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Truman Doctrine
Created by President Harry Truman, this foreign policy was created in response to the Soviet threat of expanding communism. It also stated it would aid Greece and Turkey. -
Announcing the Marshall Plan
An American initiative passed announced in 1947 to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave $12 billion dollars in economic assistance to help rebuild Western Europe economies after World War II. -
Resolution in Korea
The UN passed a resolution on this date declaring that free elections should be held, foreign troops should be withdrawn, and a UN commission for Korea should be created. -
Communist Party Takes Over Czechoslovak Coup D'etat
Due to the high tensions that Presiden Eduard Benes of Czechoslovakia felt, he allowed the Czechoslovakian Communist Party to take over. This was considered the first bloodless communist coup in Eastern Europe. -
State of Israel was formed
On this day, the State of Israel was officially formed and put David Ban-Gurion as Prime Minister. This was the first country that was established for the Jewish people. -
Berlin Blockade
Stalin ordered the Berlin Blockade, closing all land routes Western Germany to Berlin, in an attempt to starve out the French, British, and American forces from the city. -
NATO is founded
On this day, the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. The first peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere. -
USSR tests Atomic Bomb
On this day, the Soviet Union tested the first atomic bomb that they had created. This was considered as a warning to the US because they were now the second county to have direct access to nuclear weapons. -
People's Republic of China is created
Mao Zedong declares the foundation of the People's Republic of China. This added about one-fourth of the world into a communist party. -
Kuomintang Defeat
The last Kuomintang soldier surrendered to continental China. This allowed the newly found Chinese government to gain more control in the mainland. -
NSC 68
Issued by the United States State Department Director of Policy Planning Pual Nitze, a classified report that argued for the adopting of containment as the cornerstone of the United States foreign policy. -
Korean War Starts
North Korea invades South Korea, starting the Korean War. This causes tensions to rise in many communist countries. -
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Conviction
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage for their role in passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during and after World war II. They were executed in 1953. -
Truman Fires MacArthur
President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his commands after MacArthur made public statements which contradicted the administration's policies. Truman explained to publically that it was the right decision based on what was happening in Korea. -
ANZUS Treaty is Signed
Australia, New Zealand, and the United States signed this treaty to cooperate on matters of defense and security in the Pacific. -
Treaty of San Francisco
While it was signed in 1951, it came into effect this date. It officially ended the American-led Allied Occupation of Japan. -
USS Nautilus
The United States lays the keel for the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus. -
Marshall Plans Ends
The Marshall Plan ended on this day. It was later replaced with the Mutual Security Plan. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President
The American army general and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States. -
Stalin Dies
Stalin died at the Kuntsevo Dacha at the age of 74 after suffering a stroke. After four days of national mourning, Stalin was given a state funeral and then buried in Lenin's Mausoleum on March 9th. -
Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet Leader
Following the death of Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev becomes the leader of the Communist Party. -
Viet Minh defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu
In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh forces defeated the French at Dien Bein Phu. This forced the French to withdraw from Indochina. -
Guatemalan Government is Overthrown
The Guatemalan government was overthrown on this day by a coup that was supported by the CIA. Many were against this, and the uprising did not end until the end of the Cold War. -
Foundation of SEATO
On this date, the South East Asian Treaty Organization was founded, including Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was created to resist Communist expansion in the Philippines and Indochina. -
The Baghdad Pact
This was founded by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United States in order to resist Communist expansion in the Middle East. -
Occupation of Western Germany
On this day, the allies end the miliatary occupation of West Germany. -
Warsaw Pact
The foundation of the Warsaw Pact included East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. This is known as the Communist version of NATO. -
Violence in Poland
In Poznan, Poland, anti-communist protest lead to violence. This was the first of several massive protests against the communist government of the Polis People's Republic. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian revolt against the Soviet-dominated government. They were crushed by the Soviet military, which was assisting the Communist government in charge. -
Suez Crisis
France, Israel, and the United Kingdom attacked Egypt in the hope to remove Nasser from power. International diplomatic pressures force the attackers to withdraw, causing lots of conflicts. -
Nuclear Alart
The Strategic Air Command initiates 24/7 nuclear alert in anticipation of a Soviet surprise attack. -
Sputnik Launches
The Soviet Union launched the Earth's first artificial satellite. The launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in the United States because they wanted to succeed first. -
The Final Report
A special committee called by President Eisenhower reviewed the nation's defense readiness. The report indicated that the United States is behind the Soviet for missile capabilities and that they need to protect American citizens. -
Great Leap Forward
A push by Mao Zedong to change China from an agricultural society to a modern, more industrial society. The goal was to have it done in five years but failed. -
14 July Revolution
In Iraq, which resulted in the overthrow of the Hashemite minarchy. The king and prime minister were killed during the revolution. -
NASA is formed
The US Congress passed legislation establishing NASA, a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America's activities in space. This was in response to the Sputnik which was launched by the Soviet Union a year prior. -
Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro becomes the dictator of Cuba. Because of this, many countries in Latin American stat to become communist. -
Tibetan Uprising
A revolt erupted in Lhasa which had been under control of the People's Republic of China. Support of the uprising was given by the United States, India, and Taiwan. -
Explorer 6 Launches
NASA's Explorer 6 spheroidal satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral. -
Gerboise Bleue
The Gerboise Bleue was the first atomic bomb created by the French. It was tested in the Algerian Saharan desert during the Algerian War. -
Francis Gary Powers
This American pilot was shot down in his spy plane while flying above the Soviet Union. -
Sino-Soviet Split
The breaking od the political relations between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. -
John F. Kennedy becomes President
The inauguration made the commencement of JFK's term and started his presidency with Lydon B. Johnson as his vice president. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
1,400 Cuban exiles launched a botched invasion of the coast of Cuba. -
Berlin Wall is Built
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Germany. This was created by the German Democratic Republic (known as East Germany).
