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Berlin Blockade
During post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under allied control. No one was allowed passage to Berlin, especially the Allies. -
Berlin Airlift
Following World War II, a delicate balance of power had surfaced between the once united Allies: Great Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union. All superpowers wanted to show strength and capture land. -
Formation of NATO
The Alliance’s creation was part of a broader effort to serve three purposes: deterring Soviet expansionism, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North American presence on the continent, and encouraging European political integration. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was an attempt in 1948 by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of France Great Britain and the United States to travel to their area of Berlin which was Russian-occupied East Germany. -
Chinese Civil War
Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st, 1949. The announcement ended the costly full-scale civil war between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party, which began immediately following World War II and had been preceded by on and off conflict between the two sides since the 1920’s. -
National Security Council Report NSC-68
National Security Council Paper NSC-68 was a Top-Secret report completed by the U.S. Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff on April 7, 1950.The authors concluded that the Soviet threat would soon be greatly superior by the addition of more weapons, including nuclear weapons, to the Soviet arsenal. -
Korean War
Korea, a former Japanese possession, had been divided into zones of occupation following World War II. U.S. forces accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in southern Korea, while Soviet forces did the same in northern Korea. The Soviets assisted in the devlopement of a communist regime in North Korea, while the United States became the main source of financial and military support for South Korea. -
President Truman fires General McArthur
When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950, it started the Korean War. He conceived and executed the amphibious assault at Inchon on September 15th of 1950 and this went against President Truman's orders. -
Formation of the Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union and seven of its European satellites sign a treaty establishing the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defense organization that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict.
