The Cold War

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    Presidency of Harry S. Truman

    The 33rd president of the United States, who became president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. After this term he ran for presidency again, he won. He was best known for his critical decisions in history, such as his orders to drop atomic bombs on cities devoted to war work, and his creation of The Truman Doctrine.
  • The End of WWII

    The End of WWII

    On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. These events marked the end of WW2.
  • The Creation of the Truman Doctrine

    The Creation of the Truman Doctrine

    President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal forces. While also asking congress to authorize $400 million in emergency assistance.
  • The Creation of the Marshall Plan

    The Creation of the Marshall Plan

    The idea being created after the destruction of economies after WW2, it was laid out by U.S. Secretary of State, George Marshall. The plan provided markets for American goods, created reliable trading partners, and supported the development of stable democratic governments in Western Europe.
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    The Berlin Airlift

    After the splitting of Germany into 4 provinces Britain, US, and France combined their zones and created one nation. This, creating a problem for the Soviets, led the Soviets to cut off all support to Berlin. They did this by blockading all road, rail, and water routes in the Allied controlled area. Although the Allied troops were stronger than the Soviets, they could do little about it militarily. Finally, the Allies took to the air and dropped in supplies, peacefully ending the crisis.
  • Creation of NATO

    Creation of NATO

    Created by the United States, Canada, and several Western European countries. It was intended to provide collective security again the Soviet Union.
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    The Korean War

    Conflict between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). In which North Korea tried to militarily conquer South Korea. Meanwhile the US used it to contain communism.
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    The Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower

    The 34th president of the United States and American military officer. Before presidency, he was known for his prestige as a commanding general in WW2 and being the Supreme Commander of NATO. During presidency, one of his greatest achievements was the creation of the interstate highway. After term he was constitutionally prevented from running for re-election.
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    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The Bay of Pigs was an invasion intended to overthrow Fidel Castro from power. The attack failed and led to the deaths and capturing of many soldiers.
  • Building of the Berlin Wall

    Building of the Berlin Wall

    Built by the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War to prevent its population from escaping Soviet-controlled East Berlin to West Berlin. It divided the city of Berlin into two contrasting zones.
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    Cuban Missile Crisis

    A major confrontation that almost brought the US and Soviets to war. The cause of this confrontation was the presence of Soviet nuclear-armed ballistic missiles in Cuba.
  • The Limited Test Ban Theory

    The Limited Test Ban Theory

    A treaty signed by the US, Soviet Union, and Great Britain. The treaty banned all nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and underwater. Although it did allow underground testing as long as no radioactive debris fell outside of the marked testing zone.
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    Presidency of Richard Nixon

    The 37th president of the United States. He ended involvement in Vietnam conflict and ended the draft. His presidency came to an end when he resigned, in the face of impeachment.
  • The First Man on the Moon

    The First Man on the Moon

    In the midst of the Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union, the aircraft Apollo 11 was launched. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon, followed by Edwin Aldrin.
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    Presidency of Gerald Ford

    Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, which marked a move toward detente in the Cold War. With the collapse of South Vietnam nine months into his presidency, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War essentially ended.
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    Presidency of Jimmy Carter

    The 39th president of the US, inaugurated after his defeat of Gerald Ford. His main goal was to reform the country's welfare, health care, and tax systems, but was largely unsuccessful, partly due to poor relations with Democrats in Congress.
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    Presidency of Ronald Reagan

    The 40th president of the US, defeated Jimmy Carter in the election. He aimed to prevent communism around the world, and he increased the growth of economics in the US.
  • The Tearing Down of the Berlin Wall

    The Tearing Down of the Berlin Wall

    Brought about by political reforms inside the Soviet bloc, escalating pressure from the people of eastern Europe and ultimately, confusion over an East German directive to open the border. This was a pivotal point in not just the Cold War, but the history of Europe.
  • The Soviet Union Disbanded

    The Soviet Union Disbanded

    After the power of the Soviet Union slowly dwindled, the US worked towards an end. The US was in talks with Gorbachev, and finally in 1991 he resigned as president of the Soviet Unions, leading to them disbanding