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Cold War Timeline
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The Truman Doctrine
Policy indicating that the U.S. would come to the aid of any nation of free peoples and fight Communism. -
Introduction of the Marshall Plan
Provided around $13 billion to help rebuild war-torn Europe. -
George Kennan & His Policy of Containment
Kennan argued that keeping the Soviet Union from aggressively expanding its borders to stop the spread of Communism became the U.S. national policy. -
U.S., Great Britain, & France Plan to Unify Western Germany
U.S., Great Britain, and France wanted to unify and create a free Western German government to help fight against the growing Communist threat. -
Soviet Union Cuts of West Berlin
In an attempt to force the Allies to abandon West Berlin, the Soviet Union cut off all rail, road, and water routes into the city. It was the first major crisis of the Cold War. -
The Berlin Airlift Begins
Allied forces fly planes into West Germany with supplies, food, clothing, news material, and other resources to the needy citizens in response to the Soviet Union's cut off of West Berlin. -
NATO is Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) when Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italym Denmark, Portugal, and Iceland signed a treaty with the U.S. and Canada. Each power promised to give mutual assistance. -
Mao Zedong Takes Power in China
Mao Zedong overthrew Chiang Kai-shek, creating the People's Republic of China. -
Soviet Union Drops its 1st Atomic Bomb
The drop of the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb thrusted the U.S. and the Soviet Union into a massive arms race, where acquiring more powerful nuclear weapons became each power's priority. -
Federal Republic of Germany Created
Great Britain, France, & the U.S. finally split Germany. West Germany was now known as the Federal Republic of Germany, and East Germany was known as the German Democratic Republic, and controlled by the Soviet Union. -
The Korean War Begins
North Korea, under the control of the Soviet Union, invades South Korea. -
Development of Hydrogen Bombs
By the early 1950s, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had developed the hydrogen bomb, a much stronger weapon than the atomic bomb. -
Korean War Ends
An armistice between U.S. and Soviet Union ends Korean War. Korea is split between the Communist North and democratic South by the 38th Parallel. -
SEATO is Formed
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was a treaty between the U.S., Great Britain, France, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand to stem Soviet expansion in Asia. -
The ICBM Development Finishes
By the mid-1950s, both the U.S. and Soviet Union had developed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), allowing the two powers to send bombs anywhere in the world. -
Nikita Khrushchev Takes Power
Khrushchev takes over the Soviet Union, and begins to develop a plan to end the fleeing of East Germans to West Germany. -
The Formation of the Warsaw Pact
A formal military alliance made up of the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. -
Sputnik I is Launched into Orbit
The Soviets sent the first man made space satellite, Sputnik I, to orbit Earth, striking fear into the hearts of the American public. -
Fidel Castro Takes Power
Castro overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista and set up a Soviet-supported totalitarian regime. -
CENTO is Formed
The Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) was a treaty agreement made by the U.S., Great Britain, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan to help prevent Soviet expansion in the south. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
After running out of options, President John F. Kennedy approved of sending in exiled Cuban fighters into Cuba to help fuel a revolt against Castro. -
Khrushchev Begins Building the Berlin Wall
Khrushchev wanted to permanently halt the escape of East Germans into West Germany, and decided to build a massive wall to stop them. -
Khrushchev Builds Nuclear Weapons on Cuba
To counteract the American nuclear weapons in Turkey, Khrushchev began building nuclear weapons on the island of Cuba. -
Soviet Union Transports Nuclear Missiles Toward Cuba
To prepare for a possible invasion of Cuba, the Soviets were transporting nuclear missiles to counterattack. -
Moscow and Washington D.C. Connected
To ensure quick communication in times of crisis, a hotline communication system was installed to connect Washington D.C. and Moscow. -
America Joins the Vietnam War
In order to prevent a total victory for the Communist presence in North Vietnam, President Johnson sent in U.S. troops. -
Richard Nixon Becomes President
With Lyndon Johnson not running for reelection due to his failure in Vietnam, Richard Nixon steals the win for the presidency. He aims to get the U.S. out of Vietnam once and for all. -
Border Clashes Between Soviet Union and China
Differences in ideals between the Soviet Union and China result in a splitting of China from the Soviet Union, allowing better relations to be made between the U.S. and China. -
President Nixon Visits Communist China
In a decision to help improve relations between China and the U.S., President Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit Communist China. -
U.S. Exits Vietnam War
President Nixon reached an agreement with North Vietnam that the U.S. would pull out of the country.
