# Exercise Mainbrace > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Exercise_Mainbrace > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Exercise_Mainbrace.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Mainbrace > Source revision: 1316198000 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) NATO military exercise Exercise Mainbrace Part of the Cold War (1947–1953) NATO Northern Flank Type NATO combined naval training exercises Location North Atlantic Ocean, GIUK Gap, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, North Sea, Jutland Peninsula, and Baltic Sea Planned by SACLANT & SACEUR Objective Deployment of NATO anti-submarine warfare forces, aircraft carrier strike forces, and supply convoys Date September 14–25, 1952 Executed by Admiral Sir Patrick Brind, RN (CINCNORTH) Outcome Exercise successfully executed **Exercise Mainbrace** was the first large-scale [naval exercise](/source/Military_exercise) undertaken by the newly established [Allied Command Atlantic](/source/Supreme_Allied_Commander_Atlantic) (ACLANT), one of the two principal military commands of the [North Atlantic Treaty Organization](/source/NATO) (NATO). It was part of a series of NATO exercises jointly commanded by [Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic](/source/Supreme_Allied_Commander_Atlantic) [Admiral](/source/Admiral_(United_States)) [Lynde D. McCormick](/source/Lynde_D._McCormick), [USN](/source/United_States_Navy), and [Supreme Allied Commander Europe](/source/Supreme_Headquarters_Allied_Powers_Europe#Supreme_Allied_Commander_Europe_.28SACEUR.29) [General](/source/General_(United_States)) [Matthew B. Ridgeway](/source/Matthew_B._Ridgeway), [U.S. Army](/source/U.S._Army), during the fall of 1952. ## Naval activities in the North Atlantic, 1946–1951 Operation Frostbite (1946) The strategic importance of control of Norway and the adjacent Norwegian and Barents seas was recognized by Anglo-American naval planners as early as the [First World War](/source/First_World_War). The [invasion](/source/Norwegian_Campaign) and the [occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany](/source/Occupation_of_Norway_by_Nazi_Germany) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) confirmed the importance of the region, as Germany established bases for submarine and air operations against [Allied convoys](/source/Arctic_convoys_of_World_War_II) bound for the [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) seaport of [Murmansk](/source/Murmansk).[1] After the Second World War, several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multinational exercises, including: - **Operation Frostbite** *(pictured)*, a 1946 naval exercise involving U.S. Navy Task Group 21.11 led by the aircraft carrier [USS *Midway* (CVB-41)](/source/USS_Midway_(CV-41)) that operated in the [Davis Straits](/source/Davis_Straits) between [Labrador](/source/Labrador) and [Greenland](/source/Greenland);[2] - **[Exercise Verity](/source/Exercise_Verity)**, a 1949 combined naval exercise involving the British, French, and Dutch navies which carried out naval bombardment, convoy escort, minesweeping, and [Motor Torpedo Boat](/source/Motor_Torpedo_Boat) attack evolutions;[3] - **Exercise Activity**, a 1950 Dutch-led naval exercise to refine combined communications and tactical procedures;[3] and - **Exercise Progress**, a 1951 French-led combined naval operation with Belgian, French, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and British naval units that participating in antisubmarine warfare operations, air defense maneuvers, minesweeping operations, and convoy exercises.[3] ## Operational history Initial planning for Exercise Mainbrace was initiated by [General](/source/General_of_the_Army_(United_States)) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](/source/Dwight_D._Eisenhower) prior to his resignation as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) to run for the [President of the United States](/source/President_of_the_United_States).[4] The exercise itself was commanded jointly by [SACLANT](/source/SACLANT) [Admiral](/source/Admiral_(United_States)) [Lynde D. McCormick](/source/Lynde_D._McCormick), [USN](/source/United_States_Navy), and [SACEUR](/source/SACEUR) [General](/source/General_(United_States)) [Matthew B. Ridgeway](/source/Matthew_B._Ridgeway), U.S. Army, with the immediate theater commander being Admiral Sir [Patrick Brind](/source/Patrick_Brind), RN, who was in [Commander-in-Chief](/source/Commander-in-Chief) [Allied Forces Northern Europe](/source/Allied_Forces_Northern_Europe).