Milestones: 1945–1952 - Office of the Historian (2024)

FAQs

What was the milestone of 1945 1952? ›

1945–1952: The Early Cold War

In the interest of avoiding another global war, for the first time the United States began to use economic assistance as a strategic element of its foreign policy and offered significant assistance to countries in Europe and Asia struggling to rebuild their shattered economies.

1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.

The Truman Doctrine, 1947

Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.

The Cold War started in Europe. From 1945 to 1953, the USSR expanded its influence by creating the Eastern Bloc across states like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Stalin set up puppet communist governments that he could control. He repressed anyone who resisted.

On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, and the Second World War came to an end. The war cost the lives of more than 330,000 American soldiers. Many more were permanently injured or maimed.

1952 United States presidential election: Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower defeats Democratic Governor of Illinois Adlai Stevenson (correctly predicted by the UNIVAC computer). The Constitution Party nominates candidates. The U.S. National Security Agency is founded.

Chapter 9 The Cold War at Home and Abroad, 1945–1953. The Cold War. The Cold War featured political, military, and economic rivalries between the West and the international supporters of Communism that led to dozens of wars, even if the United States and the Soviet Union never directly fought one another.

Eisenhower is sworn in as the 34th President of the United States, and Richard Nixon is sworn in as Vice President of the United States. January 22 – The Crucible, a historical drama by Arthur Miller written as an allegory of McCarthyism, opens on Broadway. February 1 – WEEK-TV begins broadcasting in Peoria, Illinois.

Indeed, both nations established repressive right-wing regimes in the years following the Truman Doctrine. Yet, the Truman Doctrine successfully convinced many that the United States was locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Soviet Union, and it set the guidelines for over 40 years of U.S.-Soviet relations.

The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which are referred to by this name.

Who were the 2 superpowers in the Cold War? ›

The global standoff for dominance between the United States and the Soviet Union created in the aftermath of World War II affected all aspects of life in the postwar world.

August 29th: The Soviet Union conducts its first successful atomic test, detonating a 22 kiloton bomb codenamed “Joe One”. September 13th: The Soviet Union uses its veto to block United Nations memberships for several countries, including Italy, Jordan and Finland.

The Korean War was the first major conflict of the Cold War, fought from 1950 to 1953.

What happened in 1946 Major News Stories include (UNICEF) United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund Established, War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg, War Crimes Trials held in Tokyo, Mensa created, AT&T announce first car phones, Bikinis go on sale in Paris, United Nations' first meeting, baby boomer years ...

For the United States, 1945–1964 was a time of high economic growth and general prosperity. It was also a time of confrontation as the capitalist United States and its allies politically opposed the Soviet Union and other communist states; the Cold War had begun.

Truman: President's Secretary's File. Diary entry of Harry S. Truman, July 25, 1945, in which he reflects on the atomic bomb tests and the destructiveness of it, and the plan for using the bomb on military targets only.

On June 21, 1945, Japanese troops were defeated on the Pacific island of Okinawa after one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War II. Having seized the Ryukyu Islands from Japanese control, the United States next prepared to launch an onslaught against the Japanese mainland.

The airbag, which is essential today for car safety purposes, was invented in 1952. Polio was to be combatted with the help of vaccination, which was used for the first time in 1952. Roll-on deodorants are an invention that can be traced back to 1952. Hovercraft did not exist before 1952.

The 1950s were the atomic age of science and technology. “Modern” was synonymous with space-aged and comfortable. The end of World War II gave rise to a wave of servicemen with new jobs starting new families in new homes. Industries expanded and Americans bought goods not available during the war.

What major events happened from 1945 to 1970? ›

Three important political events define the period between the end of World War II in 1945 and 1970: the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War. These three events provide the overarching framework for a rich array of social and political changes that took place in America during that time.

May 25 – Nuclear testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its only nuclear artillery test: Upshot-Knothole Grable. May 29 – 1953 British Mount Everest expedition: Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal become the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

On on May 29th Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay perform the first successful ascent to the summit of Mount Everest.

October 24 – U.S. President Harry Truman declares an official end to war with Germany. November 1 – The first military exercises for nuclear warfare, with infantry troops included, are held in the Nevada desert. November 10 – Direct dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins.

The Korean War started on 25 June 1950 and ended on 27 July 1953, after the signing of an armistice agreeing that the country would remain divided.

The discovery in 1953 of the double helix, the twisted-ladder structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), by James Watson and Francis Crick marked a milestone in the history of science and gave rise to modern molecular biology, which is largely concerned with understanding how genes control the chemical processes within ...

The United Nations votes in favor of the creation of an Independent Jewish State of Israel. India and Pakistan gain independence from Great Britain. Jackie Robinson took to the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers becoming the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. Bell Laboratories invents the transistor.

On April 3, 1948, President Truman signed the Economic Recovery Act of 1948. It became known as the Marshall Plan, named for Secretary of State George Marshall, who in 1947 proposed that the United States provide economic assistance to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe.

Severe = Red. The higher the Threat Condition, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. Risk includes both the probability of an attack occurring and its potential gravity. Threat Conditions shall be assigned by the Attorney General in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.

