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Period: to
Cold War 1947-1966
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Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine, announced by President Harry Truman in 1947, was a U.S. foreign policy that pledged to provide political, military, and economic aid to democratic countries resisting communism. This policy, a cornerstone of the Cold War, aimed to contain the spread of communism, particularly in Europe. -
Marshall Plan Is Announced
The Marshall Plan, officially the European Recovery Program (ERP), was a U.S. initiative designed to rebuild Western Europe after World War II. It provided significant economic aid to European nations, aiming to restore their economies and prevent the spread of communism. -
Rio Pact
The Rio Treaty, formally known as the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, was a treaty signed in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro. It established a collective defense mechanism where an attack on one member state would be considered an attack on all. The treaty, which came into force in 1948, aimed to provide mutual assistance in the face of aggression and to maintain peace and security in the Americas. -
Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power in February 1948 through a coup d'état, following a period of political crisis and the resignation of non-Communist ministers. This event led to the establishment of a communist regime in Czechoslovakia, solidifying the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe and impacting the Cold War. -
Brussels Pact
The Brussels Pact, officially the Brussels Treaty, was a treaty signed in 1948 by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It aimed to promote economic, social, and cultural collaboration, and importantly, to establish a framework for collective self-defense. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was a major Cold War event where the Soviet Union blocked all land and river access to the Western-controlled sectors of Berlin from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949. This action aimed to force the Western Allies to abandon their presence in the city or to negotiate a unified, communist Germany. -
NATO ratified
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a political and military alliance of 32 countries from Europe and North America. It's based on the principle of collective defense, meaning that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all. NATO aims to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. -
Russia tested its first atomic bomb
The Soviet Union conducted its first atomic bomb test on August 29, 1949, codenamed "First Lightning" (RDS-1) and known as "Joe-1" in the United States. The test took place at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. This event marked a significant moment in the Cold War, as it demonstrated the Soviet Union's ability to develop nuclear weapons. -
Mao Zedong takes control of China
Mao Zedong declared the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. This event marked the end of the Chinese Civil War and the Communist Party's victory. Mao, as chairman of the Communist Party, then established the Central People's Government and a one-party state. The People's Republic of China was proclaimed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the new capital. -
Truman approved H-bomb development
President Truman approved the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon far more powerful than atomic bombs, in 1950. He did so to restore the United States' military advantage over the Soviet Union, following the Soviet Union's success in developing its own nuclear weapons. This decision marked a shift towards developing even more destructive weaponry during the Cold War. -
Joe McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt and loyalty tests
Joseph McCarthy's communist hunt, also known as McCarthyism or the Second Red Scare, was a period of intense political repression and fear-mongering fueled by accusations of communist infiltration in the United States during the 1950s. -
Korean War Begins
A conflict primarily stemming from the Cold War, began in 1950 when North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, which was supported by the United States -
Federal Civil Defense Administration established
The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized by President Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, through Executive Order 10186, and became an official government agency via the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 on 12 January 1951. -
Operation Ripper
Operation Ripper was a United Nations military operation conceived by the commander US Eighth Army, General Matthew Ridgway, during the Korean War. The operation was intended to destroy as much as possible of the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army and North Korean military around Seoul and the towns of Hongch'on -
Truman fires MacArthur
President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his command as commander of United Nations forces in the Korean War. Truman's decision followed a period of public disagreement with MacArthur about the conduct of the war and the appropriate strategy for achieving victory. MacArthur advocated for a more aggressive approach, including the potential use of nuclear weapons against China, while Truman and the administration sought a more limited war with a focus on diplomacy. -
Death of King George VI
King George VI died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham House on February 6, 1952, at the age of 56. He had been in failing health for several years and was believed to have died from a coronary thrombosis. His death led to his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, becoming Queen Elizabeth II. -
Detonation of a hydrogen bomb
The United States detonated the first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike," on November 1, 1952 at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This test, part of Operation Ivy, resulted in a fireball that vaporized an entire island and created a crater over a mile wide. -
United States presidential election
Elections were held on November 4, 1952, during the Cold War and the Korean War. General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower won the White House in a landslide over Democratic governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. -
RAND report on the "Vulnerability of U. S. Strategic Air Power"
The RAND Corporation's report titled “The Vulnerability of U.S. Strategic Air Power”, originally published in the 1950s during the Cold War, is a foundational document that analyzed the weaknesses and strategic risks associated with America's reliance on long-range bombers as the cornerstone of its nuclear deterrence strategy. -
Korean War ends
The Korean War officially ended on July 27, 1953, with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. This agreement, negotiated after two years and 17 days of talks, established a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel, a four-kilometer-wide buffer zone between North and South Korea. While the armistice ended the fighting, it did not officially end the war, and the Korean peninsula remains technically at war. -
Ike's Atoms for Peace speech
President Eisenhower called for the peaceful uses of atomic energy, advocating for a global initiative to share nuclear technology and resources for non-military purposes. He highlighted the shared responsibility of humanity to harness the power of the atom for the benefit of all, rather than solely for destructive war. The speech aimed to move the focus away from the escalating nuclear arms race and towards peaceful applications like electricity generation and medical advancements.