The Cold War
Events
for kids:
The Cold War Presidents
There were nine Cold War Presidents between
1945 - 1991. The names of the Cold War Presidents were Harry Truman,
Dwight D Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson, Richard
Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H Bush.
Many of the Cold War presidents used the
Policy of Containment to
resolve serious, diplomatic incidents involving the Communist
countries.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947):
Definition of the Yalta Conference
(1945)
Summary and Definition: The
Yalta
Conference (February 4, 1945 - February 11, 1945) was was a WW2
summit meeting of the 'Big Three' heads of government from the US,
Great Britain and the USSR consisting of Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. The Soviets broke promises made
at Yalta which led to strong Anti-Communist sentiments, growing
distrust of the Russians and the Cold War.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Potsdam Conference
(1945)
Summary and Definition: The purpose of the
Potsdam
Conference (17 July 17, 1945 to August 2, 1945), led by Harry S.
Truman, Clement Attlee and Joseph Stalin, to clarify and implement
the terms for the for the end of WW2. The leaders agreed that
Germany would be split into four zones of occupation (the United
States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and France). During the
conference Harry Truman, who was strongly anti-communist and highly
suspicious of Stalin, informed the Soviets that the US had
successfully tested the Atomic Bomb.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Atomic Bomb (1945)
Summary and Definition: The
Atomic
Bomb was developed by scientists in the US working on the
Manhattan Project. The atomic bomb, "Little Boy" was dropped on
Hiroshima
on August 6, 1945 and "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on
August 9, 1945 and ended WW2. The Atomic bomb ended WW2 but began
the Cold War arms race.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the United Nations (1945)
Summary and Definition: The
United Nations (UN) was established on 24 October 1945, after WW2 had ended,
to preserve world peace and promote international co-operation in
order to prevent another war. The United Nations replaced the
ineffective League of Nations and was established as a multinational
body to consider international problems and offer resolutions with a
view to avoiding another conflict. The UN's mission was complicated
in its early years by the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union
and their respective allies.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the
Eastern Bloc - The Iron Curtain (1945)
Summary and Definition: Russian military forces, driving
back the Nazis in WW2, occupied large areas of Eastern Europe. To safeguard
the USSR from future invasion Stalin's plan was to establish a 'buffer zone' of friendly,
Communist states around Russia called the 'Satellite
Nations'. The "impenetrable barrier" of the Eastern Bloc, known as
the
Iron Curtain, began to
descend separating the Communist countries of Eastern
Europe under the influence of the USSR from the democratic
countries of the West. The Soviet Union prevented
contact between the 'Satellite Nations' and the Free World. The Communists behind the Iron
Curtain controlled the army and set up a secret police
force. Opponents of
Communism were arrested and many were executed.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Long Telegram
(1946)
Summary and Definition: Although tensions were growing
between the US and the USSR many American officials believed it was
possible to cooperate with the Soviets. The sticking point was the
issue of free elections in Eastern Europe. In an effort to
understand the situation American officials asked the American
Embassy in Moscow to explain the behavior of the Soviets. In
response to the request George Kennan sent the Long Telegram on
February 22, 1946. The Long Telegram was a diplomatic cable
consisting of 5,540 words offering advice on the Soviet Union and
possible foreign policy approaches. Kennan advised "a long term,
patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive
tendencies." George Kennan’s advice formed the basis of the Truman
Doctrine and the basic US policy throughout the Cold War.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of Operation Crossroads at
Bikini Atoll
(1946)
Summary and Definition:
Operation Crossroads
at Bikini Atoll was the
first public demonstration of America's atomic arsenal after the
Atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Operation Crossroads was two
nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll
in the Marshall Islands during 1946. The purpose of Operation
Crossroads, which included two shots ABLE and BAKER, was to
investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on naval warships. The
first test, codenamed ABLE, occurred on July 1, 1946 when an
implosion-type atomic bomb (nicknamed Gilda) was dropped from a
B-29. The second test of Operation Crossroads was codenamed Test
BAKER, was the first underwater test of an atomic bomb.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Containment Policy
Summary and Definition:
Containment was the policy of
restricting communist expansion by keeping communism within its
present territory by diplomatic, military and economic actions. The
US policy of Containment was used when the Soviets made a move on
Eastern Europe and the
Middle East. During WW2 Soviet troops occupied Northern Iran.
Instead of withdrawing the Soviets remained in Northern Iran,
demanding access to Iran's oil supplies and helping Communists in
Northern Iran to set up a separate government. The US protested and
sent the USS Missouri battleship into the Eastern Mediterranean. The
Soviets withdrew and Americans spoke of "rolling back" communism.
But the USSR takeover attempts also extended to Europe and their
sights were set on Turkey and Greece. (The US policy of Containment
was to play a major role in diplomatic, economic and military
actions during the Cold War). The policy of Containment gave rise to
the
Domino Theory which speculated
that if one region came under the influence of communism, then the
surrounding countries would follow in a falling domino effect.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Truman Doctrine
(1947)
Summary and Definition: Containment was a key element
of the
Truman Doctrine. Stalin withdrew from Northern Iran but then
demanded joint control of the sea ports of the Dardanelles with
Turkey. Communists in Greece then launched a guerrilla war against
the government. The British sent troops to fight in Greece but were
forced to ask the US for help. On March 27, 1947 Truman made a
speech to Congress, that became known as the Truman Doctrine,
warning that it was America's job to quash the communist aggression
in Turkey and Greece. The effects of the Truman Doctrine were to
ease the Soviet demands in Turkey and stabilize the Greek
government. In the Truman Doctrine, President Harry Truman pledged
to support nations in their struggle to resist communism.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the Marshall Plan
(1947)
Summary and Definition: The European Recovery
Program, the
Marshall Plan, was proposed by Secretary of State
George C. Marshall in June 1947 in response to the economic ruin and
political chaos in many European countries following WW2. The
Marshall Plan was a US-financed relief package, providing funds to
European nations to assist their reconstruction and was essential
for the success of the US policy of containment. The Soviets and the
satellite nations established their own
economic program - Comecon. The Mutual Defense Assistance Act, aka the
Military Marshall Plan, was passed by US Congress in October 1949
authorizing the US government to supply military aid, equipment and
support to nations at risk from communism.
The Cold
War Events
for kids: Definition of the 1947 Roswell UFO
Incident and Area 51
Summary and Definition: The development of new weapons
and aircraft led to various conspiracy theories centered around the
Roswell UFO Incident in New Mexico and the
top secret military base in the Nevada desert referred to as
Area 51.
The
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
for kids: Definition of the National Security Act
of 1947
Summary and Definition: The National Security Act of
1947 (Jul 26, 1947) was promote national security and mandated a
major reorganization of the military establishments and foreign
policy of the U.S. Government. This reorganization of the U.S.
defense establishment created the office of the Secretary of
Defense, the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the National Security Council (NSA)
and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Cold War Events
For visitors interested in the history of
the Cold War refer to the following articles:
Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
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Interesting Facts about Cold War Events for kids and schools
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Summary and Definition of Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
●
Cold War Events with important dates and facts
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Cold War Events (1945 - 1947) with important dates and key
events
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Fast, fun, interesting
facts about Cold War Events (1945 - 1947)
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of the United States
● Cold War events for schools,
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