-
Truman Docterine
The Truman Docterine was created in hopes to stop the spread of communism. Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid for Greece and Turkey. Congress agreed that it was essential that the US offers aid so that communism wouldn't spread into other Europen countries. This was important because it was a lot of money for the US to give, but would adventually pay off so that communism wouldn't spread. -
Marshall Plan
Western Europe was in economic crisis. Many of their factories were bombed or looted which made it difficult to find jobs. General George Marshall suggested we provide aid to desperate nations in Europe if they agree to remove trade barriers and cooperate economically with each other. Soviet tanks went into Czechoslovakia.Congress realized there was need for strong governments in Europe to resist communism. Marshall plan was granted. It was important because it prevented spread of communism. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union retailiated the recombining of three western zones into one nation by holding West Berlin hostage. The Soviet Union cut off all highway, water, and rail traffic into the western zones of Berlin. No supplies could get so the city was struggling with starvation. US and Britan started the Berlin airlift to fly food and supplies into West Berlin. For 327 days planes flew in and out around the clock. Soviet Union realized they wouldn't win this fight and gave in. -
Creation of NATO
Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Natherlands, Norway, Portugal, US, and Canada formed the defensive military alliance called NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). All countries that joined NATO promised that an attack on any one of the ten countires would be an attack on all ten as well. This is important because this was first time in history where the US entered a military alliance with other nations during a peace time. -
Rosenberg Spy Case
The US learned that the USSR had exploded an atomic bomb. Americans began to wonder if the Soviets had stolen the secret of creating the bomb which lead to suspicions of their being communist spies. British physicist Fuchs admitted giving the Soviet Unoin info about US atomic bomb. Ethel and Juilius Rosenberg were involved in the case. They were found guilty of being spies and were given the death penalty. This is important because USSR had recipe for atomic bomb which could easily hurt the US -
US Creates Hydrogen Bomb
The Soviet Union's success in exploding an atomic bomb took away the US nuclear advantage. Politicians and military leaders wanted stronger and more dangerous weapons. Truman authorized work on the hydrogen bomb. On Nov. 1 1952, US exploded first thermonuclear device which was bigger than what they had estimated it to be. This was important because this would make us more advance then our enemies. -
Korean War
North Korea started the Korean war by having their troops invade South Korea. The US decided to get involved. Truman sent in naval and air support. 90% percent of the troops that were sent to help South Korea fight the war were US troops. The end result of Korean war was no gain whatsoever. North Korea and South Korea remained divided by the 38th parallel. General MacArthur ended up being fired from army for overstepping boundaries once again. This is important because the US lost alot of money. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact is a military treaty between Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union that basically said if any foreign country attacks any of the countires listed above, it would be an attack on all of them. The Warsaw Pact was basically created in response to the Allies forming a similar treaty. (NATO) It is important because the USSR used this treaty to become very dominant and basically tell the other countries what was going down. -
Vietnam War
The US went to war with North Vietnam by trying to support South Vietnam in hopes to prevent the spread of communism. North Vietnam won which cause the US to remove its American forces from Indochina. Also, the Communist governments take power in South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. North and South Vietnam was turned into Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This is important because once again the US is getting involved in wars and yet we ended up losing more then gaining. -
Soviets Launch Sputnik
The Soviets launched an unmanned satellite into space which they named it Sputnik. Sputnik travel around th earth at 18 thousand miles an hour. The launching of Sputnik made the US feel like they were falling behind in the science and technology field. This event was important because it was what started the Space Race. -
Bay of Pigs
President Eisenhower granted permission to the CIA to train cuban exiles for an invasion of Cuba in hopes to overthrow Castro. 9 days into Kennedy's presidency he became aware of this invasion. 1,400 Cuban exiles landed on the Bay of Pigs. Everything went wrong. An airstrike failed to knock out Cuban airforce. An advance group who intended to distract Castro's force never made it to land. This event is important because Castro turned it into huge win. Kennedy was left embarrassed. -
The Berlin Wall Goes Up
The Berlin Wall was put up in the middle of the night and was kept up for 28 years to keep East Germans from fleeing to the West. Germany was broken apart into west and east or democratic vs communistic governments. Living conditions in West Germany were so much better than living in East Germany where there was hardly any freedom at all. The Berlin wall prevented the East from going to the West for anyting at all (visiting family, viewing operas, finding well paying jobs.) -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Nikita Khrushchev, a Soviet ally promised to defend Cuba. The Soviet ally sent nuclear missiles to Cuba. Soviets continued to build missile bases. Kennedy gave speech saying if Cuba attacked the US with a nuclear missile, the US would have a full on attack on Soviets. Soviet ships begin to approach Cuba, but came to a hault. Khrushchev announce plan to remove missiles from Cuba if US promised not to invade Cuba. US agreed. The event is important because we almost got involved in nuclear war USSR -
Six Day War
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Syria had building tensions which ended up leading to the six day war. Basically, the countries were fighting over land and weren't agreeing with border lines. The Egyptian President ordered an attack on Israel. Before Egypt could attack, Israel actually attacked them first so that the war would be on their soil instead of their own. This was important because the US was allies with Israel and the USSR was allies with Egypt. US/Israel won the war &proved their strength -
US Sends Man to Moon
The USSR announced that the world's first spaceship, Vostok, with a man on board had been launched on a routh the world orbit. US was stunned. Kennedy viewed this as a challenege and NASA was created. It took less than a year for the US to send a man to the moon. The achievement helped boost America's pride. This was important because this space race helped the US to develop and make improvements to modern technology and discover more about the unknown sciences of space. -
Olympic Rivalry: 1972 Basketball
Team USA had an overall record of 55-0 for basketball in the Olympics. Team USA and Team USSR were neck and neck. Then there was some complications with the score where there had to be a redo of the last play. (US was ahead) The USSR scored a layup at last second and won the game. It was huge debate whether the game was fair or not. This was important because of the tension that had already been previously built up between the USSR and USA during cold war. -
1980 Olympic Hocky Game
This hocky game was commonly known as "Miracle on the Ice" because the US olypmic hockey team beat the Soviet team which had won nearly every olympic tournament since 1954. Team USA took the gold medal and Team Soviet took silver. This was important because USA and the Soviet Union had building tensions so it felt amazing for the US to be able to rub it in the Soviets faces that we were better. -
INF Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987 (INF Treaty) was the first nuclear weapons agreement between US and USSR in which they had to reduce their nuclear weapon programs. It was signed by Ronald Ragen (US) and Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR.) The INF treaty got rid of all land-based nuclear missiles with ranges of between 300 and 3,400 miles. This was important because no one could take out masses of people in a short period of time anymore. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall came crumbling down just as fast as it was put up. Huge amounts of people from East Germany fled to West Germany. A lot thought it was too good to be true. Many took hammers and chipped away pieces of the wall for a keepsake. Family members were finally able to reunite after such a long period of seperation. Later, East and West Germany was united into just a single nation. This is important because the communistic government that US opposed was finally broken. -
Collapse of Soviet Union
The Soviet Union had broken up into 15 different nations as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The western countries viewed this as great day in history because it proved that capitalism was better than socialism. The collapse of the Soviet Union was basically the end of the ongoing Cold War. The collapse is important because it totally changed the political, economical, and military systems all over the world.
