Ronantha and Angel's Padlet by Ronantha Wishart

Greek Civil War 1946-1949

angely18 — 2024-04-16 11:41:10 UTC

U.S President Henry S. Truman issued the Truman Doctrine to provide the Greek government with financial aid to defeat the communists.

Marshall Plan (1947)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-16 11:42:10 UTC

The US decided to give European countries $17 million in aid and supplies so that they don't turn to communism. Western Europeans started producing twice as much as they did before the war.

Korean War (Jun 25, 1950 – Jul 27, 1953)

angely18 — 2024-04-16 11:55:58 UTC

The Korean War began as a result of a surprise invasion by North Korea to South Korea. The invasion was funded by the Soviet Union, and due to this, the U.S decided to help South Korea to prevent the spread of communism. This was a proxy war because the U.S and Soviet Union both sent soldiers to fight in the war.

Berlin Airlift (1945)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-16 11:56:49 UTC

At the end of WWII the allies decided to split the country in half between the Eastern and Western side. Joseph Stalin wanted the entire nation to himself so he blocked off all access to West Berlin. Truman started the Berlin Airlift, sending food and supplies by air to the city.

NATO (1949)

angely18 — 2024-04-17 11:26:00 UTC

An alliance consisting of 12 countries in North America and Western Europe against the Soviets. Its purpose at the time was to promote democratic values, cooperate on defense and security-related issues, prevent conflict, and protect each other (if one nation gets attacked, the other nations will help them).

Berlin Wall Erected (1961)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:27:31 UTC

Berlin was divided in half by the pro-democracy (West) and pro-capitalist nations (East). Almost 3 million East Berliners escaped to the West embarrassing Stalin. He decided to build a concrete and barbed wire wall to separate the two sides and keep people from escaping.

Warsaw Pact (1955-1991)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:33:51 UTC

The Warsaw Pact was formed as an alliance for communist countries. It focused on defense among of its member nations to prevent an enemy attack. The alliance gave the Soviets a stronger control over the communist states in Eastern Europe.

President Nixon Visits China (1972)

angely18 — 2024-04-17 11:34:36 UTC

President Richard Nixon visited Beijing, China for a week in 1972. There, he had substantive discussions with the PRC leadership, including a meeting with Mao Zedong. This meeting represented a shift in the Cold War as it drove a wedge between China and the Soviet Union.

Sputnik Launched (1957)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:38:41 UTC

Sputnik was the first artificial satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union. This frightened the US because it meant that the Soviet had technological superiority. The decade long Space Race led to Americans launching their own satellite and putting a man on the moon.

Apollo 11 Launched (1969)

angely18 — 2024-04-17 11:41:47 UTC

The successful launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957 led to the US launching Apollo 11 because they wanted to protect national security (Space Race). It was the first spaceflight that brought humans on the moon, and it became a symbol of Cold War dominance.

The flight was commanded by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969.

Bay of Pigs, Cuba (1959)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:45:47 UTC

After Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba the US government decided to do a covert mission to kill Castro and free Cuba from communist control. The Cuban government found out about the attack and ambush the troops that dropped in the Bay of Pigs. Many soldiers died, making Castro look more powerful and leading the Soviets stationing nuclear weapons on Cuba.

Vietnam War (1954-1974)

angely18 — 2024-04-17 11:52:48 UTC

North Vietnam was communist while South Vietnam was non-communist. The communist leader of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, wanted to unite the 2 halves into one communist country.

Driven by the domino theory that if one country falls to communism, the others will too, the U.S sent billions of dollars and millions of troops to aid South Vietnam in their fight against North Vietnam over the span of 19 years. In the end, South Vietnam fell to communism, and America's image was greatly damaged.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:57:44 UTC

American spy planes flew over Cuba saw the missiles and reported the new threat to President Kennedy. Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of missiles. To deescalate tensions, Khrushchev capitulated, informing Kennedy that work on the missile sites would be halted and that the missiles already in Cuba would be removed. In return, Kennedy committed the United States to never invading Cuba again. The nuclear was then prevented.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

ronanthaw — 2024-04-17 11:59:37 UTC

The spokesman of the Berlin's communist party told all of the East Berliners that they were all free. More than 2 million people flocked to the West to celebrate while cranes and bulldozers pulled the wall down.