[5][6][7][8][9] Mainbrace was conducted over twelve days between September 14–25, 1952, and involved nine navies: [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy), the British [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy), [French Navy](/source/French_Navy), [Royal Canadian Navy](/source/Royal_Canadian_Navy), [Royal Danish Navy](/source/Royal_Danish_Navy), [Royal Norwegian Navy](/source/Royal_Norwegian_Navy), [Portuguese Navy](/source/Portuguese_Navy), [Royal Netherlands Navy](/source/Royal_Netherlands_Navy), and [Belgian Naval Force](/source/Belgian_Navy) operating in the [Norwegian Sea](/source/Norwegian_Sea), the [Barents Sea](/source/Barents_Sea), the [North Sea](/source/North_Sea) near the [Jutland Peninsula](/source/Jutland_Peninsula), and the [Baltic Sea](/source/Baltic_Sea). Its objective was to convince [Denmark](/source/Denmark) and [Norway](/source/Norway) that those nations could be defended against attack from the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union).[4] The exercise featured simulated carrier air strikes against "enemy" formation attacking NATO's northern flank near [Bodø](/source/Bod%C3%B8), [Norway](/source/Norway), naval air attacks against aggressors near the [Kiel Canal](/source/Kiel_Canal), anti-submarine and anti-ship operations, and U.S. marines landing in Denmark.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] ### Force composition Seas break over the bow of HMS *Vanguard* making a high speed run Eighty thousand men, over 200 ships, and 1,000 aircraft participated in Mainbrace. *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*' military reporter [Hanson W. Baldwin](/source/Hanson_W._Baldwin) described this NATO naval force as being the "largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since [World War I](/source/World_War_I)."[12][13] Naval Forces - Operation Mainbrace, 1952[citation needed] NATO member Aircraft carriers Battleships Cruisers Escorts MCM Submarines Torpedo boat squadrons Motor ships/Naval trawlers Total United States 6 1 3 40 — 9 — — 59 UK 3 1 2 31 — 17 4 8 + Trawlers 66 Canada 1 — 1 5 — — — — 7 France — — — 7 11 — — 2 20 Denmark — — — 3 2 2 — — 7 Norway — — — 2 16 2 3 3 26 Portugal — — — 3 — — — — 3 Netherlands — — — 5 — 3 — 5 13 Belgium — — — — 2 — — — 2 TOTALS: 10 2 6 96 31 33 7 18 203 **Blue Fleet Fast Carrier Task Force** [USS *Franklin D. Roosevelt*](/source/USS_Franklin_D._Roosevelt) with [Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17)](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_17):[14] Fighter Squadron 171 (VF-171) Fighter Squadron 172 (VF-172) Fighter Squadron 174 (VF-174) Attack Squadron 175 (VA-175) Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 42 Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 42 Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 42 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41 [USS *Midway*](/source/USS_Midway_(CV-41)) with [Carrier Air Group 6 (CVG-6)](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_6):[15] Fighter Squadron 61 (VF-61) Fighter Squadron 42 (VF-42) Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21) Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) Fleet Composite Squadron 8 (VC-8) Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 41 Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 41 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41 [USS *Wasp*](/source/USS_Wasp_(CV-18)) and [Carrier Air Group 1 (CVG-1)](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_1):[16] Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14) Fighter Squadron 12 (VF-12) Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15) Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 18 Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 18 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 18 [HMS *Eagle*](/source/HMS_Eagle_(R05)):[17] 800 Naval Air Squadron 803 Naval Air Squadron 809 Naval Air Squadron 812 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron Ship Flight 1 [HMS *Illustrious*](/source/HMS_Illustrious_(87)):[18] - 4 Naval Air Squadron - [824 Naval Air Squadron](/source/824_Naval_Air_Squadron) - 860 Naval Air Squadron - [Royal Netherlands Navy](/source/Netherlands_Naval_Aviation_Service) **[Light aircraft carriers](/source/Light_aircraft_carrier)** - [USS *Wright*](/source/USS_Wright_(CVL-49)) - [HMS *Theseus*](/source/HMS_Theseus_(R64)) - [HMCS *Magnificent*](/source/HMCS_Magnificent) **[Escort aircraft carriers](/source/Escort_aircraft_carrier)** - [USS *Mindoro*](/source/USS_Mindoro_(CVE-120)) - [USS *Salerno Bay*](/source/USS_Salerno_Bay) **Battleships** - [USS *Wisconsin*](/source/USS_Wisconsin_(BB-64)) - [HMS *Vanguard*](/source/HMS_Vanguard_(23)) **Cruisers** - [USS *Quincy*](/source/USS_Quincy_(CA-71)) - [USS *Columbus*](/source/USS_Columbus_(CA-74)) - [USS *Des Moines*](/source/USS_Des_Moines_(CA-134)) - [HMS *Swiftsure*](/source/HMS_Swiftsure_(08)) - [HMCS *Quebec*](/source/HMS_Uganda) **Amphibious force [flagship](/source/Flagship)** - [USS *Mount Olympus*](/source/USS_Mount_Olympus) - [USS *Tidewater*](/source/USS_Tidewater) ### Gallery - USS *Midway* - HMS *Eagle* - HMS *Vanguard* - Admiral McCormick - British MTBs underway ## Other NATO military exercises - fall 1952 Exercise Mainbrace was part of a series of NATO exercise jointly commanded by Admiral McCormick and General Ridgeway during the Fall of 1952 involving 300,000 military personnel engaged in maneuvers from the [Arctic Circle](/source/Arctic_Circle) to the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea).[6][8] Two exercises were conducted by NATO's [Allied Forces Southern Europe](/source/Allied_Forces_Southern_Europe) during the Fall of 1952.[19] *Ancient Wall* was a series of military maneuvers involving [ground small unit tactical training](/source/Small_unit_tactics), land-based tactical air support, and carrier-based air support.[20] *[Longstep](/source/Operation_Longstep)* was a ten-day naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea during November 1952 involving over 170 warships and 700 aircraft under the overall command of Admiral Carney. The objective of the Allied ("Blue") forces was to dislodge enemy ("Green") invasion forces from their occupying positions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Blue naval forces were centered around the [U.S. Sixth Fleet](/source/U.S._Sixth_Fleet), under the command of [Vice Admiral](/source/Vice_Admiral) John H. Cassady, USN, and its two aircraft carriers, the [*Franklin D. Roosevelt*](/source/USS_Franklin_D._Roosevelt) and [*Wasp*](/source/USS_Wasp_(CV-18)). Green forces included submarines and land-based aircraft. The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing at Lebidos Bay south of [İzmir](/source/%C4%B0zmir), involving 3000 French, Italian, and Greek troops, including the [Battalion Landing Team 3/2](/source/3rd_Battalion_2nd_Marines), under the overall command of [General](/source/General_(United_States)) [Robert E. Hogaboom](/source/Robert_E._Hogaboom), [USMC](/source/U.S._Marine_Corps).[19][21] ## Aftermath The Soviet Union characterized Mainbrace, Holdfast, and other NATO military exercises as "war-like acts" by NATO, with particular reference to the participation of [Norway](/source/Norway) and [Denmark](/source/Denmark), while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the [Soviet Zone](/source/Soviet_occupation_zone).[6][8] The exercise would also be referenced in [Project Blue Book](/source/Project_Blue_Book) after two RAF Shackleton crews flying out of RAF Topcliffe (UK) saw a fast-moving silver disc near the air base, travelling at 15,000-feet, with ground personnel at nearby RAF Dishforth also spotting a similarly-described disc seemingly following an RAF Meteor jet fighter, as it maneuvered during aerobatics, on September 19th. The sightings were reported at the time in many UK newspapers, often as front-page lead articles. A fortnight later NATO stated Danish aircrew had seen a silver disc over the North Sea on the same day as the RAF encounters. ## See also - [Cold War (1953–1962)](/source/Cold_War_(1953%E2%80%931962)) - [Northern Wedding](/source/Northern_Wedding) - [Operation Grand Slam (NATO)](/source/Operation_Grand_Slam_(NATO)) - [Operation Strikeback](/source/Operation_Strikeback) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Allard_1-0)** Allard. "Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank, 1917-1991" 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Midway History and Events: Shake Down and Operation Frostbite](http://cv41.org/cv41.html) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AH-10_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AH-10_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AH-10_3-2) "SACLANT: Guardian of the Atlantic" *[All Hands](/source/All_Hands)*, October 1952 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Thompson_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Thompson_4-1) Thompson. *Lessons Not Learned*, p. 15 - 16 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Time_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Time_5-1) *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*, September 22, 1952 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Time2_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Time2_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Time2_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Time2_6-3) *Time*, September 