Postwar US Foreign Policy

The Iran-Contra affair involved the secret sale of arms to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, which violated congressional bans on such funding. Investigations by Congress concluded that the administration's actions were illegal.

Following WWII, Germany was divided into occupation zones, leading to tensions such as the Berlin Blockade. This direct friction between the US and the USSR in Germany was a primary catalyst for the Cold War.

The Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, was where the 'Big Three' (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) met to discuss the reorganization of Europe and the governance of postwar Germany.

In response to Japanese expansionism in Indochina, the US imposed strict economic sanctions, including an embargo on oil and steel, which were vital to the Japanese military machine.

The Korean War is generally cited as a successful application of the containment policy, as the US and UN forces prevented the communist North from taking over the entire peninsula, maintaining the status quo at the 38th parallel.

The Army-McCarthy hearings were televised, allowing the public to see McCarthy's bullying tactics. This led to a sharp decline in his popularity and the eventual censure of McCarthy by the Senate, effectively ending his influence.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in 1949 to provide collective security against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Iran Hostage Crisis began in 1979 and lasted for 444 days, ending with the release of the American hostages on the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

George H.W. Bush famously promised 'Read my lips: No new taxes' during his 1988 presidential campaign, a pledge he later broke, which affected his 1992 reelection bid.

The Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) was initiated by a U.S.-led coalition to liberate Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America.

The Marshall Plan was a U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War II to rebuild economies and prevent the spread of communism.

The Iran-Contra affair was a political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration, involving the secret sale of arms to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua.

The Iran-Contra affair involved the secret sale of weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages held in Lebanon, with the proceeds illegally funneled to the Contras in Nicaragua.

The Korean War (1950-1953) was a major early conflict of the Cold War, representing the first military clash between the U.S.-led forces and communist forces, significantly increasing global tensions.