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The Korean War Begins
The Korean War started because North Korea's army had crossed the 38th parallel, invading South Korea. The leader of the North Korean army was Kim II-Sung. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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US Intervention in Korean War
The United States chose to intervene in the Korean War on behalf of South Korea. President Truman wanted to protect noncommunist South Korea from communist influence. -
NATO Forms Joint Military Command
The Soviet Union's development of the atomic bomb, along with the outbreak of the Korean War, led to the creation of NATO military structure. Eisenhower became the Supreme Commander, and was given control of NATO troops in Europe. -
Gen. Douglas MacArthur Fired
MacArthur's demands to continue the fight with China were denied by Truman. After he began speaking out against the president, he was forcibly removed from his position. -
Peace Talks Begin in Korea
In the North Korean village P'anmunjom, the United States had a peace conferance with North Korea, to determine how to end the war. However, the war would not end for another two years. -
US Ends Military Occupation in Japan
The United States ended its military occupation in Japan in 1952. Japan became fully independent, and US aid helped it begin the process of recovery. -
US Detonates The First Hydrogen Bomb
The hydrogen bomb was detonated at the Enewetak Atoll in the South Pacific. Part of Operation Ivy, this test marked the success of the US's next step in the nuclear program. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elected President
The election of 1952 was between Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower and Democrat Adlai Stevenson. Dwight D. Eisenhpwer won the elction of 1952 with 442 electoral votes and 55% of the popular vote. -
Jospeh Stalin's Death
After a long, brutal regime, thee leader of the Soviet Union passed away. Nikita Khruschev gained control of the USSR after Stalin's passing. -
The Korean War Ends
The Korean War resulted in a miitary stalemate. Led to the Korean Armistice Agreement, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel. -
Soviets Explode First Hydrogen Bomb
During World War II, the Soviet Union began to develop an atomic bomb of their own. In August, the Soviet Union tested their first hydrogen bomb, RDS-6. -
CIA Aided Iranian Coup
Known as the TPAJAX Project, the United States decided to aid the Iran is over throwing the Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The goal was to strengthen the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. -
Khrushchev Comes to Power in USSR
Nikita Khrushchev was responsible for the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union after Stalin passed away. However, he was removed from power in 1964. -
Massive Retaliation Policy
Massive retaliation refers to a state's commitment to inflict greater harm, in revenge, upon an aggressor nation than said nation did initially. Outlined in Secretary of State John Foster Dulles's speech, the policy was employed to keep the US and the Soviet Union at bay from eachother. -
Domino Theory Speech
This was a common theory through the 1950s-1980s that if one country came under the influence of communism, then the countires around it would follow. This theory was used during the Cold War to justify United States intervention. -
Geneva Accords Signed
This conference took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The objective of this conferance was to try and find a solution to the ongoing issue with the Korean Pennisula. -
Fall of Dien Bien Phu
This was a point of hightened confrontation between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist-nationalist revolutionaries. The result of this conflict was victory for the Viet Minh, and termintion of French in volement in Indochina. -
West Germany Sovereign, Joins NATO
Germany had been a divided nation since 1945, and had different zones of occupation; United States, Britain, and France occupied the western half. After the Allies ended their military occupation, West Germany then became a memeber of NATO, integrating them into the western defense system. -
Vietnam War Begins
The French had control over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (collectively French Indochina). However, communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh defied French rule, causing Vietnam to be split into two. -
U-2 Spy Plane Developed
The Lockhead U-2 was created in the Cold War era because the US needed a aircraft capable of flying at 70,000 feet. That way, Soviet Union surface-to-air missiles could not reach the plane. -
Eisenhower Doctrine
This refers to a speech given by Pesident Dwight D. Eisenhower; his speech contained a message meant for Congress about current issues in the Middle East. It stated that a Middle Eastern country could request aid from the United States if they were threatened by a communist state. -
Sputnik Launched (Space Race)
The Soviet Union took the lead in the space race when they launched the Sputnik satellite. This was the world's first artificial satellite,and led to the US's scramble to match the Soviet Union's technological advancement. -
Explorer Satellite Launched
The Explorer 1 was the United States's first satelite, the mission lasting 111 days. This furthered the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. -
NORAD Established
During the Cold War, the United States wanted better protection from Soviet bombers. Therefore, the United States and Canada made a organization that would provide areospace warning, air sovereignity, and defense of North America. -
NASA Formed
On July 29, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Act was passed, which got rid of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the space program before NASA). NASA was the agency of the fedral government that oversaw civilian space programs, aeronautics, and aerospace research. -
Kitchen Debate
The debate was between U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev at the American National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow. These debates and exhanges served as a cultural exhange between the two so the ideals of capitalism and communism could play out evenly. -
