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Berlin Airlift
During the Berlin Airlift the United States flew supplies to Soviet controlled Germany. Over 200,000 planes carried in more than one-and-a-half million tons of supplies. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. -
Formation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty. The treaty basically said that if one country was under attack, all countries would come to the targeted country's side. -
National Security Council Report NSC-68
National Security Council Report 68 (NSC-68) was a 58-page top secret policy paper by the United States National Security Council presented to President Harry S. Truman on April 14, 1950. It was one of the most important statements of American policy that launched the Cold War. -
Chinese Civil War (between Jiang Jieshi and Mao Zedong)
On October 1, 1949, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “fall” of mainland China to communism in 1949 led the United States to suspend ties with the PRC. -
Korean War
The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, came to the aid of South Korea. China came to the aid of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave some assistance. -
President Truman fires General MacArthur
On 11 April 1951, U.S. President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of his commands after MacArthur made public statements which contradicted the administration's policies. -
Formation of the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, so named because the treaty was signed in Warsaw. The members of the pact were the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. -
Formation of the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, so named because the treaty was signed in Warsaw. Members included Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. -
Launching of Sputnik
History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the Caribbean Crisis, or the Missile Scare. A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning American ballistic missiles.
