Table of Contents

Containment 4-6

Marshall Plan 4-9

The Red Scare 7-8

Massive Retaliation 7-9

Brinkmanship 9

Covert Operation 10-12

Detente 13-17

The Reagan Doctrine 18-22

The Iron Curtain

1945-1991

The Iron Curtain was the divide between the Eastern Europeans Communist states controlled by the Soviet Union from the rest of the world.  This first happened in 1946 right after the war.  The Soviet Union and other Communist 

states blocked themselves off from the West.  The purpose was to keep Capitalism from spreading to the Communist Soviet states. The iron curtain did not begin to fall until the late 1980s when the first Communist states began to fall, and did not completely fall until 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed.  

 Aid to Greece and Turkey

1947

Economic and military aid to Turkey and Greece was requested by US President Harry Truman in 1947.  Turkey and Greece were in the middle of fights to stop Communism.  This aid was part of the policy of containment.  The purpose was to prevent these two crucial countries from falling into the Soviet sphere of influence.  Congress approved $400 Million in aid to these two countries, almost two months after it was first requested by Truman.  That is almost $5 Billion in today's money.  The aid successfully kept Turkey and Greece from falling to Communism.

Berlin Airlift

June 1948-May 1949

The Berlin Airlift was an event that took place from June 1948 to May 1949.  In June of 1948, the Soviets closed off all and railroads roads that lead to the  

Western controlled parts of Berlin.  This made the Western nations unable to supply Berlin.  Eventually the Western nations began supplying their portion of Berlin by air.  This operation worked and made the Soviet embargo ineffective.  The Soviets stopped it in May of 1949 and supply went back to normal

The Korean War

June 1950-July 1953

North and South Korea were divided at the 38th Parallel by the Allies at the conclusion of World War II.  The South was backed by the West, and the North backed by Soviet Russia and Communist China.  On June 25, 1950 North Korean forces 

crossed the border and attacked the South.  The North Korea and their Allies believed the West would not defend them.  They were wrong.  The UN, led by the United States came to the defense of South Korea.  South Korea's capital was captured multiple times, as well as the North's.  Eventually, the war reached a stalemate around the 38th parallel, where they started.  The two countries were again split at the 38th parallel.

McCarthyism

1950s

McCarthyism was the practice of accusing people of Communist ties and treason, largely without evidence.  The practice was named after its proponent, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.  This practice was used first during the late 1940s and 1950s.  This was during what was dubbed the Second Red Scare.  Americans were again afraid of Communist infiltrating and harming America.  These Communist accusations were made at government officials, liberal and conservatives and 

even Hollywood figures.  These harmful practices ruined many careers, often unjustly and without evidence.

Taiwan Crisis

September 1954-May 1955

The Taiwan strait crisis was a fight between the Communist People's Republic of China (PRC), and the non-Communist Republic of China (ROC) over the Taiwanese islands.  The ROC held control of these islands, but the Chinese attacked in September of 1954, and took multiple islands.  In bombardment of one of the islands, 2 American military advisors stationed with the ROC were killed.  This incentivized the US to fight back.  Fighting continued

and America considered a nuclear strike against 

the Communist Chinese government and forces. 

 President Dwight Eisenhower stopped this.  The 

crisis eventually ended with a treaty.

CIA Operations In Iran

August 1950

During the Cold War, the CIA covertly worked to overthrow many leaders.  Iran was no exception.  In the early 1950s, British and US intelligence plotted to overthrow the Democratically elected leader of Iran, because of his anti-western views and alignment with the Soviet Union.  In 1953, Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown with the help of MI6 and the CIA.  An American puppet was essentially installed in 

                                                                  his place.  American and British involvement                                                                        not known at the time.  The British were                                                                               motivated by financial losses caused by                                                                                 Mosaddegh.  

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

April 1961

The Bay of Pigs invasion was an invasion of Cuba backed by American intelligence.  Cuban exiles tried to invade and overthrow the Communist Cuban government.  The Coup was covertly backed the CIA and American assets.  America even provided 8 Fighter Jets as  bombing cover for the invaders.  The Soviet backed Communist Cuban forces swiftly defeated the ill conceived coup.  

This was a major embarrassment for the

 Americans, and the failure to overthrow Castro 

would come back to bite the Americans in the 

future.  

The Cuban Missile Crisis

October 1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis was an international crisis during October of 1962.  In response to America deploying nuclear weapons to Italy and Turkey, and the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev allowed nuclear weapons to be placed just dozens of miles away from the US, in Cuba.  The US blockaded Cuba in response to this perceived aggression.  This tense 

standoff would not come to an end for weeks.  The 

United States and Soviet Union would reach an 

agreement eventually.  The Soviets pulled their missiles 

out of Cuba, and the US would pull its missiles out of 

Turkey, and agree to not invade Cuba. 

Kennedy's Interventions Vietnam

1961-1963

During his short time as president, John F. Kennedy faced a huge challenge from Vietnam.  The South Vietnamese forces backed by the West faced off against the North Vietnamese Communist forces, backed by the Soviet Union.  During his presidency, Kennedy took a measured response to Communist rebels threatening the South Vietnamese government.  Kennedy approved the use of military advisors stationed with the South Vietnamese.  The US also used its own special forces to                                                                     fight when it was deemed necessary.  The US                                                                     also provided monetary and military aid to the 

                                                                South Vietnamese.