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Period: to
Truman issue the Truman Doctrine
-Aided countries who were at risk of falling to the communist USSR
-Gave both financial and military aid to countries all over Europe and Asia
-Goal: To restrict the spread of communism. (Assure that the USSR did not get any more powerful than they already were)
-American public viewed the communists as evil beinging with corrupt morals. -
Detonation of the 1st Soviet Atomic Bomb
The first atomic bomb created by any country besides the US was detonated, effectively ending the American monopoly of nuclear warfare.
The event that started the Cold War Arms Race between world superpowers the USSR and the US. -
Period: to
The Arms Race
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Hydrogen Bomb
On this day the first Hydrogen Bomb was detonated by the US on Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific. Prompted by the USSR's progress in atomic weapons, the US felt a need to produce bigger, better weapons to intimidate the Russian superpower. -
ICBM - SS6 Sapwood
The first launch of an ICBM (intercontinental balistic missile) by the Russians. Launched successfully, but contol of the missle was lost 98 seconds after take off, and the engines shut down at around 100 seconds.
Raises the threat of an attack on Americans by long range missle. -
MAD
By this point, Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was definate in the the event of an attack on either country due to nuclear equality. -
Cuban Missile Crisis #1
Castro mobilizes Cuban millitary forces. -
Cuban Missile Crisis #2
Soviet ships carrying nuclear missiles reach the US quarantine line. Russain government tells the ships to hold their position until back-up submarines arrive. -
Cuban Missile Crisis #3
The DEFCON (the scale that detirmines the readiness of the military to defend the country) is set at 2, the highest the scale has ever reached, due to the threat on cities in Florida - targets for Cuban-based Russain missiles. -
Cuban Missle Crisis #4
Khruskher recieves a cable from Castro telling him to launch the 1st of the nuclear missiles at American cities if the US starts to invade. -
Cuban Missile Crisis #5
An American B-52 Bomber is shot down over Cuba. Another is shot down while accidentally flying over the USSR. -
Cuban Missile Crisis - Complete
The USSR announces over the radio show "Radio Moscow" that the Cuban Missile Crisis is over. Kennedy's cabinet and the Soviet Union mutually decided to disarm their missiles. Missiles in Cuba were disarmed, and American missiles in Turkey (pointed towards Russia) were also disarmed. -
Chinese Hydrogen Bomb
The 1st Chinese Hydrogen Bomb is successfully detonated. The detonation of this bomb added to American's fears of the USSR's domination. Two allied countries with the power of hydrogen bombs was very concerning. China was now a country to keep an eye on. -
Weapon Statistics
As of 1967, the NATO alliance felt extremely outnumbered by the Warsaw Pact in virtually every aspect of war:
Warsaw Pact-
4million troops, 42,500 artillery,31,500 tanks
NATO:
2.6 million troops, 13,000 artillery, 10,750 tanks -
NATO pulls ahead
NATO pulls ahead of the Warsaw Pact with 1000 more ICBMs that are also more effective due to continuation of improvements rather than mass production of current models (what the USSR did)