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Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur was an American general who commanded the Southwest Pacific in World War II, oversaw the successful Allied occupation of postwar Japan and led United Nations forces in the Korean War. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman promised to help any country facing a Communist takeover. -
Marshall Plan
This was a programme of economic aid offered by the United States to any European country. The plan was rejected outright by Stalin and any Eastern Bloc country considering accepting aid was reprimanded severely. Consequently the aid was only given to Western European Countries. -
Berlin Blockade
Russia’s response to the merger of the French, USA and UK partitions of Berlin was to cut all road and rail links to that sector. This meant that those living in Western Berlin had no access to food supplies and faced starvation. Food was brought to Western Berliners by US and UK airplanes, an exercise known as the Berlin Airlift. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation formed with member states Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States -
Korean War
The Korean war began when North Korea invaded South Korea. -
Korean War Ended
The Korean war ended. North Korea remained affiliated with Russia while South Korea was affiliated with the USA. -
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, serving as premier from 1958 to 1964. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference formally divided Germany and Austria into four zones. It was also agreed that the German capital Berlin would be divided into four zones. The Russian Polish border was determined and Korea was to be divided into Soviet and American zones. -
Hiroshima
The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was formed with member states East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. -
Vietnam War
President Richard Nixon ordered US troops to go to Cambodia. 150,000 US troops sent to Vietnam. -
Sputnik
Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit. -
Gary Powers
American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A force of Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, aided by the US government attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow the Communist government of Fidel Castro. The attempt failed. -
Berlin Wall
Berlin wall built and borders sealed between East and West Germany. -
USSR
Nikita Krushchev removed from office. He was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. -
Space Race
US launched Apollo 8 – first manned orbit of the Moon. -
Nixon Visits China
President Richard M. Nixon arrived in China for an official trip. He was the first U.S. president to visit the People's Republic of China since it was established in 1949. This was an important event because the U.S. was seeking to improve relations with a Communist country during the Cold War -
Salt I
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty signed between the US and USSR.