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The Cold War
The Cold War began right after the end of WWII and lasted several decades. It was a period of very tense relations between the US and the Soviet Union. -
Marshall Plan announced
The United States' Marshall Plan set a precedent for helping countries (mostly in Europe) combat poverty, disease, and malnutrition after WWII. It was also used to spread American influence around the globe. -
Berlin Blockade begins
The Berlin Blockade lasted almost a year. It was when the Soviet Union surrounded Berlin, blocking other countries' access to it. This was done in an attempt to take control of the entire city. -
Russia tested its first atomic bomb
An arms race was a huge part of the Cold War. Both sides raced to stockpile as many nuclear weapons as possible in the hopes of deterring an attack from the other. -
McCarthy's Communist Witch Hunt
Sparked by Joe McCarthy, this period was a time of intense paranoia that the US was infiltrated by Communist spies. The public was encouraged to turn in suspected spies, who were often innocent Americans. Video Link -
Warsaw Pact formed
The Warsaw pact was a collective defense treaty established between the Soviet Union and 7 other Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe. It was made in response to NATO. Video Explanation
