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Period: to
The First Half of the Cold War
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Yalta Conference
At the conference, held when Germany's defeat in WWII seemed certain, the Soviet Union wass allowed to set up interim governments in newly formed Eastern European countries, and Stalin and Roosevelt reach an almost secret agreement that the U.S.S.R. would regain the territory lost to Japan in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 in exchange for Russia going to war against the Japanese. Stalin would never make good on his promise to hold free elections in the Eastern block. -
Hiroshima
The U.S. becomes the first, and only, nation to use nuclear weapons in battle, effectively changing the nature of war forever. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine When Truman announced that he would aid Greece and Turkey against the threat of communism, he started the American policy of "containment." The Truman Doctrine also effectively reoriented U.S. foreign policy away from its usual stance of withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the United States, to one of possible intervention in far away conflicts. -
The Marshall Plan
Officially known as the European Recovery Act, the plan stated that it would give monetary aid to rebuild European communities after WWII. This was partially done in hopes of stopping the spread of Soviet influence. -
Soviets Explode their first Atomic Bomb
Both America and the Soviets possessed the Super Weapon, and the world lived under the fear of nuclear warfare for the first time. -
Senator McCarthy's Communist Witch hunts
The Hollywood BlacklistJoseph McCarthy added to the hysteria of the Cold War by seeing "red" every where- especially in Hollywood. He and HUAC blacklisted those with suspected communist sympathies. -
The Rosenberg Execution
The Rosenbergs
Their execution is widely cited as an example of the manifestation of fear of communism in America -
The Korean War Begins
After WWII, the U.S. and the Soviets split Korea (formally occupied by the Japanes) at the 38th parallel. The North was communist, and the South democratic, and when they starting fighting between eachoother, the U.S. intervened to again try to stop the spread of communism. After much fighting neither side won, and Korea remains separated at the 38th parallel today. -
Warsaw Pact
Nato and the Warsaw Pact SlideshowA mutual defense treaty of the eight Eastern European Communist nations was created in response to the inclusion of West Germany in NATO. This did nothing to ease East/West Tensions -
Sputnik
The Russians successfully launched the first space satellites. This made Americans feel very insecure, as if they were far behind the Russians, though in reality, they were not. This led to a Space race, and inspired new political, military, technological, and scientific developments in both countries. America also began to take science as a school subject more seriously. -
Castro comes to power
Castro and the communist party come to power in Cuba. The U.S. was not able to "contain" communism and keep it out of the Western Hemisphere like that had hoped, and Cuba would soon become a huge source or fear and worry. -
Khrushchev Visits America
Krushchev, Stalin's successor, finished a 12-day trip to America- the first for any Soviet leader. He denounced the “excesses” of Stalinism and said he sought “peaceful co-existence” with the United States, though this would not come to pass for quite some time. During his trip, Krushchev and his family were denied access to Disneyland. How do you think that made him feel?
