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Truman Doctrine
Policy institued by President Truman stating that the United States would assist any country whose stability was threatened by communism. The Truman Doctrine shifted American policy toward the Soviet Union and away from isolation to containment. The policy funded $400 million to both Greece & Turkey. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was an American plan pledged to give money to European countries who had been devastated by WWII to help rebuild their economies. The Marshall Plan was viewed as a great success. The Marshall Plan helped rebuild factories and other buildings as well as providing money to industralize Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift supplied the people of West Berlin with vital necessities. The Berlin Airlift was in response to the blockade of West Berlin by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union hoped the blockade would force the Allies to abadon West Berlin. The Berlin Airlift however, showed the Soviet Union that the United States would not abandon West Berlin and that it would do everything in its power to keep communism from spreading. -
Creation of NATO
NATO was formed as a protection agaisnt possible future attacks by the Soviet Union. NATO was created for three purposes: to defer Soviet expansion, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe, and encouraging European political integration. NATO created a series of over 10 alliances and protected these countries from communist influence. -
China Becomes Communist
After a lengthy civil war, The Chinese Communist Party defeated The Chinese Nationalist Party and assumed power, converting the country to communism. This event was particularly important because it showed the United States and the rest of the world that communism was spreading and the need for containment was greater than ever. -
The Korean War
World War II divided Korea into a northern Communist half and a southern, American occupied half. The Korean War began after the North Korea invaded the south at the 38th parellel. The United States soon joined South Korea in war, After years of fighting, the war ended in 1953 with the signing of a peace treaty that divided Korea as it had been before the war started. The Korean War represented the first armed conflict in the Cold War and also showed the powers and restraints of the two powers. -
Rosenberg Spy Case
The Rosenberg Spy Case revolved around Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who had been tried and convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, The Rosenberg's had supposedly given information to the Soviet Union about the atomic bomb. The Rosenberg Spy Case showed that the United States took the issue of spying very seriously and reminded the citizens of the United States to stay faithful to their country. -
Creation of Warsaw Pact
The creation of the Warsaw Pact was in response to the creation of NATO. The Warsaw Pact created a series of alliances between over 5 communist countries. The pact pledged that each of the signatory countries would defend any country part of the alliance if attacked. The pact became a strong political tool for the Soviet Union by allowing the Soviet Union to power over its allies, harnessing the power of the combined military. -
Vietnam War
The United State's fear of communism and policy of containment are the main causes of the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is the United State's longest war, lasting over 20 years. The Vietnam War became the first war that was wildly unpopular in the United States. The war ended in 1975 with the signing of a treaty that unified Vietnam. THe effects of the war was enormous, with almost 60,000 U.S. solidiers being killed. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs refers to the American attack on the Cuban government in hopes of overthrowing Cuba's communist leader, Fidel Castro. The invasion was an unsuccessful attack and a huge embaressment for U.S. foreign policy. The attack strengthened Castro's administration and strengthened Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union. This unsuccessful mission by the United States ulimately led to the Cuban Missle Crisis. -
Berlin Wall Goes Up
After WWII, Berlin had been divided into two territoes, The East side was ruled by communists and the West side was capitalist with financial help from the United States. Life in West Berlin was much more prosperous than life in East Berlin, causing more than 2.6 million people to emigrate to West Berlin. In order to prevent more people from escaping East Berlin, the communist contructed the wall to serve as a barrier. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
This event was a confrontation between the Soviet Union and Cuba against the United States. In 1962, the United States revealed pictures of missles on the island of Cuba that were reportedly aimed at the United States. The possible attack by Cuba was in response to the Bay of Pigs. Kennedy quarantined the island and warned the two countries that the United States would respond. The crisis ended with the dismantle of missles but the crisis is the closest the world has even come to a nuclear war. -
U.S. Sends Man To The Moon
The Space Race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for ulimate supremacy in space exploration. The United States made a huge stride in the race when in 1969, the United States sent a man to the moon. The sending of the man to the man proved to the Soviet Union that the technology of the United States outperformed that of any other country. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
As communism began to falter in the early 1980's, an announcement by the East Berlin government annouced the lift and ultimately destruction of the Berlin Wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall reunifed Germany and was a very influential event that pointed to the fall of communism. -
Collapse of Soviet Union
After a series of economic and political downfalls, the Soviet Union officially disbanded on December 26,1991, The fall of the Soviet Union freed over 10 countries from communism and ultimately ended the Cold War.
