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The Cold War begins
The Berlin blockade was the first major confrontation of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was blamed for failing to carry out economic provisions. The United States led the blockade in the West.
This era of psychological and verbal warfare severely impacted the minds and feeling of safety that many of the world's citizens felt over the course of the period. -
Truman Doctrine
British financial aid to Greece and Turkey had recently ended; Truman Doctrine's goal is to provide $300 million in total aid to Greece and Turkey in order to prevent them from falling into the Soviet sphere of influence.
The doctrine eventually became basis of Truman and the U.S. government's Cold War relations policy. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan encouraged European nations to cooperate for economic aid after WWII. The United States agreed to aid to Europe if the countries would convene and inform the US of what they specifically needed. The official name of the plan was the European Recovery Program.
In the long run, the Marshall Plan may have elevated the USSR into a significant position of power that allowed them to make nuclear threats against the US and the rest of the world. -
Korean War begins
War between South Korea, backed by the United Nations, and North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union. 5000 Turkish troops join UN forces in late 1950 and make a significant difference in war; 732 die in combat. -
Turkey joins NATO
Extended the West's direct borders with the Eastern blockade by half, and added over a million men to the NATO forces. It also helped to maintain the U.S. balance of power in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Turkey also provided NATO with a base much closer to the heart of Soviet Russia from which attacks could potentially be launched. It was the basing of fifteen Jupiter IRBM's with nuclear warheads in Turkey that led to Russia's eventual basing of their missiles in Cuba. -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched which the first artificial satellite. It circled the Earth once every 96 minutes at 18,000 miles per hour. "The world held it's breath."
The launching of Sputnik increased American fear towards Russia, and, also, was responsible for propelling America into the space race. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Unsuccessful attempt by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. Attacking forces were slaughtered within 3 days by Cuban forces.
"How can I have been so stupid to let them proceed?"
Violated American neutrality laws, proved American fear towards Communist expansion, increased hostilities between America and Soviet Union. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Major conflict amongst USA, Russia, and Cuba concerning Russian warheads stationed in Cuba -- the closest the world had ever been to nuclear war. It was eventually settled that both sides would withdraw their missiles from Cuba and Turkey respectively, and the US agreed to never attack Cuba.
Put the world on the brink of nuclear terror and heightened Castro's position as Cuba's leader. -
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkish armed forces invade Cyprus in response to Greek Cypriot armed forces' ousting of Archbishop Makarios III in favor of Nikos Sampson.
Instilled a new republic, called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and was the culmination of all disputes in Greece and Turkey related to the Truman Doctrine -
Soviet Union collapses
Effectively ended the Cold War as USSR broke into 15 seperate countries; the world watched in disbelief as Russia's reign of terror suddenly evaporated into nothingness
