Cold War 1947-1966

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    Cold War 1947-1966

  • Truman Doctrine Announced

    Truman Doctrine Announced
    The U.S. promised to help countries fight communism, especially Greece and Turkey. This was the start of the U.S. "containment" strategy.
  • Marshall Plan Proposed

    Marshall Plan Proposed
    The U.S. offered billions of dollars to rebuild European countries hurt by WWII. The goal was to stop communism by helping economies.
  • CIA Created

    CIA Created
    The Central Intelligence Agency was made to gather secret information during the Cold War. It played a big part in U.S. spying.
  • Czechoslovakia Becomes Communist

    Czechoslovakia Becomes Communist
    The Soviets took over Czechoslovakia's government. This made people in the West more afraid of communism spreading.
  • Marshall Plan Begins

    Marshall Plan Begins
    The U.S. started sending money to help European countries rebuild. It was successful in stopping the spread of communism.
  • Berlin Blockade Starts

    Berlin Blockade Starts
    The Soviet Union blocked roads and railways to West Berlin. The U.S. and allies responded by flying in supplies.
  • NATO Created

    NATO Created
    Western countries joined together to protect each other against Soviet attacks. This military alliance was led by the U.S.
  • Soviet Union Gets Atomic Bomb

    Soviet Union Gets Atomic Bomb
    The USSR tested its first nuclear bomb, shocking the world. Now both superpowers had nuclear weapons.
  • China Becomes Communist

    China Becomes Communist
    Mao Zedong took control of China, making it a communist nation. This was a big win for the Soviet side.
  • Korean War Begins

    Korean War Begins
    North Korea invaded South Korea. The U.S. and United Nations helped South Korea fight back.
  • China Enters Korean War

    China Enters Korean War
    China sent troops to help North Korea. This made the war even harder for the U.S. and South Korea.
  • U.S. Triples Defense Budget

    U.S. Triples Defense Budget
    The U.S. greatly increased military spending to fight the spread of communism. This began a long arms race.
  • MacArthur Fired by Truman

    MacArthur Fired by Truman
    President Truman removed General MacArthur for wanting to expand the Korean War into China. This caused a lot of debate in America.
  • U.S. Tests Hydrogen Bomb Design

    U.S. Tests Hydrogen Bomb Design
    The U.S. tested a powerful new type of nuclear weapon. It was much stronger than the bombs dropped in WWII.
  • Mutual Security Act Signed

    Mutual Security Act Signed
    The U.S. gave more military and economic aid to allies. It was meant to strengthen countries against communism.
  • U.K. Tests Its First Atomic Bomb

    U.K. Tests Its First Atomic Bomb
    Britain became the third country to have nuclear weapons. This changed the balance of power.
  • First U.S. Hydrogen Bomb Test

    First U.S. Hydrogen Bomb Test
    The U.S. exploded the first real hydrogen bomb in the Pacific. It showed how dangerous the nuclear arms race had become.
  • National Security Agency (NSA) Founded

    National Security Agency (NSA) Founded
    The U.S. started the NSA to listen to secret communications. It became a powerful spy agency.
  • Stalin Dies

    Stalin Dies
    Soviet leader Joseph Stalin died. This brought hope for change, but fear about who would take over.
  • Korean War Ends

    Korean War Ends
    The war stopped with a truce. North and South Korea stayed divided.
  • Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” Speech

    Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” Speech
    President Eisenhower said nuclear energy could be used for good, like electricity. He wanted to calm fears of nuclear war.
  • Geneva Conference on Vietnam

    Geneva Conference on Vietnam
    Leaders met in Geneva to discuss peace in Vietnam. They decided to split Vietnam into North (communist) and South (non-communist).
  • U.S. Begins Helping South Vietnam

    U.S. Begins Helping South Vietnam
    The U.S. gave money and military help to South Vietnam to stop communism. This was the beginning of deeper U.S. involvement.
  • CIA Overthrows Guatemala’s Leader

    CIA Overthrows Guatemala’s Leader
    The CIA helped remove Guatemala's president because the U.S. feared he was leaning toward communism. It caused protests in Latin America.
  • Warsaw Pact Formed

    Warsaw Pact Formed
    The Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of communist countries. It was the Eastern version of NATO.
  • Geneva Summit

    Geneva Summit
    Leaders from the U.S., USSR, Britain, and France met to reduce Cold War tensions. They didn’t make any big deals but started talking again.
  • Vietnam War Begins to Escalate

    Vietnam War Begins to Escalate
    Small battles began between North and South Vietnam. The U.S. sent more help to the South to stop communist attacks.
  • Khrushchev’s Secret Speech

    Khrushchev’s Secret Speech
    Soviet leader Khrushchev criticized Stalin’s rule in a secret speech. It shocked many in the communist world.
  • Hungarian Revolution

    Hungarian Revolution
    People in Hungary tried to break free from Soviet control. The Soviets sent tanks and crushed the revolt.
  • Suez Crisis

