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Period: to
Cold War 1947-1966
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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
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
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
The Soviets took over Czechoslovakia's government. This made people in the West more afraid of communism spreading. -
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
The Soviet Union blocked roads and railways to West Berlin. The U.S. and allies responded by flying in supplies. -
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
The USSR tested its first nuclear bomb, shocking the world. Now both superpowers had nuclear weapons. -
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
North Korea invaded South Korea. The U.S. and United Nations helped South Korea fight back. -
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
The U.S. greatly increased military spending to fight the spread of communism. This began a long arms race. -
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
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
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
Britain became the third country to have nuclear weapons. This changed the balance of power. -
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
The U.S. started the NSA to listen to secret communications. It became a powerful spy agency. -
Stalin Dies
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin died. This brought hope for change, but fear about who would take over. -
Korean War Ends
The war stopped with a truce. North and South Korea stayed divided. -
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
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
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
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
The Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of communist countries. It was the Eastern version of NATO. -
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
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
Soviet leader Khrushchev criticized Stalin’s rule in a secret speech. It shocked many in the communist world. -
Hungarian Revolution
People in Hungary tried to break free from Soviet control. The Soviets sent tanks and crushed the revolt. -
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
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
The USSR tested a missile that could carry nuclear weapons across continents. This increased the threat of nuclear war. -
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
The U.S. started NASA to compete with the Soviet space program. Space became another area of the Cold War. -
Khrushchev Visits China
The Soviet leader visited China to improve communist unity. But tensions between the two countries were rising. -
Berlin Crisis Begins
The USSR told Western countries to leave Berlin. This led to a long standoff over the divided city. -
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.
The Soviet leader visited America to ease tensions. He toured cities but still disagreed with U.S. leaders. -
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
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
China and the Soviet Union began to argue and break ties. This weakened the unity of the communist world. -
Kennedy Elected President
John F. Kennedy won the U.S. election. He promised to be tough on communism. -
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
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
President Kennedy sent more U.S. troops to support South Vietnam. The war began to grow. -
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
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
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
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
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
The U.S. supported a coup that removed South Vietnam’s president. The country became more unstable. -
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
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 exploded its first atomic bomb. This made the world even more tense. -
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
The U.S. started bombing North Vietnam to weaken its forces. The air war lasted for years. -
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
Many Americans started protesting the Vietnam War. Young people and students led the movement. -
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
The Vietnam War became the center of American foreign policy. It cost a lot of money and lives.