U-2 Incident
The U-2 incident happened when a US spy plane was shot down by a S-75 Dvina from the Soviet Union. The United States was forced to reveal the true mission of the pilot, which was to take pictures of enemy military bases. -
JFK Elected
JFK was the youngest man to ever become president in United States history. He won the 1960 election against Republican candidate Richard Nixon. -
Diplomacy with Cuba Severed
Thanks to increasing tensions between America and Fidel Castro's Cuban regime, President Eisenhower shut down the American embassy in Cuba and declared the two nations severed. The two nations would not fully reopen borders to eachother until 2016. -
Yuri Gagarin First to Enter Space
Yuri Gagarin was a Russain pilot and a cosmonaut, and the first human to go into outer space. His spacecraft completed a full orbit around the earth. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A US invasion was launched from Guatemala, but failed terribly in operation. The goal of the invasion was that Brigade 2506 would overthrow the current leader, communist Fidel Castro. -
Berlin Wall Constructed
The Berlin Wall divided West Berlin from East Berlin, and was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (i.e. the Soviet-controlled East.) The German Democratic Republic claimed the wall served as protection from Fascist elements of West Berlin, but came to symbolize the division of the Cold War. -
Tsar Bomba Detonated
The Tsar Bomba hydrogen bomb was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested. The bomb was detonated in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago at Sukhoy Nos by the Soviets. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The missile scare was a result of a confrontation between United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to deploy missiles to Cuba, but in the end, after tense negotiations, they withdrew from the island in exchange for the US dearming Turkey. -
Partial Test Ban Treaty
This treaty prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except underground, and was ratified by the governments of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This was suppose to slow the arms race and to help reduce the amount of nuclear fallout being released into the earth's atmosphere. -
JFK Assassinated
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy while he was riding with wife Jacqueline in a presidential motorcade. -
China Detonated First Atomic Bomb
China was the fifth nation to have successful nuclear testing. The Chinese were able to develop this bomb with the help of the Soviet Union; however, China's possession of nuclear power worried both the United States and the Soviet Union. -
US Military Defends South Vietnam
The domino effect theory had contributed to the idea that massive military build up was needed in Southeast Asia in order to prevent the spread of communism. The total amount of U.S. troops that ended up in Vietnam was 570,000. -
France withdraws from NATO Command Structure
Charles de Gaulle was the president of France and did not approve of the United States' strong role in the NATO organization; he also thought the U.S. and Britain had a stronger partnership than the rest of the nations. As a result he decided to construct an independent defense force for his country. -
Tet Offensive Started
Named for the Lunar New Year holiday, the Tet Offensive was a coordinated series of fierce surprise attacks launched by the communist North Vietnamese forces. The sheer size of the attacks on South Korea in this campaign marked a turning point in the war towards communist victory. -
Nixon Electd President
Richard Nixon won the 1968 presidental election. He ran against Democrat Hubert Humphrey and American Independent George Wallace. -
Apollo 11
This was the first spaceflight that landed humans on the moon, accomplished by the United States. Three American astronauts went on this expedition: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. -
"Vietnamization"
Vietnamization was a policy of President Nixon to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, and begin sending American troops home. The program focused on expanding and equipping South Vietnamese forces to fight their own conflict. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The NPT was an international treaty signed between America, Britain, the Soviet Union, and 40 other signatory nations to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology. It promoted peaceful cooperation in finding appropriate uses for nuclear power, and creating a route to dearmament. -
Four-Power Agreement On Berlin
The Four-Power Agreement was a non-formal policy agreement between France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union to begin reconnecting the divided city of Berlin. Opening the era known as Detente, the agreement helped bring vast improvements to Soviet-US relations and to German life. -
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) Agreement
This was the first conference of two between the United States and the Soviet Union addressing the issue of armament control. The first conference resulted in the creation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and somewhat mutual agreement between the two countries. -
Paris Peace Accords
This negotiation was suppose to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War. Though it temporarily ended the fighting between North and South Vietnam, it did not end the war. -
Gerald Ford Becomes President
Formerly the Vice President of the United States, Ford was placed in office due to Nixon's resignation over the Watergate scandal. Despite presiding during a low point for the American economy, his actions were important in maintaining detente with the Soviet Union. -
Khmer Rouge Seize Power in Cambodia
The Khmer Rouge, or members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea in Cambodia, are most remembered for their execution of the Cambodian genocide. The "Killing Fields" era between 1975 and 1979 would see the death of millions of Cambodian civilians. -
Fall of Saigon
The capture of the South Vietnamese capital by North Vietnam meant the end of the war. With their victory, the nation was reunited under Communist rule, and the day was forever seen as a great mark on America's record.
