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Cold War 1947-1966
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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
Introduced by Secretary of State George G. Marshall in 1947. Proposed massive and systematic American economic aid to Europe to revitalize the European economies after WWII and help prevent the spread of Communism. -
Rio Pact
The Rio Pact said that if one country in the Americas was attacked, the others would help defend it. It ties into the Cold War because the U.S. wanted to stop the spread of communism in the Americas and make sure countries in the Western Hemisphere stayed united against the Soviet Union. -
Communist Party took over Czechoslovakia
On February 25, 1948, the Communist Party took over Czechoslovakia. They forced the non-communist leaders to resign and took full control of the government, turning the country into a communist state backed by the Soviet Union. -
Truman's Loyalty Program
Truman’s Loyalty Program was a plan to check if government workers were loyal to the United States. It was part of the fear of communism during the Cold War. The government investigated workers to make sure they weren’t secretly helping the Soviet Union or part of communist groups. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blocked all roads, railways, and canals into West Berlin, trying to force the U.S., Britain, and France to give up control of their parts of the city. This was one of the first major conflicts of the Cold War and showed the growing divide between the East (Soviets) and West (U.S. and allies). -
President Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb
On January 30, 1950, President Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb (H-bomb). This decision was made during the Cold War after the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in 1949. The U.S. wanted to stay ahead in the nuclear arms race by building an even more powerful bomb. -
NATO ratified
On April 4, 1949, NATO was officially ratified. It was a military alliance between the U.S., Canada, and several Western European countries. The goal was to protect each other from attack especially from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. -
Berlin Blockade Ends
On May 12, 1949, the Berlin Blockade ended. After 11 months of the Berlin Airlift, where the U.S. and its allies flew in supplies to help West Berlin, the Soviet Union gave up and reopened roads, railways, and canals. It was a Cold War victory for the West, showing that the U.S. and its allies would stand up to Soviet pressure without starting a war. -
Communist leader Mao Zedong took control of China and declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
On October 1, 1949, Communist leader Mao Zedong took control of China and declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China. This was a big moment in the Cold War because one of the world’s largest countries became communist, which worried the United States and its allies. It also made the Cold War feel more global, not just a fight between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.