Marshall Plan Cold War Soviet Union NATO Warsaw Pact satellite states regime change left-wing Korean Vietnam Wars Space Race landing people on the Moon in 1969 economic growth urbanization rapid growth of its population Interstate Highway System Alaska Hawaii political state Union World War II Moon World War I military states
After World War II, the United States launched the Marshall Plan to aid war-torn Europe, providing $13 billion ($115 billion in 2021) for reconstruction. This period also marked the beginning of the Cold War, with geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union driven by ideological differences. The two countries led military affairs of Europe, with the U.S. and its NATO allies on one side and the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact satellite states on the other. The U.S. engaged in regime change operations against left-wing governments, conflicts like the Korean and Vietnam Wars and led the Space Race, eventually landing people on the Moon in 1969. Domestically, the United States experienced economic growth, urbanization, and a rapid growth of its population following World War II. The construction of an Interstate Highway System transformed the nation's transportation infrastructure, and Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as states, expanding the country's borders.