29, 1952 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NATO_Military_Command_Roster_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NATO_Military_Command_Roster_7-1) [NATO Military Command Roster](http://www.nato.int/cv/ace-k-p.pdf) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Sidney_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Sidney_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Sidney_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Sidney_8-3) "NATO Ships Enter Baltic Sea" - *Sydney Morning Herald*, p. 2 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Flight1_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Flight1_9-1) "The NATO Exercises, Part 1" *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)* (September 26, 1952) p. 402-404. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Vanguard_10-0)** "HMS *Vanguard*: A short history of Britain's last battleship", p. 18 1. **[^](#cite_ref-QUINCY_11-0)** "USS QUINCY CA-71", p. 34 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Baldwin, Hanson (September 28, 1952). ["Navies Meet the Test in Operation Mainbrace"](https://www.nytimes.com/1952/09/28/archives/navies-meet-the-test-in-operation-mainbrace-important-role-in.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*: E7. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** "The Bridge in Troubled Times: The Cold War and the Navies of Europe", p. 318 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [Carrier Air Group Seventeen](http://gonavy.jp/CVG-CVG17f.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [Carrier Air Group Six](http://www.gonavy.jp/CVG-CVG6f.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Carrier Air Group One](http://gonavy.jp/CVG-CVG1f.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers Part 3"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090225093921/http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv3.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv3.html) on February 25, 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Audio # 564735: OPERATION MAINBRACE - ContextDescription dated 9/1952](http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?QF0=SubThemeTag&QI0=SocietyAndTraditions&TN=uncat&RF=ThemedResults&DF=ThemedDetailed&NP=1&MR=1000&AC=QBE_QUERY) - [Imperial War Museum](/source/Imperial_War_Museum) Collection (U.K.) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AllHandsJan53_19-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AllHandsJan53_19-1) ["A Big Step Forward: Operation Longstep"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041120201907/http://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah195301.pdf) (PDF). *[All Hands](/source/All_Hands)*. [BUPERS - U.S. Navy](/source/BUPERS). January 1953. Archived from [the original](http://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah195301.pdf) (PDF) on 2004-11-20. Retrieved 2010-08-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["The NATO Exercises, Part 1"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%202822.html). *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)*: 402–404. September 26, 1952. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Official Biography - General Robert E. Hogaboom, USMC"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070820223737/https://slsp.manpower.usmc.mil/GOSA/Biographies/rptBiography.asp?PERSON_ID=1112&PERSON_TYPE=General). *Manpower & Reserve Affairs*. [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps). 2010. Archived from [the original](https://slsp.manpower.usmc.mil/gosa/biographies/rptBiography.asp?PERSON_ID=1112&PERSON_TYPE=General) on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2010-08-01. ## Sources and references *This article incorporates text from the [public domain](/source/Public_domain)*[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](/source/Dictionary_of_American_Naval_Fighting_Ships)*.* - [Allard, Dean C.](/source/Dean_C._Allard) (January 2001). ["Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank, 1917-1991"](http://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol11/nm_11_1_11to24.pdf) (PDF). *The Northern Mariner*. **XI** (1): 11–24. Retrieved 2009-08-05. - Fry, Roger (October 2007). ["HMS *Vanguard*: A short history of Britain's last battleship"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724042028/http://www.rna-10-area.net/files/VanguardOct07.pdf) (PDF). *Vanguard* (10): 33. Archived from [the original](http://www.rna-10-area.net/files/VanguardOct07.pdf) (PDF) on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-30. - Gary, USN (Ret.), GMC Richard M. (Summer 2009). ["USS QUINCY CA-71"](http://www.navycruisers.org/su09current-articles2.html). *U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association*: 34. Retrieved 2009-07-30.