    Suez Crisis
    Britain, France, and Israel attacked Egypt after it took over the Suez Canal. The U.S. and USSR pressured them to stop.
  • Eisenhower Doctrine Announced

    Eisenhower Doctrine Announced
    President Eisenhower said the U.S. would help any Middle Eastern country fight communism. It showed growing U.S. influence.
  • First ICBM Tested by Soviets

    First ICBM Tested by Soviets
    The USSR tested a missile that could carry nuclear weapons across continents. This increased the threat of nuclear war.
  • Sputnik Launched by USSR

    Sputnik Launched by USSR
    The Soviet Union sent the first satellite into space. This started the space race and scared the U.S.
  • U.S. Creates NASA

    U.S. Creates NASA
    The U.S. started NASA to compete with the Soviet space program. Space became another area of the Cold War.
  • Khrushchev Visits China

    Khrushchev Visits China
    The Soviet leader visited China to improve communist unity. But tensions between the two countries were rising.
  • Berlin Crisis Begins

    Berlin Crisis Begins
    The USSR told Western countries to leave Berlin. This led to a long standoff over the divided city.
  • Cuban Revolution Succeeds

    Cuban Revolution Succeeds
    Fidel Castro took over Cuba and later became communist. The U.S. became worried about communism near its border.
  • Khrushchev Visits the U.S.

    Khrushchev Visits the U.S.
    The Soviet leader visited America to ease tensions. He toured cities but still disagreed with U.S. leaders.
  • U.S. Increases Vietnam Support

    U.S. Increases Vietnam Support
    The U.S. sent more military advisors to South Vietnam. Communist attacks from the North kept growing.
  • U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down

    U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down
    The Soviet Union shot down an American spy plane and captured the pilot. The U.S. was caught lying about it.
  • Sino-Soviet Split Begins

    Sino-Soviet Split Begins
    China and the Soviet Union began to argue and break ties. This weakened the unity of the communist world.
  • Kennedy Elected President

    Kennedy Elected President
    John F. Kennedy won the U.S. election. He promised to be tough on communism.
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Bay of Pigs Invasion
    The U.S. tried to help Cuban exiles invade Cuba and remove Castro. The plan failed and embarrassed the U.S.
  • Berlin Wall Built

    Berlin Wall Built
    East Germany built a wall to stop people from escaping to West Berlin. It became a symbol of the Cold War.
  • Kennedy Increases Troops in Vietnam

    Kennedy Increases Troops in Vietnam
    President Kennedy sent more U.S. troops to support South Vietnam. The war began to grow.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    Cuban Missile Crisis
    The U.S. discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. After a tense standoff, the Soviets agreed to remove them.
  • U.S. Navy Blockades Cuba

    U.S. Navy Blockades Cuba
    To stop more missiles from reaching Cuba, the U.S. surrounded the island with ships. It brought the world close to nuclear war.
  • Hotline Set Up Between U.S. and USSR

    Hotline Set Up Between U.S. and USSR
    A direct phone line was set up between the U.S. and Soviet leaders. This helped avoid future misunderstandings.
  • JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” Speech

    JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” Speech
    President Kennedy gave a speech in Berlin showing support for West Germany. It became a famous moment in Cold War history.
  • Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Signed

    Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Signed
    The U.S., USSR, and UK agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons in the air and sea. It was a small step toward peace.
  • South Vietnamese Leader Overthrown

    South Vietnamese Leader Overthrown
    The U.S. supported a coup that removed South Vietnam’s president. The country became more unstable.
  • Gulf of Tonkin Incident

    Gulf of Tonkin Incident
    North Vietnamese boats attacked U.S. ships. This led the U.S. to increase its role in the Vietnam War.
  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Passed

    Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Passed
    Congress allowed the president to use military force in Vietnam without declaring war. This gave Lyndon B. Johnson more power.
  • China Tests First Nuclear Bomb

    China Tests First Nuclear Bomb
    China exploded its first atomic bomb. This made the world even more tense.
  • Tensions Continue with China

    Tensions Continue with China
    China’s leader, Mao Zedong, started the Cultural Revolution. It made China even more distant from the U.S. and USSR.
  • Operation Rolling Thunder Begins

    Operation Rolling Thunder Begins
    The U.S. started bombing North Vietnam to weaken its forces. The air war lasted for years.
  • U.S. Sends Combat Troops to Vietnam

    U.S. Sends Combat Troops to Vietnam
    The U.S. sent full combat troops into Vietnam for the first time. The war became much larger.
  • Protests Begin in U.S. Against War

    Protests Begin in U.S. Against War
    Many Americans started protesting the Vietnam War. Young people and students led the movement.
  • More U.S. Troops Sent to Vietnam

    More U.S. Troops Sent to Vietnam
    The U.S. sent hundreds of thousands of troops to fight in Vietnam. The war was not going as planned.
  • Vietnam War Becomes U.S.'s Main Focus

    Vietnam War Becomes U.S.'s Main Focus
    The Vietnam War became the center of American foreign policy. It cost a lot of money and lives.