Cold War Timeline A Day by Katherine Davis

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katherinedavis13 — 2025-02-26 16:32:52 UTC

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2025-02-26 16:37:18 UTC

The Marshall plan was a U.S. led initiative launched in 1948 to aid Western Europe's economic recovery after World War 2. The plan provided over $13 billion which is equal to $150 billion today. The financial aid was to help rebuild war-torn economies and prevent the spread of communism, which was a growing concern during the early Cold War. The aid helped boost industrial and agricultural production, stabilize currencies, and overall help European countries recover. This plan played a crucial role in helping Western Europe and strengthening the relationship between the U.S and Europe.

2025-02-26 16:40:38 UTC

Lyndon B. Johnson became president after John F. Kenedy was assassinated. After news broke that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated JFK, Johnson had to prepare to be appointed as president. In the article “Lyndon B. Johnson” from wikipedia, stated, “He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963.” Lyndon B. Johnson was inaugurated at Love Field Airport November 22 1963 only 10 weeks after JFK’s death.

Start Date November 22, 1963

End Date January 20, 1969.

Berlin Blockade

2025-02-26 16:43:56 UTC

The Berlin Blockade occurred from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949. This was an attempt to force allies to abandon the city. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader, imposed the Berlin Blockade. This cut off land as well as river transit between west Berlin and west Germany. Quickly, the United States and the United Kingdom responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin. In the end the Soviet gave in and lifted their blockades on May 12, 1949.

Creation Of A Deadly Weapon

2025-02-26 16:45:08 UTC

During the time of the Manhattan Project Edward teller started development of the H- Bomb. The process was at Los Alamos in New Mexico. The H-bomb showed that it was possible to make extremely powerful weapons that were not thermonuclear. Both of the types of bombs they developed were said to be stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on hiroshima. The 3 main tests were Operation Greenhouse, IVY, and Castle. To this day a hydrogen bomb has never been used in combat.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is created - Guaranteeing freedom and security for members.

2025-02-26 16:47:20 UTC

On April 4th, 1949 NATO was signed. It was signed by 12 countries: Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. After the original signing, the number of allied countries rose to 32. Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg proposed that the U.S. seek a defense and security treaty with Europe. It was signed in the Departmental Auditorium in Washington D.C. It was signed to have security from the Soviet Union and communism. Czechoslovakia had a rise in a communist government because of a soviet union sponsored coup, raising concern because of communism bordering Germany. NATO uses the principle of collective defense - an attack against one member, would be an attack against all members. “NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere.” (Office of State- Office of the Historian).

2025-02-26 16:50:24 UTC

The Soviet Union tested an Atomic bomb named First Lightning on August 29, 1949 making them the second country to develop and successfully test a nuclear device. The test occurred at Semipalatinsk Test Site, in Kazakhstan. Igor Kurchatov was the scientific director of the soviet nuclear bomb program and was in charge of the test. The Soviet Union wanted to be stronger or at very least on par with America. "Is it the same as the American one?" said by Lavrentii Beria who observed the assembly work and reported back to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The Fight Over the Canal

2025-02-26 16:56:31 UTC

The Egyptian government seized control of the Suez Canal from the British and French owned company who managed it. Eisenhower thought that an invasion would be counterproductive and be seen as Western Imperialism which would push Africa and the Middle East into the Soviets arms. He also believed it would close the canal at least temporarily. British and French forces withdrew, Israel bowed under U.S pressure, and Egypt gained control over the Suez Canal. The canal was so important since it was a major route for international trade and Egypt needed it for the income to help with their economy.

1956 on October 29 to November 7, 1956

Apollo 11 Moon Landing

barnevic000_1 — 2025-02-26 17:00:31 UTC

The moon landing was a real thing that happened in 1969, and two astronauts (Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) were the first two astronauts to step foot on the moon winning the space race. After the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, the whole world was shaken and in retaliation, the United States wanted to have the 1st people on the moon, and so did everyone else. This started the space race. At first the Soviets Succeeded at having the 1st human in space and in the earth's orbit. The U.S quickly upped their status by having someone go in space and eventually, on the moon.