{{[cite journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_journal)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) - L'Heureux CD, RCN (Ret'd), Commander E.J. ["Aircraft Carriers Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110110060007/http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/assets/pdf/e_AircraftCarriers.PDF) (PDF). [Canada Aviation Museum](/source/Canada_Aviation_Museum). Archived from [the original](http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/assets/pdf/e_AircraftCarriers.PDF) (PDF) on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2009-07-30. - [Till, Geoffrey](/source/Geoffrey_Till) (April 2005). ["Holding the Bridge in Troubled Times: The Cold War and the Navies of Europe"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091104141436/http://yurizhukov.com/files/CWaS_309-337_european_navies.pdf) (PDF). *[The Journal of Strategic Studies](/source/Journal_of_Strategic_Studies)*. **28** (2). Taylor & Francis Group Ltd: 309–337. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/01402390500088379](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F01402390500088379). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0140-2390](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0140-2390). Archived from [the original](http://yurizhukov.com/files/CWaS_309-337_european_navies.pdf) (PDF) on 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2009-07-30. - *[Sydney Morning Herald](/source/Sydney_Morning_Herald)* - ["NATO Ships Enter Baltic Sea"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19520916&id=szETAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GrADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5730,1872770) - September 16, 1952 - *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))*, ["Operation Mainbrace"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080105063621/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,822470,00.html), September 22, 1952 - *Time*, ["NATO: Hedgehogs"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101125200940/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,935734,00.html), September 29, 1952 - Thompson, Roger (2007). *Lessons Not Learned: The U.S. Navy's Status Quo Culture*. [Naval Institute Press](/source/U.S._Naval_Institute). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-59114-865-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-59114-865-0). ## External links - [*All Hands* magazine online](/source/All_Hands) - [October 1952](https://web.archive.org/web/20060416094836/https://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah195210.pdf) - [November 1952](https://web.archive.org/web/20060416062309/https://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah195211.pdf) - [January 1953](https://web.archive.org/web/20041120201907/http://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah195301.pdf) - [Photo Gallery - Operation Mainbrace](http://www.cv41.org/photos/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17727) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131106092935/http://www.cv41.org/photos/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17727) 2013-11-06 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - CV41.org - [Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001](http://www.nato.int/cv/ace-k-p.pdf) - *NATO the First Five Years 1949-1954*: - [Chapter 7 — The Military Structure](http://www.nato.int/archives/1st5years/chapters/7.htm) - [Chapter 9 — The Increase in Strength - International Exercises](http://www.nato.int/archives/1st5years/chapters/9.htm) - [Appendix 1 — Chronicle](http://www.nato.int/archives/1st5years/appendices/1.htm) - [Annex — Chapter IX-B: Soviet armed strength (as estimated in 1954)](http://www.nato.int/archives/1st5years/annexes/b5.htm) - ["Exercise Mainbrace"](http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=30323) - [Pathé Films online](/source/Path%C3%A9) v t e North Atlantic Treaty Organization Symbols Animus in consulendo liber Flag of NATO "The NATO Hymn" NATO Day NATO Medal NATO Star History North Atlantic Treaty Summits Operations List of exercises Enlargement potential withdrawal Opposition to NATO .nato Internet domain NATO-American detachment Canada annexation proposals Greenland crisis Independent European rearmament Structure NATO headquarters Council International Staff International Military Staff Supreme 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with the European Union Relationship with Russia