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The Truman Doctorine is set in place
linkThe U.S. goverment decided to adopt the idea of "containment" with the goal of ending communism in mind. The doctrine was a policy that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey financially in order to help prevent them from falling under control of the Soviet Union. Some historians say this is the start of the Cold War. -
Stalin instituted the Berlin Blockade
link This was one of the first crisises of the Cold War. Stalin prevented food, materials and supplies from arriving into West Berlin. The U.S., France, Canada, Britain, and several other countries started the "Belin Airlift" which supplied food and other provisions to West Berlin. -
The Soviet Union created an alliance with the newly formed People's Republic of China
linkAfter Mao Zedong's People's Liberation Army defeated Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Government in China. Because of this the Truman administration quickly moved to escalate and expand the containment policy. In NSC-68, a secret 1950 document, the National Security Council proposed to reinforce pro-Western alliance systems and quadruple spending on defense. -
The North Atlantic Treaty is signed
linkBritain, France, the United States, Canada and eight other western European countries got together and signed the North Atlantic Treaty. This treaty established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO. -
The Korean War started.
linkThis war between North and South Korea was caused by the political division created as a result of the ending of the Pacific War and World War II. The U.S. provided 88% of the 341,000 international soldiers which aided South Korean forces, with twenty other countries of the United Nations offering assistance.The war lasted until July 1953. -
Stalin's death leads to setbacks for the Soviet Union
link One of these things was the Sino-Soviet split. The new Soviet leader and Mao Zedong did not get along which forced China and the Soviet to diverge and eventually denounce each other. -
USSR launches Sputnik 1.
linkThis started the Space Race that went along with the Arms Race during the Cold War. The U.S. then began emphasising science and math in school and started to focus on creating space exploration materials that would be better than that of the Soviets. -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion is not a success.
linkThe U.S. army tried to destroy Fidel Castro's army force however they were unsuccessful because Castro was aware of the planned attack and moved the target out of harm's way. They tried another seperate invasion on April 17 however that one was unsuccessful as well. -
Preisdent Kennedy Works on the Cuban Missle Crisis
linkThe Kennedy adminstration had found that the Soviet Union was harboring nuclear weapons in Cuba--an island close to the United States. Kennedy stated that if these weapons were to be fired that the "gravest isssues would be at hand" -
JFK is assassinated.
lecture JFK's assassination led to Lindon B. Johnson becoming president. This is significant because it shocked a nation that was already living in fear due to the "Red Scare" of the cold war. -
Soviet leader, Khrushchev is ousted.
link Khrushchev's colleagues ousted him, but allowed for a peaceful retirement. Khrushchev had become an embarrassment to the Soviet Union he was also accused of rudeness and incompetence, he was also credited with ruining Soviet agriculture and bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. -
The Berlin Wall falls.
link
The Cold War was ending and the "fall" of the Berlin Wall marks represents this. On November 9, 1989 the Berlin wall was opened and West Berlin was finally open to East Berlin, the first time since 1961. -
The Cold War is declared over.
linkGorbachev and George H. W. Bush declared the Cold War over at the Malta Summit. A year later the two joined forces against Iraq in the Gulf War.
