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The Cold War
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Truman Doctrine
United States President Harry S. Truman declares that the U.S. will give financial aid to any democratic countries to stop the spread of communist imperialism. -
Berlin Airlift
When the Berlin Wall was erected, separating Berlin into different sections for the different groups living and stationed there, East Berlin closed all land routes out of West Berlin. As people became starved, the U.S. and allies began dropping food and supplies by air. This airlift lasted for over a year. -
NATO created
In a response to growing Soviet imperialism and power, NATO was founded as a formal alliance between the U.S., England, and 10 other countries. Their goal was to stop the spread of communism. -
Russia gets nukes
Russia successfully detonates a nuclear bomb, becoming the second nation to do so. -
Guatemalan Coup : United Fruit
Rising anger against American company United Fruit in Guatemala leads to government reform severly limiting the production and power that United Fruit has over the island nation. A CIA lead coup successfully removes the democratically elected leader and replaces him with a U.S. friendly dictator, securing United Fruit's control over Guatemala. -
Warsaw Pact
The communist answer to Nato, the Warsaw pact, is created. Including countries like the Soviet Union and East Germany, this alliance was created to increase power and expansion of communism in the world. -
Cuba allies with the Soviet Union
Cuba allies itself with the Soviet Union. Cuba is within missile range of America so that is threatening to the U.S. Government. and leads to the Cuban missile crisis -
Cuban missile crisis ends
A deal is finally struck and Khrushchev withdraws missiles from Cuba in return for the U.S. agreeing not to invade Cuba and removing their missiles from Turkey. -
Kennedy Assassinated
JFK is shot while travelling in his motorcade through downtown Dallas. The nation is in shock but still under communist threat. Vice President Johnson swears in on Air Force 1. -
Space race over
The space race ends with America beating the Soviet Union to the moon. This is a major moral victory and boosts moral. -
Gorbachev takes the reigns
Mikhail Gorbachev takes over the Soviet Union and immediately starts instituting reforms to try to end the Cold War. -
INF signed
Reagan and Gorbacheve take all intermediate range nukes from range of any contested areas This is a huge step in the right direction for ending the Cold War -
Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin Wall separated east and west berlin for almost 30 years. The destruction of the wall was a pivotal moment in the Cold War, with the communist East Germany crumbling to the power of capitalist West Germany. To many Americans this symbolized the beginning of the end for the Cold War. -
Lithuania Secedes from the Soviet Union
Lithuania becomes the first Soviet republic to secede from the Soviet Union. By December of 1991 every republic in the Soviet Union will have followed suit. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union officially dissolves and the numerous Soviet republics gain their independence. This is the final chapter of the Cold War, bringing the story to a close.
