The period between 1947 and 1953 is mostly known as the First Cold War, characterised by rising tensions between the East and the West and ending with a "thaw" in relations, where both sides began negotiations again. This began with the creation of cominform and comintern, both are Communists organisations created by the USSR to allow other Communist nations to easily contact Moscow. Another major event of the First Cold War was the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. Both were designed to stop Communist influence from further spreading in Europe, but led to more suspicion from the USSR. The success of the Marshall plan in spreading US imperialism led to many East Berliners to move to West Berlin. Most of these were skilled workers, which the USSR desperately needed. This led to the Berlin Blockade, where the USSR attempted to cut off all access to West Berlin to force the West into giving up West Berlin. This caused the Berlin Airlift, where essential supplies were airlifted into West Berlin to allow the West Berliners to survive. In 1949 the Berlin Blockade ended. Also in 1949, the US forms NATO, a military organization designed to prevent Soviet aggression in Europe.
Significant Events
Significant Events
- 1949: Establishment of NATO
- Sep 1949: USSR gets Atomic Bomb
- Dec 1949: Communist victory in Chinese Civil War
- Apr 1950: NSC-68 produced
- Jun 1950: North Korea invades South Korea
- Sept 1951: Japan and US sign mutual security pact
- March 1953: Death of Stalin
How it started
The First Cold War began at the end of the Chinese Civil War, as the defeat of the Nationalists shocked the US, which had provided aid to the GMD to fight the CCP. A White Paper report was written stating that the US would not have been able to change the outcome of the Civil War, stating that the GMD was so unpopular with the Chinese people no amount of aid would have prevented their "collapse". The White Paper also declared that Mao was independent from Moscow. This was followed by the Red Scare and McCarthyism in the US. Senator McCarthy led purges and show trials, accusing people in key positions of being Communist sympathizers. Historians have drawn parallels between the show trials and Stalin's purges in the 1930s.