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Iron Curtain Speech
Winston Churchill warns Americans that, "An Iron Curtain has descended across the continent." The nations of Eastern Europe were becoming satellites controlled by the Soviet Union who was spreading communism globally. -
Marshall Plan
Offered economic aid to help reconstruct Western Europe after WWII. This plan helped combat hunger, poverty, and communism. -
The Molotov Plan
The Soviet Union rejected participation in the Marshall Plan, and decided to create an economic union under Eastern European nations. They united to help each other restore their economy without help from the Western nations -
Truman Doctrine
Truman gave $400 million in military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of communism -
Berlin Blockade
Stalin blockaded routes to ester East Berlin after the United Sates, Great Britain, and France merged their occupation zones to create West Germany. This blockade prevented East Berliners from going into West Berlin and caused many people to starve -
Berlin Airlift
After the Stalin initiated a blockade on East Berlin, the United Sates and Great Britain sent an airlift to supply the East Berliners with food and goods. It lasted for 15 months. -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Agreement between the United States, Canada, and ten other western countries that if the Soviet Union were to attack one member, then it would be an attack against the whole alliance -
The Soviet Union Tests the Bomb
The Soviet Union completed their first successful test of the atomic bomb, launching a nuclear arms race with the United States. -
Warsaw Pact
A military alliance between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern European countries that pledged to defend one another from an attack. -
Invasion of Hungary, 1956
Hungary demanded more freedom from their communist government. The Soviet Army was immediately dispatched into the streets of Budapest, securing communism in Hungary. -
Berlin Wall
Sealed the entire border of West and Eastern Berlin to prevent people from leaving East Berlin into West Berlin where democracy and freedom resided. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1968
Reformists trends from Alexander Dubcek in Prague angered the Soviet Union. Warsaw troops were sent to restore the communist nation.
