A group of Greek communists tried overthrowing the government, starting a civil war.

President Truman issued the Truman Doctrine which said that he would try to stop the spread of Communism by sending money to Greece.

Greece eventually won the war against communism because of American Aid.

Greece joined NATO in 1952

Post WWII European countries were crumbling

US gave $17 Billion in aid so that these European countries wouldn't turn to communism for help

Helped Great Britain, France, West Germany, and Italy.

Western European countries economy boomed, making them 2 times as much money than before the war

U.S. economy boomed too, they had more trade

After WWII the allies met at the Yalta confrence to decide what would happen to German territory

They decided the western half would go to the U.S., Great Britain, and France

The Eastern half would go to the Soviet Union

Soon Russia wanted everyone out of the western part of Germany so they could have it

Closed all rail roads and rail lines to Western Germany

Stopped giving resources to the West including food and oil, starving them so they could submit to communism

However the U.S. sent airplanes with resources for around a year so that these people wouldn't be forced to accept communsim

In 1949 12 North American countries came together to form a organization against the Soviets

An attack on one of these countries means an attack on all

Consisted of Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States.

Promote democracy

The Iron Curtain which seperated Europe post WWII

West Berlin was under control of the U.S., France while East Berlin was under the control of the USSR

3 Million people left East Berlin and fled to West Berlin

In 1961 East Berlin put up barbed wire on the wall so people couldn't leave or come in

U.S. and USSR split Korea into 2 halves

North Korea was controlled by USSR and was ruled by communism

South Korea was controlled by US and was ruled by democracy

Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea tried to unify the 2 halves, starting a proxy war

US and USSR fought each other indirectly

After 3 years there was a ceasefire near the 38th parallel

Created in 1955, much like NATO, it was an alliance of communist countries like Russia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania Albania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia

Provided defense from enemy attacks on any of the countries in the pact

Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite

Launched by Soviets in 1957

Instigated the decade long Space Race

America had a goal of putting man on the moon to show their intelligence

Fidel Castro started leading after revolt

Had a relationship with Soviet leader  Nikita Khrushchev

American CIA trained people to invade Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro

They went to the Bay of Pigs and Cuban planes shot them

Made Castro look more powerful, JFK's plan failed

In 1962 Soviets started to plant Nuclear Weapons in Cuba

US and USSR close to war because of nuclear weapons in Cuba, the missles are so close that they could hurt the Eastern part of the US very quickly

JFK placed a Naval Blockade on Cuba

Kennedy said they would take any missles that the USSR gave to Cuba

USSR leader said they would stop working on missle sites

JFK said he wouldn't invade Cuba and would take back his missles stationed in Turkey

1954 Vietnam was free from Colonial rule, split in 2, northern half was communist, southern half was non-communist

1960 civil war broke out after Ho Chi Minh tried to unite the 2 halves

War lasted 19 years until 1974 when the Southern half went into communism

Spaceflight that landed man on the moon

Commanded by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

Witnessed by hundreds of millions of people, was seen as cold war dominance necessary for national security

President Nixon took the first step and normalized relationships with communists by visiting China in '72

Met with Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong

Weakened the Soviet Union

People from East and West Berlin were free to cross the border

Both sides unified to create on Germany

After 50 years of seperation the wall fell