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Period: to
Korean War
Conflict between communist and non-communist forces at the end of WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into the Soviet (North Korea) and the US (South Korea) zones of occupation when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The UN authorized member nations to aid South Korea. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
1500 Cuban exiles armed and trained by the CIA tried to stage an invasion at Cuba's Bay of Pigs. The small force was crushed by Castro after President Kennedy refused to involve the US armed forces. -
US build-up of troop in Vietnam War
President Kennedy orders an immediate build-up of US troops in Thailand to a total of 5,000 due to Communist attacks in Laos and movement toward the Thailand border -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet goal was to prevent another US planned invasion by allowing the Cubans to use the missiles if needed. An American spy plane took photos of a Soviet Nuclear missile site being built in Cuba and President Kennedy threatened to invade unless the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles. The Soviets agreed to remove their missiles if the US agreed to remove their missiles from Turkey -
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) is signed
President Richard Nixon visits China and Soviet Union. Nixon and Brezhnev sign first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty(SALT). -
Paris Peace Accords are signed
This ended US involvement in Vietnam War -
OPEC places an embargo on oil to US
This is because of the nation's support for Israel in October -
US Signs Panama Canal Treaty
The US agrees to return the canal zone and control of canal to Panama by 1999 -
Camp David Accords
President Jimmy Carter sponsors peace talks between Egypt and Israel. -
US establishes full diplomatic relations with China
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US Delays completion of SALT II
In response to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, US places an embargo on sales of American grain to Soviet Union and boycotts Moscow Olympic Games. -
Invasion of Grenada
President Ronald Reagan orders invasion of Grenada after a Marxist revolution in that Caribbean nation. -
Iran Weapons Deal
American public learns that US secretly sold weapons to Iran in hopes of gaining release of American hostages in Lebanon. -
US invades Panama
Manuel Noriega, a former Panamanian politician and military officer. -
Bush and Gorbachev hold summit in Washington DC
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Persian Gulf War
US led multinational force ends Iraqi occupation of Kuwait -
War on Terror
