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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was created by President Harry Truman detailing the position of U.S. regarding it's foreign policy. Truman declared that as the "leader of the free world", the United States must support democracy all over the world and to fight against communism. It was a doctrine based off of 'containment'. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger foundation for the allied countries of Europe, and repelling communism after World War II. George Marshall had suggested it to wetsern Europeans. The US helped the west European's economy greatly improve. -
Creation Of NATO
NATO was created to unite countries in forces to fight against the spread of communism and the rule of the USSR. In accordance with the United Nations Charter, 12 nations established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to coordinate the military defenses of member nations against possible Soviet aggression. -
Korean War
North Korea and South Korea were separated by communism and democracy. (North was communists and South were democrats) North Korea invaded South Korea trying to force communism on them. The US decided to support South Korea because they did not want communism to spread. In ended with North Korea surrendered and many ran back across the 38th parallel. -
Cold War
After the WWII the US and the USSR had both become world powers. The USSR believed in communism and the US believed in democracy. They both wanted to spread their beliefs to become the dominant world power. They both began to compete in advancing in technology, weaponry, economy and politics. This was all through out the 1950's and 1960's. -
The Arms Race
The nuclear arms race was central to the Cold War. Many feared where the Cold War was going with the belief that the more nuclear weapons you had, the more powerful you were. The world greatly changed when USA exploded the H-bomb in 1952. This one bomb was smaller in size than the Hiroshima atomic bomb but 2500 times more powerful. The Russians produced an H-bomb in 1953. -
Vietnam War
Ho Chi Mihn (leader of Vietnamese people) declared Vietnam independent, but the French would not allow that. Ho tried to ask the US to back them but because they were communist, the US backed the French instead. The war was brought to an end by a peace agreement to divide the country along the 17th parallel. -
Space Race
The Space race was a competition between the US and the USSR for supremacy in the exploration of space. In 1957-1975 the two nations raced to have the first technology to explore space. When the USSR launched the Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4th 1957 the race began. -
Launching Of Sputnik 1
Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, by the USSR. It was little more than the size of a basketball and weighed 184 pounds. Sputnik did cause the new age of space exploration, and initiated the US/ USSR space race that would lead to the creation of the manned space shuttle and utilization. -
Bay Of Pigs Invasion
President Eisenhower gave permission to the CIA to train Cuban exiles to invade Cuba. JFK learned about this plan right in the beginning of his presidency and approved. It did not go well and in April 1961 the Cuban Exiles were greatly out numbered and out armed. They surrendered and it ended. -
The Cuban Missle Crisis
The USSR had increased their military weapons in Cuba, including missiles. Because Cuba was so close to the US, they decided to negotiate with the USSR asking for them to move their weapons somewhere else. This event almost started off a nuclear war because Kennedy had threatened them with nuclear bombing. Both the USSR and the US decided they did not want that because both sides would lose.
