The Cold War begins at the end of the second world war.

The cold war is mostly an ideological conflict

between the US and the USSR, it is called Cold War since there was never a direct conflict but instead
ideological battle between communism and capitalism, ideological influence, and power.

Truman Doctrine: Wanting to stop soviet expansionism president Truman announced the Truman
Doctrine, sending military aid to Greece and Turkey, the Truman Doctrine was a policy aimed to contain
the Soviet Union. The us stablished the Marshal Plan which was a plan that was aimed to improve
Europe´s economies, it provided almost 13 billion dollars of financial aid, encouraging economic
integration and the promotion of free markets.

Germany: This was the clearest example of the division of the world, splitting in half after the war, with
the control of the soviets at the east, while Britain, France and US were occupying the west, and Berling
was divided the same way, and Stalin placed a blockade. The US and it´s allies established the Federal
Republic of Germany at the west, and the following month the Soviets created the German Democratic
Republic at the East.

NATO and Cia: In response to the soviet expansion and influence NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) was created in 1949 bringing together the US, Canada, and most of western Europe in a
defensive pact against the USSR. In September 1947 the CIA was stablished to help stop the spread of
Communism, from 1949 to 1952 the CIA personnel increased with their overseas bases growing from 7
to 47 and their annual budget increasing from 4.7 million to 82 million dollars and would interfere into
countries where independent movements were seen as potential paths to communism.

China and Korea: China Mao Zedong had led communist revolutionaries to victory in 1949establishing
the People´s Republic of China, and the us responded increasing economic support into Japan, and
supported France in Vietnam fighting against communism independence movement. In 1950
communism from north Korea invaded south Korea, the US sent troops to push the invaders back north,
the Korean war dragged on for three years with the armistice of July 1953, with over 2 million deaths
but this showed that communism could be contained.

Khrushchev: Nikita Khrushchev had become leader after Stalin´s death in 1953 and soon created the
Warsaw pact to counter NATO, in November 1956 he threated Britain and France with rocket weapons
after the invasion of Egypt. In 1961 Khrushchev tried to secure Berlin. At a meeting in 1961 he gave
Kennedy 6 months to vacate Berlin, but Kennedy refused and desperately built berlin wall.

Cuban Missile Crisis: Cuba had been taken by communist revolutionaries in 1959 by Fidel Castro began
freeing Cuba of its economic and political reliance on the US and turned to the USSR for help. Not
wanting a communist nation near, Kennedy tried to take Castro down in the bay of pigs’ invasion using
the CIA but surrendering here days later, and in 1962 the USSR sent nuclear missiles to Cuba, and
Kennedy began a naval blockade and prepared for nuclear war. On October 28th Kennedy and
Khrushchev negotiated and the missiles were taken out of Cuba.

Vietnam: The next Crisis was spotted in Vietnam, where US military was struggling with communism at
the south of Vietnam for almost 10 years after Kennedy´s assassination in 1963 the vice president
Lyndon B Johnson had to deal with Vietnam and sent more troops to the conflict. In 1968 people
demonstrated discontent for the war, and after 10 years the US decided to withdraw and the
communists in the north took the south and left more than 58000 deaths for the Americans.
Détente: By 1964 the USSR suffered internal difficulties and Khrushchev was replaced by Leonid
Brezhnev, whose doctrine was suppressing dissents throughout the region with military force and was
known for being corrupt. This made Brezhnev seek a stable Soviet-American relationship facing large
protests over Vietnam and Cambodia. In late 1969 he began talks with Richard Nixon about a strategic
arms limitation treat or salt which would freeze the existing number of intercontinental ballistic missiles
on both sides it was the beginning of a period of détente, a French term that refers to the easing of
tensions between nations

Reagan: During Regans presidency détente was falling apart, and by 1977 the soviets placed ss-20
missiles in eastern Europe and had invaded Afghanistan in 1979. During his speeches Regan described
the USSR as an evil empire and declared that democracy will leave Marxism Leninism on the ash of
history. Regan established an arm reduction pact called “peace through strength”. He designed the SDI
that was a nuclear defense method through lasers and space-based missiles.