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Category Archives: US Events
Defectors
Defectors 1945 – 1989 Preceding the start of the Cold War, citizens of the Eastern bloc fled or defected to the West. Defectors came in two primary archetypes. Spies and double agents who had been discovered or needed to “come … Continue reading
Formosan Resolution
Formosan Resolution 1955 Reacting to the “loss of China” the United States Congress extended to President Eisenhower open ended authority to defend Taiwan—technically known as the Republic of China on Taiwan—with military force. The resolution came at a time when … Continue reading
East European Unrest
East European Unrest 1956–1989 Captured most visibly by Nagy’s attempt to withdraw Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and Czechoslovakia’s Prague Spring of 1968, members of the Warsaw Pact frequently sought to loosen the reins of Moscow. When taken too far, … Continue reading
US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact
US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact 1951 On September 8th the United States quietly extended its nuclear umbrella to its former Pacific rival. In doing so, it also soothed the nerves of Japan’s neighbors about a remilitarized Japan appearing on the world … Continue reading
CIA Created
CIA Created 1947 In an effort to bring to a close the inter-service bickering that marred U.S. intelligence during WWII, President Truman created the United States’ first independent agency capable both of intelligence analysis and covert operations. Its 40 year … Continue reading
Containment
Containment 1947 A term coined by diplomat and Sovietologist George Kennan, it came to form the cornerstone of US policy toward the Soviet Union during the early Cold War. It found early application in the Truman Doctrine and sought to … Continue reading
Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan 1947 On June 5, Secretary of State George C. Marshall announced to the world the US plan to reconstruct all of Europe. Due to Soviet pressure, Eastern European states did not participate. However, for the 16 nations of … Continue reading
Independent Reds
Independent Reds 1948 The Communist Information Bureau, COMINFORM, expelled Yugoslavia for Marshall Tito’s refusal to conform to Moscow’s wishes. Albania would ultimately follow a similar tack, breaking with Yugoslavia, then Khrushchev’s USSR. While remaining within the Soviet structure, Ceausescu’s Romania … Continue reading
NATO
NATO 1949 The second part of the US strategy to rebuild Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became synonymous with the West’s opposition to the Soviet Union. An oft repeated maxim for NATO’s purpose captures it nicely: “NATO was … Continue reading
Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine 1947 Before a joint session of Congress, the President announced the new Truman Doctrine, ushering in an era of intense intervention on behalf of states with liberal economic and political institutions. Truman stated “I believe that it must … Continue reading
Twilight Strategy 