Cold War Timeline – AP US History | ShowMeClass

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Cold War Timeline

AP US History · Unit 8: 1945–1980

Learning Objectives

Trace the Cold War from 1947 to 1991

Understand containment, deterrence, and détente

Identify proxy wars and nuclear crises

Analyze domestic impacts (McCarthyism, space race)

Key Concepts

Containment: Prevent spread of communism (Truman Doctrine, Kennan)
MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction — nuclear deterrence
Détente: Relaxation of tensions (1970s, Nixon)
Collapse: USSR dissolved Dec 1991

Legend

Crisis / Conflict

Policy / Doctrine

Diplomacy / Treaty

Space / Technology

Domestic

Cold WarUSSRContainmentNuclear

Era:All

Tension:—

Duration

44 years

Events

16

Crises

—

Presidents

8

Category

—

Filter by Era

Filter by Category

Tension Meter

Event Details

Quick Quiz▼

1. The Truman Doctrine (1947) committed the US to:

Isolationism Containing the spread of communism Nuclear disarmament Free trade

2. The closest the world came to nuclear war was:

Korean War Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis Berlin Airlift

3. The Berlin Wall fell in:

1985 1989 1991 1987