While the official outcome of the hearings was inconclusive, this exposure of McCarthy to the American public resulted in a sharp decline in his popularity. In less than a year, McCarthy was censured by the Senate, and his position as a prominent force in anti-communism was essentially ended.

What is the meaning of McCarthyism? ›

[The American Heritage Dictionary gives the definition of McCarthyism as: 1. The political practice of publicizing accusations of disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence; and 2. The use of methods of investigation and accusation regarded as unfair, in order to suppress opposition.]

The domino theory is now largely discredited, having failed to take into account the character of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong struggle in the Vietnam War.

The Suez Crisis of 1956 is considered by some commentators to be the beginning of the end of Britain's period as a superpower, but other commentators have pointed to World War I, the Depression of 1920-21, the Partition of Ireland, the return of the pound sterling to the gold standard at its prewar parity in 1925, the ...

The Soviet Union became the sole superpower rival to the United States. The Cold War between the two nations led to military buildups, the arms race, and the Space Race. By the early 1980s, the Soviet armed forces had more troops and nuclear weapons than any other nation.

The 2 sides were enemies long before they were allies in WWII. Relations had been bad since 1917 as Russia had become communist and the West had interfered to try and stop it. Russia had also not been allowed to join the League of Nations in the 1920s and things had got worse in the 1930s.

While the exact end date of the Cold War is debated among historians, it is generally agreed upon that the implementation of nuclear and conventional arms control agreements, the withdrawal of Soviet military forces from Afghanistan and Eastern Europe, and the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War ...

The blacklist was implemented by the Hollywood studios to promote their patriotic credentials in the face of public attacks and served to shield the film industry from the economic harm that would result from an association of its product with subversives.

— During the Cold War, the United States developed a vast nuclear arsenal with weapons on aircraft, submarines and land-based missiles. These three ways of delivering nuclear weapons became known as the triad, with the Soviet Union was…

Significant events in 1949 include the discovery of another moon of Neptune, the discovery of oil under the Caspian Sea, as well as a new US President, and the introduction of intergovernmental military agreements between North America and European countries in the form of NATO.

1945–1952: The Early Cold War

In the interest of avoiding another global war, for the first time the United States began to use economic assistance as a strategic element of its foreign policy and offered significant assistance to countries in Europe and Asia struggling to rebuild their shattered economies.

What 2 very special events happened during 1949 that impacted the Cold War? ›

Signing of the NATO Treaty (4th April 1949) Establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (23rd May 1949) The first Soviet atomic bomb detonation (29th August 1949)

The Cold War started in Europe. From 1945 to 1953, the USSR expanded its influence by creating the Eastern Bloc across states like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Stalin set up puppet communist governments that he could control. He repressed anyone who resisted.

Three events heralded the end of the Cold War: the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the reunification of Germany in 1990 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Each was brought about or shaped by the demands and actions of ordinary Europeans, who were determined to instigate change.

The Cold War affected domestic policy in two ways: socially and economically. The intensive indoctrination of the American people led to a regression of social reforms especially regarding civil rights, labor unions, working conditions, and women's concerns.

1952 United States presidential election: Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower defeats Democratic Governor of Illinois Adlai Stevenson (correctly predicted by the UNIVAC computer). The Constitution Party nominates candidates. The U.S. National Security Agency is founded.

July 16 – The Trinity test detonates the world's first atomic bomb. July 21 – WW II: President Harry S. Truman approves the order for atomic bombs to be used against Japan. July 28 – A U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bomber crashes into the Empire State Building, killing 14 people, including all on board.

In the White House from 1945 to 1953, Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, helped rebuild postwar Europe, worked to contain communism and led the United States into the Korean War (1950-1953).

MAJOR EVENTS:

Dwight Eisenhower elected President over Adlai Stevenson by wide margin; Republicans gain control of White House and both houses of Congress. Korean conflict continues as truce attempts fail. Princess Elizabeth of Britain coronated queen upon the death of her father, King George VI.

The airbag, which is essential today for car safety purposes, was invented in 1952. Polio was to be combatted with the help of vaccination, which was used for the first time in 1952. Roll-on deodorants are an invention that can be traced back to 1952. Hovercraft did not exist before 1952.

What major events happened in 1954? ›

For the United States, 1945–1964 was a time of high economic growth and general prosperity. It was also a time of confrontation as the capitalist United States and its allies politically opposed the Soviet Union and other communist states; the Cold War had begun.

On July 26, 1945, Truman issued the Potsdam Declaration- demanding the unconditional surrender of the Japanese government, warning of “prompt and utter destruction”. Eleven days later, having received no reply, an American airplane dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan.

Truman, after consultations with his advisers, ordered atomic bombs dropped on cities devoted to war work. Two were Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japanese surrender quickly followed. In June 1945 Truman witnessed the signing of the charter of the United Nations, hopefully established to preserve peace.

12 April: Sworn in as thirty-third president of the United States upon the death of President Roosevelt. 25 April: Delivered radio address from Washington, DC, opening U.N. conference being held in San Francisco to create the charter for a new, permanent world organization.