Youngest Election

2025-02-26 17:13:29 UTC

John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign formally began in Jan 2, 1960. He was officially elected in November of 1960 and then served from Jan 20, 1961 - Nov 22, 1963. JFK was running against Richard Nixon, nearly beating him by .17% His campaign gained popularity after the first televised presidential debates in American history. He was elected and inaugurated at the white house of Washington D.C., America. To gain favor with the people, JFK promised a new legislative perspective, involving both democratic traditions of FDR and republican traditions of Harry Truman. This election was important because JFK would push for Peace Corps, push for the Civil Rights movement, and landing a man on the moon.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

2025-02-26 18:22:51 UTC

The JFK assassination occurred on November 22, 1963. The 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed while riding in the presidential limousine through Dallas, Texas. The man blamed for the shooting was Lee Harvery Oswald and was shot before he ever went to trial. Kennedy’s death affected people's hope for the future. JFK is still remembered today for his powerful leadership skills and the changes he made to our country. This event led to stronger security measures for presidents and increased Cold War tensions.

The End of the Korean War

2025-02-26 19:09:31 UTC

On July 27, 1953, the Korean war ended because the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. The fighting between North Korea and South Korea was very intense and early on in the war North Korea had Seoul, South Korea captured. American troops lent aid to South Korea and helped them throughout the war. North Korea and South Korea never signed an agreement, but the war ended. North Korea is still doing small invasions now. It helped show the division of North and South Korea.

The Explorer 1 Launched

2025-02-26 19:10:27 UTC

The January Explorer, also known as Explorer 1, was launched by NASA on January 31, 1958. This satellite was the first successful launch for the United States and marked the beginning of the US space program. It was designed to measure radiation levels in Earth's orbit and discovered the Van Allen Radiation Belt.

August 2, 1964: The Incident at the Gulf of Tonkin

2025-02-26 19:20:21 UTC

On August 2nd of 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin near the North Vietnam area, the USS Maddox was approached by three Vietnamese torpedo boats. The US destroyer fired multiple warning shots and the boats responded with machine gun fire and torpedoes. 4 Vietnamese soldiers died with 6 other injured, and the US was unscathed. 2 days later, the fleet of ships opened fire upon radar returns that had been introduced before by communications intercepts, thinking that an attack was imminent. Captain John Herrick claimed that the Vietnamese boats were fighting back, even though they weren’t.

Iron Curtain Speech

2025-02-26 19:20:49 UTC

The Iron Curtain speech was a speech given by Winston Churchill. It was given after WWII on march 5, 1946. It was about how America needed to work with Britain and how they need to be "peacemakers" and stability against soviet communism.

2025-02-26 19:21:28 UTC

The Final Chapter: Japan Accepts Defeat, Peace restored!

On August 15th, 1945 the surrender of Japan was announced by emperor Hirohito. Later this announcement was formally signed on 2 September 1945, thus ending the war. This is a significant event in history because it is an end to an ongoing conflict/war where many lives were lost. Japan was not willing to surrender to the U.S. no matter what tactics they tried so instead of a ground invasion that would have resulted in many deaths we decided to drop two atomic bombs in hopes of undermining Japan on August 6th and 9th. As a result of the devastation of these bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan ultimately decided to announce their surrender on August 15th.

salt 1 treaty is signed

2025-02-26 19:22:46 UTC

the treaty was signed the leaders of the us and and the soviet union. It was a treaty that limited the amount of nuclear missiles we were allowed to have in our arsenals. it was signed in Moscow on May 26 1972.

Cuban Crisis: The BOP Invasion.

2025-02-26 19:24:48 UTC

The Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion in Cuba that was led by Cuban exiles and was supported by the United States. Starting on April 17, 1961 and ending on April 20, 1961. The invasion was an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s communist government in Cuba. But with poor planning, lack of support, and underestimation of Cuban military strength it failed miserably.

