1. 1947: President Truman signs the National Security Act
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It was on this date in 1947 that one of the most important pieces of legislation from the Cold War is signed by President Truman. Called the National Securities Act, it was designed to lay the bureaucratic framework of foreign policies for the next 40 years. It would consist of three main parts, one being the setup of the CIA that officially took over the Central Intelligence Group that was established in 1946. The CIA would not only gather intelligence, but also conduct covert operations on foreign soil. Second, it would unify the the nation’s military by combining the War and Navy Departments, making it the Department of Defense. Lastly, it would establish the coordinating agency that would sift through all of the intelligence and diplomatic information to provide to the President. It would be based out of the White House and would go by the name National Security Council.
