Cartoons of the unflappable Bert the Turtle warned American children everywhere during the Cold War to "duck and cover" in the event of a nuclear blast. Although these measures would have proved useless, schools vigorously pursued "duck and cover" drills in which children clambered beneath their desks.

As the British and French Empires slowly yielded to independence movements, a new Third World emerged. This became the major battleground of the Cold War as the United States and the Soviet Union struggled to bring new nations into their respective orbits. Across the Third World, the two superpowers squared off through proxy armies.

The United States's recognition of Israel in 1948 created a strong new ally, but created many enemies. Arab nations, enraged by American support for the new Jewish state, found supportive ears in the Soviet Union.

When Egyptian President GAMAL ABDEL NASSER sought to strengthen ties with the Soviet bloc, the United States withdrew its pledge to help Nasser construct the all-important ASWAN DAM. Nasser responded by nationalizing the SUEZ CANAL, an action that compelled British, French, and Israeli armies to invade Egypt.

Egyptian president Gamal Abder Nasser's 1956 nationalization of the Suez Canal, crippled the ability of Great Britain and France to trade internationally. As a result, the two countries allied with Israel to attack Egypt.

The Eisenhower Doctrine

Asia provided more challenges for American containment policy. China was flexing its muscles on TAIWAN by threatening the takeover of the Taiwanese islands of QUEMOY AND MATSU. United States Secretary of State JOHN FOSTER DULLES chose to follow a strategy of brinkmanship. He told China that any aggressive actions toward the islands would be met by force from the United States.

In a grown-up version of the children's game of chicken, Dulles hoped to avoid war by threatening war. The Chinese shelled the islands to save face, but no takeover occurred.

To the south, communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh successfully defeated the French colonial army to create the new nation of Vietnam. American commitment to the containment of communism led to a protracted involvement that would become the Vietnam War.

The CIA was formed after World War II to monitor the potential threat of communist countries.

The CIA

The first such instance occurred in Iran, when Iranian Prime Minister MOHAMMED MOSSADEGH nationalized BRITISH PETROLEUM. Fearing Soviet influence in the powerful oil nation, the CIA recruited a phony mob to drive off Mossadegh and return the American-backed SHAH MOHAMMAD REZA PAHLAVI to power.

When JACOBO ARBENZ came to power in Guatemala, he promised to relieve the nation's impoverished farmers by seizing land held by the American-owned UNITED FRUIT COMPANY and redistributing it to the peasants. With the support of American air power, a CIA-backed band of mercenaries overthrew Arbenz and established a military dictatorship.

Throughout Latin America, the United States was seen as a brutal defender of thuggish autocrats at the expense of popularly elected leaders. Fidel Castro capitalized on this sentiment by overthrowing U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista from power in Cuba in January 1959.

Beginning on July 4, 1956, U-2 spy planes infiltrated Soviet airspace to take photos and determine the number of bomber planes possessed by the USSR. The secret flights lasted until 1960, when a U-2 plane was shot down.

Policy of Mass Retaliation

The Soviet crackdown on the HUNGARIAN UPRISING OF 1956 further strained relations. In an effort to reduce tensions, Eisenhower offered an "OPEN SKIES" PROPOSAL to Soviet leader NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV. Planes from each nation would be permitted to fly over the other to inspect nuclear sites. But Khrushchev declined the offer. A summit conference between Eisenhower and Khrushchev was canceled in 1960 when the Soviets shot down an American U-2 SPY PLANE piloted by GARY POWERS.

This stamp commemorates Laika, the dog that was sent into space on the second Soviet satellite, Sputnik II, in November 1957. The launch of the first Sputnik earlier that year triggered a massive American effort to catch up to Soviet space technology, culminating in 1969 with the U.S. mission to the Moon.

Despite the passing of Joseph Stalin, Americans continued to view the Soviet Union as the Great Red Menace.

When the USSR put SPUTNIK into orbit in 1957, panic struck the American heartland. Thousands rushed to Sears and Roebuck to purchase bomb shelter kits, and Congress responded by creating the NATIONAL AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION and by appropriating funds for science education.

Not even outer space was safe from Cold War confrontation.

World Leaders of the 1950s Instructions: Match the elements on the left with the elements on the right. Click on the target next to an element in the left column, then drag a line to its counterpart in the right column. Correctly matched elements will turn green in color, and the line between them will stick. If the elements don't match, the line will disappear and you'll have to try again! Click Here!

The mushroom cloud above was photographed in a 1956 nuclear test known as Operation Plumbbob. The possibility of nuclear war loomed over terrified Americans in the 1950s.

Label the Fifty States Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Can you label the 50 states? Click on the picture at right to start the quiz. The name of a state will appear at the top of the window; click on a state and see how you do. To start over, press the "reset" button. Good luck! Click Here!