Assessment #1 - The Cold War by Ryn Haynes

May, 1947: Signing of the Truman Doctrine

2128888 — 2025-01-16 18:50:30 UTC

It prevented a domino effect on the other countries surrounding Greece/Turkey so they wouldn’t fall victim to the Soviet Union. It was signed to provide economic and financial aid to Greece and Turkey so they wouldn't be forced into becoming part of the Soviet Union.

January, 1957: Signing of the Eisenhower Doctrine

2128888 — 2025-01-16 19:08:16 UTC

He signed a doctrine that threatened the Soviet Union, stating that if they were to attack another country, the U.S. would give the attacked country militaristic and economic assistance. It was first implemented when the President of Lebanon felt threatened by Egypt and Syria to join the Soviet Union, causing the U.S. to send military aid, even though it wasn’t needed.

October, 1957: Sputnik was Launched

2128888 — 2025-01-21 20:15:12 UTC

This was a satellite developed by the USSR that gave them the ability to not only keep surveillance on other countries, but also a way to drop bombs everywhere. This was significant to other foreign policies because if the USSR were to drop bombs, it could potentially provide the need for the Truman Doctrine for America’s aid in the affected countries.

August, 1961: The Building of the Berlin Wall

2128888 — 2025-01-21 20:15:45 UTC

Building the Berlin Wall caused several disharmonies between East and West Berlin due to Stalin wanting complete control over Berlin. He built the Berlin Wall to keep the East and West sides of Berlin separate so the Allied Powers wouldn’t be able to try anything on the Soviet Union. This impacted the entire capital of Germany because citizens who tried to escape East Berlin and travel to the West side of the capital would be killed.

June, 1950: The Beginning of the Korean War

2128888 — 2025-01-23 19:14:27 UTC

After agreeing with the Soviet Union to split Korea in half (called the 38th Parallel) where one country’s troops would occupy, the U.S. was surprised when North Korea (where the Soviets had troops) launched a surprise invasion. This caused the U.S. to fight back and eventually China joined the war, due to having fears that America would be a threat to their security.

July, 1953: The Results of the Korean War

2128888 — 2025-01-25 00:48:04 UTC

After the war had ended, it was announced there were about 3 million casualties, and a new division line in Korea was created near the 38th Parallel. The USSR ended up pulling all of its troops out of North Korea indefinitely, while the U.S. kept a big military presence in South Korea. After Japan had surrendered to the U.S. after WWII, the United States thought it best for Korea to be monitored while they set up a self-sufficient government and not let Japan rule over them any longer.

August, 1957 - The USSR Tested the First ICBM

2128888 — 2025-01-28 17:43:37 UTC

The ICBM, an intercontinental ballistic missile, was first tested by the Soviet Union, a bomb about 19 times more powerful than the bomb used in Hiroshima. This showed the U.S. that they were starting to fall behind when it came to nuclear advances, and the Soviet Union was creating bombs that would demolish a lot of ground. This made many Americans wary about how their government needed to start catching up, or the Cold War would last even longer.

September, 1950: The Signing of the McCarran Act

2128888 — 2025-01-30 17:03:34 UTC

The McCarran Act was signed as a way to scare any communists out of the United States. This impacted many American lives because everyone was so terrified, that they were turning their neighbors as if they were communists, even though many weren't. It was signed as a response to the Red Scare.

February, 1950: McCarthy's 'Wheeling' Speech

2128888 — 2025-01-30 17:05:52 UTC

Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia stating he had a list of supposed communists. This speech was important during that time because This is what led many people to start suspecting everyone around them to be communists, and after the Red Scare, Truman and other Senators in Congress wanted to ease the people’s minds.

May, 1938: The HUAC Targets Hollywood

2128888 — 2025-01-30 17:06:54 UTC

The HUAC, House Un-American Activities Committee, was founded in 1938 to investigate the proposed “loyalty” of the Hollywood actors at the time. Many of these actors were blacklisted, and some were even fired from their jobs from being falsely accused of a communist. The biggest impact this had on domestic policies was how many of the people in the industry’s lives were forever ruined because they were blacklisted, fired, or imprisoned because they were accused of being associated with communism.