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The Cold War
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Trumane Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy created in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman. The Truman Doctrine established that the US would support all democratic nations under threat by communist forces. The policy’s purpose was to stop Soviet geopolitical expansion. This was the official declaration of the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was an American project which gave $13 billion to Western Europe to help rebuild after World War II. The plan was successful, but the Soviet Union did not participate, as they saw the plan as an American attempt to interfere with the internal affairs of foreign nations. -
NATO is Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an alliance formed by the United States and 11 other countries. The goal of the alliance was to defend from attacks by the Soviet Union. Countries that joined NATO included the US, France, Britain, and Italy, along with several countries. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a civil war between the pro-communist northern Korea and the pro-democracy south. The Soviet Union supported the north, while the United States fought with the south. The war eventually reached a stalemate, and the two sides began to negotiate a ceasefire. On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed. The armistice split Korea into two separate countries, and created a 2 mile demilitarized zone to create the border. Nearly 5 million people were killed during the war. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was a Russian satellite launched in 1957. Sputnik was the world's first human-made satellite in space. This is the first major event in the Soviet's Space Race with the United States. -
Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first US satellite launched into space. This came quickly after the Soviets' Sputnik. The success of Explorer 1 was the start of the US's space exploration. -
U-2 Incident
In May 1960, an American U-2 spy plane flying above the USSR was shot down. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower admitted that the CIA had been spying on the USSR for several years. This crisis raised tensions between the two superpowers during the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In October 1962, the US discovered nuclear missiles armed in the communist Cuba. Cuba and its leader Fidel Castro were aligned with the Soviet Union for military and economic aid. For thirteen days, tension grew as the war was on the brink of nuclear warfare. The conflict was resolved when the USSR agreed to remove the missiles as long as the United States promised to not invade Cuba. -
US Joins Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a very long war between communist North Vietnam and South Korea. The Soviets supported North Vietnam while the US fought with South Korea. Opposing views on the war divided Americans, and the war ended with the communist takeover of South Korea. Over 3 million people were killed during the war. -
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was an agreement by several nations to help stop the spread of nuclear technology. The United States and the Soviet Union were two of the major countries to sign the treaty. This was a successful moment in the Cold War, as it showed that the two powerhouses could cooperate. This treaty still exists today. -
Space Race Ends - Apollo 11
On July 20, 1969, three U.S. astronauts became the first people to land on the moon. The moon landing marked a United States victory in the Space Race against the Soviets. The Space Race lasted for twelve years. -
Soviet Afghan War
In December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. The Soviets supported the Afghan's communist government. The United States supported rebel groups called the mujahideen. The war resulted in millions of Afghans fleeing the country to foreign nations. The Soviet Afghan was another proxy war between the United States and the Soviets. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Mikhail S. Gorbachev became the new leader of the USSR in March 1985. He introduced a reform program that consisted of two concepts. The first concept of perestroika restructured the Communist Party. The second concept of glasnost, which gave the Soviet citizens more freedom for media and religion. -
Berlin Wall Falls
On November 9, 1989, East Berlin officials announced that citizens would be free to cross the wall. People from East and West Berlin rejoiced. This marked the first time Berlin was united since 1945. This was significant because the wall was seen as a symbol of the Cold War. -
Dissolution of Soviet Union
On Christmas Day 1991, Soviet President Gorbachev announced his resignation. As a result, this was the end of the Soviet Union. The USSR was split into 15 separate republics. The Cold War was over, and the United States stood as the lone global superpower.
