THE COLD WAR Time period after WWII of conflict and competition between communist Soviet Union (USSR), and the democratic United States. ENTER

Berlin Airlift Cuban Missile Crisis Korean War Vietnam War McCarthyism Space Race

In 1948, Joseph Stalin cut off East Berlin from vital supplies for survival. Stalin wanted to force the allies out of Berlin. Truman and the air force organized a massive airlift to save the 2 million citizens there. Stalin ended the blockade a year later. BACK

VIETNAM 1965-1973 Vietnam was a country divided by a Civil War. The Communist North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. American troops were sent to defend the south. Americans feared the spread of communism in South East Asia. Back

KOREAN WAR 1950-1953, In an effort to carry out the policy of containment, Truman ordered the defense of South Korea against the Communist North Korea. A stalemate existed before the two sides came to a cease fire agreement in 1953. 54,000 Americans died in this war. BACK

McCarthysm Senator Joseph McCarthy contributed to another ‘Red Scare’ in the early 1950’s. ‘McCarthysm’ was the name given to Senator McCarthy’s public attacks on individuals he accused to be communist. McCarthy ended up being censured by the Senate. BACK

SPACE RACE During the Cold War Era the United States and the USSR competed for supremacy on many fronts. Achievement in the Math’s and Science’s were a central part of the Cold War. A race for space exploration brought the Cold War powers head to head in a monumental struggle for technological superiority. Americans were stunned by the Russian launch of ‘Sputnik’ in 1957. The very first satellite to orbit the earth. In 1969, the US was successful in being the first to land a man on the moon . President Kennedy was a strong supporter of the development of the Space Program. BACK

Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962 Soon after the failed “Bay of Pigs” invasion to cause an uprising in Cuba to overthrow the communist dictator, Fidel Castro, President Kennedy was dealing with another crisis. American Spy planes discovered that the Soviets were building secret launching sites for nuclear weapons. Kennedy ordered a Navy blockade of Cuba. He demanded that the Soviets stop their military build up in Cuba. For 13 days in October, 1962- The world was at a stand still, as the US and the USSR teetered on nuclear war. Finally, the Soviets agreed to pull back, and war was avoided. This was the closest the two nations ever came to all out nuclear destruction. BACK

Nuclear Arms Race One of the most terrifying aspects of the Cold War was the development of advanced nuclear weapons, and the possibility of nuclear war between the US and the USSR.