American Spy Plane Shot Down Over USSR Airspace, May 1, 1960

2025-02-26 19:27:06 UTC

During the peak of the cold war many people were complaining about the missile gap with the Eisenhower administration. But the U.S. was secretly getting data on the USSR by flying over and gathering pictures of missiles. U2 planes were used in these reconnaissance missions. But on May 1 one of these planes was shot down, and this plane was piloted by Francis Gray Powers. This was during the Paris summit, the president of the USSR got news of these American spies and stormed out of the meeting.

The 13 Days That Shook the World.

2025-02-28 17:07:08 UTC

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major event during the Cold war that took place in October 1962. It started when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was building nuclear missile sites in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev were the main leaders involved in the crisis, with Cuban leader Fidel Castro also playing a role. The US demanded that the Soviet Union remove the missiles, and tensions were high, with both sides on the brink of war. In the end, the two countries reached an agreement where the Soviets would remove their missiles from Cuba, and the US promised not to invade Cuba. This event was significant because it showed how close the world came to nuclear war and changed the way the US and Soviet Union dealt with each other.

Battle of la Drang

2025-02-28 17:11:54 UTC

The Battle of la Drang went on from November 14th till 18th in 1665. This was the first major engagement between the U.S. Army and the North Vietnamese Army during the war in Vietnam. The battle took place in the central highlands of South Vietnam, where the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division used helicopters for rapid deployment. The battle consisted of two main engagements at landing zones X-Ray and Albany. At X-Ray U.S. forces led by Lt. Col. Hal Moore, successfully held off a much larger enemy ambush through air support and artillery. At Albany, another U.S. battalion was ambushed in dense jungle, suffering heavy casualties. The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of air mobility but also revealed the intensity of Vietnamese resistance.

Sputnik launched

2025-02-28 19:07:46 UTC

On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. It is an artificial satellite that collects data relating the density of the layers of the upper atmosphere. The Sputnik was a 184 lb ball that orbited Earth every 90 minutes. It sent a signal that any person could hear on the radio around the world. It was mainly used to test satellite technology, gather scientific data, and contribute to the IGY.

The Berlin Wall

2025-03-06 14:49:41 UTC

The Berlin Wall started construction on August 13, 1961 and it was taken down on November 9, 1989, a full 28 years after it was constructed. It was 96 miles long and 13 feet tall. It was built by the German Democratic Republic to prevent its citizens from escaping Soviet controlled East Berlin to West Berlin. It was significant because it prevented the west from having influence on the east, it stopped the flow of migrants out of the communist side, and it was the most iconic image of the cold war.

The kitchen debate

2025-03-06 15:32:32 UTC

The Kitchen debate of July 24th 1959 was an intense exchange between U.S Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev at the American National Exhibition. This debate stemmed from an American kitchen model showcasing America's way of living and technology status. This was meant to showcase the Soviet Union and get them thinking. As this model was toured, a very spirited argument broke out between Nixon and Khrushchev. This argument displayed the merits of capitalism versus communism. The American consumer goods and freedoms were defended by VP Richard Nixon and the Soviet system's power was presented by Nikita Khrushchev. This event is extremely relevant to the cold war because it represented the tensions between the leaders and the nations. Both of these debaters took this as a chance to promote their separate ideologies. Nixon stated, “After all, you don’t know everything.” which led Nikita Khrushchev to say “We don’t need to know everything. We only want to know what’s necessary. This rivalry made the history books and will forever be remembered and highlighted as an example of the impact of propaganda in world wars.

Yalta conference

2025-03-13 23:29:05 UTC

The Yalta conference was held from February 4 to 11 in 1945. Those who were in the big three are Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. The conference was held for an agreement on Germany's post-war occupation and other stuff.

January: Paris Peace Accords signed

2025-03-15 16:28:19 UTC

On January 27th 1973, Paris signed a peace accord stating that the war would end, and it would restore peace in Vietnam. The democratic public of Vietnam, the republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government, and the United States all signed this treaty to ensure each other's safety.