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Cold War Starts
After World War II, the capitalist U.S. and the cummunist Soviet Union were the world's two major powers left. Both wanted to spread there ideal economical systems. This sent both into the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall plan called for the rebuild of Europe. The U.S. gave over $12 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western Europe. -
Stalin Creates Satellite countries in Eastern Europe
In 1947 Stalin created cummunistic governments in Poland, Rumania, Hungry, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Stalins used these countries as buffer zones between Russia and the west. -
Berlin Airlift
In responce to the Soviet Union blockading land routes to West Berlin, the U.S. started huge airlifts of food, water, and medicine to the citizens of the cut off city. Over a one year span of airlifts 2 million people got needed supplies. And over 200,000 planes brang more than one-and-a-half million tons of supplies. -
NATO is founded
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several western European nation to add security and protection from the Soviet Union. -
Berlin Airlift ends
In 1949 the Soviet Union suddenly unblocked all ground traffic into West Berlin. The Berlin Airlift was a big win for the U.S. Because there wasn't a shot fired and it destroyed the Sovient Union's plan to hold West Berlin hostage. -
China falls to Communism
To get away from the Nationalist Chinese rule, Mao Zedong announced that CHina was going to be under Cummunist rule. Mao Zedong was the new cummunist leader in China, he would rule unti 1976. -
Korean War starts
Armed troops from North Korea crash into South Korea, marking the begining of the Korean war. The United States went to the aid of South Korea. And helped them fight for three years. -
Hydrogen bomb explodes in the Pacific
After the Soviet Union created there first A-bomb, The U.S. wanted the upper hand once again, and created the first thermonuclear bomb other wise known as the Hydrogen bomb. This new thermonuclear bomb was said to be 1,000 times more powerful thatn the origanal atomic bomb. -
Stalin Dies
On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin Dies in Moscow. Stalin was the leader of Russia and the Cummunist party. He died of a stroke. -
Khrushchev becomes Soviet Premier
After Stalin died, two people(Khrushchev and Malenkov) were both chosen to be the first secratery of the communist party. In the end, Khrushchev won the power struggle. -
Warsaw Pact formed
The Soviet Union and seven of there European satellites signed an agreemant, that stated a mutual defence organizationthat out thge Soviets in command od the armed forces of the member states. -
Rebellion in Hungary
In 1956 thousands of angry protesters went to the streets demanding a democratic political system. Nagy, and former primier was appointed to try to get Hungary undercontrol. Nagy tried to push the Hungarian revolt by abolishing the one party system. On November 4, 1956, Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest to crush the national uprising. -
Sputnik launched
The Soviet Union goes into the "space age" with the launch of Sputnik. Sputnik was the first artificial satellite. Sputnik was launched at 10:29pm Moscow time. Sputnik had a diameter od 22inches and weighed 184 pounds. -
NASA Created
In 1958, congress passed ledislation on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nasa is a civilian run agency responsible for coordinating American's activities in space. NASA was responsible for putting the first man on the moon. -
Krushchev visits the U.S.
Khrushchev was the was the first Soviet leader to visit the U.S. The first day of his visit was spent mostly doing formal receptions. Khrushchev's visit was mostly a goodwill visit than an opportunity for significant negotiations. -
U-2 Incident
In 1960, the CIA was flying a U-2 spy plane in Soviet air space. The USSR shot down the plain and captured the pilot, Francis Gary Powers. The Soviets convicted Powers on espionage charges. He was sentenced to 10 years, but after less than 2 years in prison the U.S. and the Soviet Union did a first ever "spy swap". -
Berlin Wall Construction
The Berlin wall was constructed to keep refugees inside of East Berlin. Many families wanted to escape the communistic repression of East Berlin. In an effort to keep all communist citizen inside, the Soviet Union stated to build a wall. In years to come, the wall was seen as a physical symbol of the Cold War. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
During the Cuban Missle Crisis leaders of the Soviet Union and the U.S. had an intense 13 day battle of political and military matters. The Soviet Union installed nuclear weapons in Cuba, this is what set off the U.S. government. THe Soviet leader later offered to remove the missles only if the U.S,. wouldn't invade Cuba. -
Kennedy Assassinated
John F. Kennedy was assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas in an open top convrtalbe car. Over a 10 mile motorcade through downtown Dallas, President Kannedy was shot and seriously injuring Governor Connally. President Kennedy was pronouced dead 30 minutes later.
