but nothing went as planned. The plan was a surprise attack and to send leaders from south Florida and establish a temporary government. However, the bombers missed their targets and when they landed on the Bay of Bigs, they came under heavy fire. 1400 Cuban exiles took place in this invation (Cuban exiles were people who were deported from Cuba). -
Berlin Wall
During the early years of the Cold War, West Berlin was a geographical loophole through which thousands of East Germans fled to the democratic west. In response the Communist East German authorities built a wall that totally encircled West Berlin. It was built overnight, on August 13, 1961. -
Black Saturday
This was the day that the chance of war between the Soviet Union and the U.S. was the greatest. There were missiles in Cuba and Turkey, which were both a couple hundred miles from the homefronts. The U.S navy dropped depth charges to force a Soviet submarine equipped with nuclear weapons to surface. The sub's commander had been given authority to launch the weapons if threatened. The subordinate officer refused to obey, probably avoiding war.
