Study Tool: Chronological Events of the 1946-1952 Era 

Does not include issues on social history covered separately. The column US Land Expansion is removed (although the US gains some territory); the column Beyond America/Foreign Policy is split into two columns.

 

 

Date

Pres. Election / Event

Beyond America

Foreign
Policy

Government Institutions

US Econ. Dev.

Issue/ Org. Dev.

Political Party Dev.

1945-11

 

 

Nuremberg Trials[1] begin

 

 

 

 

1946-02

 

 

 

Council of Economic Advisors est.

 

 

 

1946-03

 

Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech

 

 

 

 

 

1946-08

 

Greece: Civil war

Br: Withdrawing from region

 

 

$25M in credits

 

 

 

 

1946-10

 

Korea: US/USSR at 38th Parallel

 

 

 

 

 

1946-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Republican victories; control 1st in 14 yrs.

1947-03

Executive Order: Loyalty Program[2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truman Doctrine

 

 

 

 

 

 

1947-04+

 

Turkey: Soviet pressures on

Aid to Greece, Turkey

 

 

 

 

1947-05

 

Occupied Japan: New Constitution[3]

 

 

 

 

 

1947-06

 

 

Marshall Plan

 

Taft-Hartley Act

 

 

1947-07

 

 

 

National Security Council; CIA est.

 

Kennan, Foreign Affairs, on “containment”

 

 

 

 

Dept. of Defense est.[4]

 

 

 

1947-09

 

Cominform est.

 

 

 

 

 

1948-03

 

Czechoslovakia: coup; Soviet gains

 

 

 

 

 

1948-06

 

Berlin blockade[5]

 

Selective Service through 1951

 

 

 

1948-07

Executive Order: desegregation of armed forces

 

 

 

 

 

 

1948-08

 

 

 

Alger Hiss case begins

 

 

 

 

1948-11

Thomas E. Dewey vs. Harry S Truman vs. J. Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)

 

 

 

 

 

Republican increases

1949

 

Soviet Union: atomic weapon

 

 

 

 

 

1949-01

 

 

 

Trial of Communist Party leaders

 

 

 

1949-04

 

NATO est.

 

 

 

 

 

1949-08

 

 

 

 

Minimum wage from $.40 to $.75

 

 

1949-12

 

China: Nationalists flee to Taiwan

Acheson’s NSC-68

 

 

 

 

1950-01

Hydrogen bomb announced[6]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1950-02

 

 

 

Joseph McCarthy – Wheeling, W.Va. speech[7]

 

 

 

1950-06

 

Korea: North invades South

 

 

 

 

 

1950-06-20

Without Congress, sent troops

 

 

 

 

 

 

1950-11

 

China: Joins Korea

 

 

 

 

Republican increases

1951-02

 

 

 

22nd Amendment[8]

 

 

 

1951-04

Removal of MacArthur

 

 

 

 

 

 

1951-07

 

Korea: Negotiations begin[9]

 

 

 

 

 

1952-11

Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai Stevenson

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Nixon’s “Checkers speech”



 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2010

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com

Last Updated:

2010

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/

 

 



[1] Japanese tried by an International Military Tribunal beginning 1946-01

[2] Attorney General (Tom Clark): communists “everywhere”    -    Congress: HUAC in 1946 alleged Communists in Treasury, Agriculture; 1947, “Hollywood Ten” 

[3] Occupation ends in 1952 per Peace treaty with Japan signed by 49 nations.

[4] Combination of Departments of War and Navy

[5] 1961, Soviets build wall between East, West Berlin. 1989-11, following opening of wall per Soviet decision , workers pulled down 1st section.

[6] US hydrogen bomb exploded 1952-11. Br: 1952-10, its first atomic weapon.

[7] Not stopped until Eisenhower’s term

[8] Presidency limited to 2 terms

[9] Not resolved until Eisenhower’s term