eastward NATO expansion issues Relationship with Ukraine Science for Peace and Security (SPS) See also Baghdad Pact (METO/CENTO) Balkan Pact Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) Suwałki Gap NATO strategy in the Arctic v t e Cold War United States Soviet Union NATO Warsaw Pact ANZUS METO SEATO NEATO Rio Pact Non-Aligned Movement 1940s Morgenthau Plan Jamaican political conflict Dekemvriana Guerrilla war in the Baltic states Operation Priboi Operation Jungle Occupation of the Baltic states Cursed soldiers Operation Unthinkable Gouzenko Affair Division of Korea Chinese Civil War Chinese Communist Revolution Indonesian National Revolution Civil conflicts in Vietnam (1945–1949) Operation Beleaguer Operation Blacklist Forty Iran crisis of 1946 Greek Civil War Baruch Plan Corfu Channel incident Hukbalahap rebellion Turkish Straits crisis Restatement of Policy on Germany First Indochina War 1947 Polish parliamentary election 1947 Paraguayan Civil War Truman Doctrine Asian Relations Conference May 1947 crises Partition of India India–Pakistan war of 1947–1948 1947–1949 Palestine war 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight Marshall Plan Comecon 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état Incapacitation of the Allied Control Council Al-Wathbah uprising Tito–Stalin split Berlin Blockade La Violencia Annexation of Hyderabad Madiun Affair Western betrayal Iron Curtain Eastern Bloc Western Bloc Malayan Emergency March 1949 Syrian coup d'état Operation Valuable 1950s Bamboo curtain McCarthyism First Indochina War Korean War Arab Cold War (1952–1979) Egyptian revolution of 1952 Iraqi Intifada Mau Mau rebellion Batepá massacre East German uprising of 1953 1953 Plzeň uprising 1953 Iranian coup d'état Massacre of 14 July 1953 in Paris 1953 Colombian coup d'état Pact of Madrid Bricker Amendment 1954 Syrian coup d'état Petrov Affair Domino theory 1954 Geneva Conference 1954 Paraguayan coup d'état 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état Capture of the Tuapse First Taiwan Strait Crisis Jebel Akhdar War Algerian War Kashmir Princess Bandung Conference Geneva Summit (1955) Cyprus Emergency Vietnam War "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences" 1956 Poznań protests Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Goulash Communism Polish October Suez Crisis "We will bury you" Operation Gladio Syrian Crisis of 1957 Sputnik crisis Ifni War Iraqi 14 July Revolution 1958 Lebanon crisis Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 1959 Mosul uprising 1959 Tibetan uprising Kitchen Debate Cuban Revolution Consolidation of the Cuban Revolution Sino-Soviet split Night Frost Crisis 1960s Congo Crisis Laotian Civil War Vietnam War Simba rebellion 1960 U-2 incident Bay of Pigs Invasion 1960 Turkish coup d'état Albanian–Soviet split Iraqi–Kurdish conflict First Iraqi–Kurdish War Berlin Crisis of 1961 Berlin Wall Annexation of Goa Papua conflict Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Sand War Portuguese Colonial War Angolan War of Independence Guinea-Bissau War of Independence Mozambican War of Independence Cuban Missile Crisis El Porteñazo Sino-Indian War Communist insurgency in Sarawak Ramadan Revolution Eritrean War of Independence North Yemen civil war 1963 Syrian coup d'état Assassination of John F. Kennedy Aden Emergency Cyprus crisis of 1963–1964 Shifta War Mexican Dirty War Tlatelolco massacre Guatemalan Civil War Colombian conflict 1964 Brazilian coup d'état Dominican Civil War Rhodesian Bush War Indonesian mass killings of 1965–1966 Transition to the New Order (Indonesia) ASEAN Declaration 1966 Syrian coup d'état Cultural Revolution Cambodian Civil War Argentine Revolution South African Border War Korean DMZ Conflict 12-3 incident Greek junta 1967 Hong Kong riots Years of Lead (Italy) Six-Day War War of Attrition Dhofar rebellion Al-Wadiah War Nigerian Civil War Protests of 1968 May 68 Prague Spring USS Pueblo incident 1968 Polish political crisis Communist insurgency in Malaysia Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia 17 July Revolution 1968 Peruvian coup d'état Revolutionary Government 1969 Sudanese coup d'état 1969 Libyan revolution Goulash Communism Sino-Soviet border conflict New People's Army rebellion Note Crisis 1970s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Black September Alcora Exercise 1970 Syrian coup d'etat Western Sahara conflict Communist insurgency in Thailand December 1970 protests in Poland Koza riot Realpolitik Ping-pong diplomacy 1971 JVP insurrection Corrective revolution (Egypt) 1971 Turkish military memorandum 1971 Sudanese coup d'état 1971 Bolivian coup d'état Four Power Agreement on Berlin Bangladesh