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UN Formed
The United Nations was formed in 1945 after World War II to help keep peace and prevent future wars. Countries from all over the world joined together to solve problems and work out disagreements without fighting. Additionally, support is given to issues like hunger, human rights, and disasters. -
Truman Doctrine
A policy by U.S. President Harry S. Truman aimed at containing the spread of communism. It pledged American political, military, and economic support to countries threatened by communist influence. -
Hollywood Ten
The Hollywood Ten were a group of movie writers, directors, and producers who got in trouble for refusing to answer questions about being communists. They were called to testify in front of Congress, but wouldn’t cooperate because they said it wasn’t fair. As a result, they were sent to jail and blacklisted from working in Hollywood. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a U.S. program created to help rebuild European countries after World War II. The United States gave money, food, and supplies to help them recover and stop communism from spreading. The plan made Europe and the U.S. stronger allies. -
NATO Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a group of the U.S., Canada, and several European countries that promised to protect each other if one of them was attacked. The main goal was to defend against the threat of the Soviet Union and communism. More countries have been added today. -
Korean War
The Korean War started when North Korea, which was communist, invaded South Korea. The United States and other countries in the UN helped South Korea, while China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea. After three years of fighting, the war ended in 1953 with a ceasefire, but Korea stayed divided. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion of Cuba in 1961. A group of Cuban exiles, backed by the U.S. government, tried to overthrow Cuba’s communist leader, Fidel Castro. The invasion didn’t go as planned, and the exiles were quickly defeated. It was embarrassing for the U.S. and made tensions with Cuba and the Soviet Union even worse. -
Berlin Wall Goes Up
The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. East Germany, which was communist, put up the wall to stop people from escaping to the free, democratic West. The wall split apart families and friends. The wall became a symbol of the Cold War and how divided the world was. -
Soviets Invade Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support the communist government there. Many Afghans didn’t want communism, so they fought back with help from countries like the U.S. The war lasted for years and was very hard on both sides. The invasion ended in 1989 when the Soviet Union pulled out of the country due to high casualties and costs. -
Berlin Wall Falls
After changes in Soviet leadership, growing pressure from the people of East Germany, and broader changes happening in Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall fell. The East German government, facing pressure, made a mistake by announcing that citizens could travel freely, which led to crowds rushing to the Wall. Overwhelmed, border guards opened the gates. Thousands of people gathered to celebrate, and the wall was torn down.