-
The Truman Doctrine
Said that the U.S. would back Trukey and Greece by financial and military needs to prevent them from being overtaken by the USSR. It is considered the start of the Cold War. -
The Marshall Plan
The U.S. gave $13 billion to help restore Europe after the war. The USSR declined and also didn't allow Poland or Czechoslavakia to receive any benefit. -
The Berlin Airlift
The USSR attempted to cut off the city of West Berlin from the Western powers by closing down the roads and blocking it off. The U.S. foiled this by flying in 2.3 million tons of resources to the city. -
Creation of NATO
It stood for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and it was an alliance between the U.S, U.K, Canada, France, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Any attack on one of the nations would be considered an attack on all of them. -
Korean War
Started by North Korea invading South Korea over the 38th Parallel. This was the first military action of the Cold War. The U.S. backed the South while the communists backed the North. -
Operation Hurricane
The UK successfully tests its atomic bomb. It becomes the world's 3rd nuclear power and gives a slight edge to the U.S. in the Cold War. -
The Rosenburg Spy Case
Julius and Ethel Rosenburg were accused and executed for giving information regarding the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. -
The Vietnam War
It was started by North Vietnam wanting one unified country and the U.S. feared it being communist. This lead to U.S. occupation in the South and it transpired into a brutal jungle war. -
The KGB
The Russian organization that was created as a state security committee, but eventually became more of a secret police. They ensured that only Soviet ideas were being spread and that rebellion was nowhere to be found. -
Baghdad Pact
It was founded by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the U.K. Its purpose is to resist communist expansion in the Middle East. -
Warsaw Pact
It was essentially the Communist response to NATO. It was an alliance between the USSR, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. -
The Hungarian Revolution
The Soviets crushed a national uprising in Hungary. It was a very violent response due to the fear of losing a communist satellite nation and starting a chain reaction. They also replaced their Prime Minister with a more Communistic one. -
The Eisenhower Doctrine
it stated that a country could request economic or military aid from the U.S. if it was being threatened by an armed agressor. Eisenhower singled out the Soviet Union and the doctrine was approved in March of 1957. -
Formation of the Viet Cong
It is a communist party that's goal is to overthrow the anti-communist South Vietnamese dictatorship. They are backed by North Vietnam and the USSR. -
The Bay of Pigs
It was a failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro of Cuba. The U.S. used C.I.A. trained Cuban exiles but the plan failed and 90 exiles were killed. -
The Berlin Wall Goes Up
A huge wall that isolated West Berlin. It was supposed to keep Western ideas out of the Communist Eastern Germany, but mostly served to keep Eastern Germans from going to West Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In response to the Bay of Pigs, the Cubans decided to get Soviet missiles placed on the island. The U.S. placed a blockade to try and prevent this. The altercation lasted 13 days but ended in peace. -
The Partial Test Ban Treaty
It was signed by the U.S, the U.K, and the USSR. It prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons anwhere but underground. -
JFK Assassination
President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald. People speculated there was Communist or even CIA involvement, but it was never proven. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
It was passed in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, where American Naval vessels were fired upon by North Vietnamese ships. It allowed President Johnson to take military action in Vietnam without declaring war. -
Six Day War
It was started by Israel's suprise bombing of Egypt. The conflict involved Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Within 6 days Israel had control of The Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Originally signed by the US, UK, USSR, and China. It has since expanded. It states that the nations will not transfer nuclear weapons, not use them for destructive purposes, and that nuclear activities must be told to the IAEA. -
Detente
The General of the Soviet Union met with President Nixon to improve Soviet-U.S. relations. -
The Paris Peace Accords
This ended US involvement in Vietnam and also cut off funding for bombing in Indochina. It also temporarily ended the fighting between North and South Vietnam. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The U.S. allowed the ex-shah into the country which angered the Iranians. In response, they took 66 American hostages from the U.S. embassy. After 444 days, the U.S. agreed to keep out of iranian affairs in exchange for the release of the hostages. -
Gulf of Sidra Incident
Two Libyan fighter planes fired on two US jets. The US planes subsequently shot down both Libyan planes off the coast of Libya. -
The Chernobyl Disaster
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded and released radioactive particles into the area. It is considered the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. -
The Fall of the Berrlin Wall
East Germany announced that anyone was now allowed to cross the border freely. Germans rushed to the wall. They took it done and also had a huge street party. -
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
It was a treaty betweeen the US and the USSR that strived toward peace. It stated that they would have limits on how many WMDs they could produce. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
11 Soviet Republics declared that they would no longer be a part of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was no more and the West saw this as a victory.