Liberation War 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China North Yemen-South Yemen Border conflict of 1972 First Yemenite War Munich massacre 1972–1975 Bangladesh insurgency Eritrean War of Independence Paris Peace Accords 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état 1973 Afghan coup d'état 1973 Chilean coup d'état Yom Kippur War 1973 oil crisis Carnation Revolution Ethiopian Civil War Vietnam War Spanish transition to democracy Metapolitefsi Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Second Iraqi–Kurdish War Turkish invasion of Cyprus 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état Siege of Dhaka (1975) Sipahi-Janata revolution Angolan Civil War Indonesian invasion of East Timor Cambodian genocide June 1976 in Polish protests Mozambican Civil War Oromo conflict Ogaden War 1978 Somali coup attempt Western Sahara War Lebanese Civil War Sino-Albanian split Third Indochina War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Khmer Rouge insurgency Sino-Vietnamese War Operation Condor Dirty War (Argentina) 1976 Argentine coup d'état Egyptian–Libyan War German Autumn Korean Air Lines Flight 902 Nicaraguan Revolution Uganda–Tanzania War NDF Rebellion Chadian–Libyan War Second Yemenite War Grand Mosque seizure Iranian Revolution Saur Revolution New JEWEL Movement 1979 Herat uprising Seven Days to the River Rhine Struggle against political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union 1980s Salvadoran Civil War Soviet–Afghan War Eritrean War of Independence Summer Olympic boycotts (1980 · 1984 · 1988) Gera Demands Peruvian Revolution August Agreements Solidarity Assassination of Jerzy Popiełuszko 1980 Turkish coup d'état Ugandan Bush War Gulf of Sidra incident Martial law in Poland Casamance conflict Falklands War 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Ndogboyosoi War United States invasion of Grenada Able Archer 83 Star Wars 1985 Geneva Summit Iran–Iraq War Somali Rebellion Reykjavík Summit 1986 Black Sea incident South Yemeni crisis Toyota War 1987 Lieyu massacre Operation Denver 1987–1989 JVP insurrection Lord's Resistance Army insurgency 1988 Black Sea bumping incident 8888 Uprising Solidarity (Soviet reaction) Contras Central American crisis Operation RYAN Korean Air Lines Flight 007 People Power Revolution Glasnost Perestroika Bougainville conflict First Nagorno-Karabakh War Afghan Civil War United States invasion of Panama 1988 Polish strikes Polish Round Table Agreement 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre Revolutions of 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall Fall of the inner German border Velvet Revolution Romanian Revolution Peaceful Revolution 1990s Mongolian Revolution of 1990 Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident Gulf War Min Ping Yu No. 5202 German reunification Yemeni unification Fall of communism in Albania Breakup of Yugoslavia Dissolution of the Soviet Union 1991 August Coup Dissolution of Czechoslovakia Frozen conflicts Abkhazia China–Taiwan Korea Kosovo South Ossetia Transnistria Sino-Indian border dispute North Borneo dispute Foreign policy Truman Doctrine Containment Eisenhower Doctrine Détente Domino theory Hallstein Doctrine Kennedy Doctrine Johnson Doctrine Peaceful coexistence Ostpolitik Brezhnev Doctrine Nixon Doctrine Ulbricht Doctrine Carter Doctrine Reagan Doctrine Paasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine Rollback Kinmen Agreement Ideologies Capitalism Chicago school Conservatism American conservatism Democratic capitalism Keynesianism Liberalism Libertarianism Monetarism Neoclassical economics Reaganomics Supply-side economics Socialism Communism Marxism–Leninism Fidelismo Eurocommunism Guevarism Hoxhaism Juche Ho Chi Minh Thought Maoism Stalinism Titoism Trotskyism Other Imperialism Anti-imperialism Nationalism Ultranationalism Chauvinism Ethnic nationalism Racism Zionism Anti-Zionism Fascism Neo-Nazism Islamism Totalitarianism Authoritarianism Autocracy Liberal democracy Illiberal democracy Guided democracy Social democracy Third-worldism White supremacy White nationalism White separatism Apartheid Finlandization Organizations NATO SEATO METO EEC Warsaw Pact Comecon Non-Aligned Movement NN States ASEAN SAARC Safari Club Propaganda Pro-communist Active measures Izvestia Neues Deutschland Pravda Radio Moscow Rudé právo Trybuna Ludu TASS Soviet Life Pro-Western Amerika Crusade for Freedom Paix et Liberté Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Red Scare Voice of America Technological competition Arms race Nuclear arms race Space Race Historians Gar Alperovitz Thomas A. Bailey Michael Beschloss Manu Bhagavan Thomas Borstelmann Archie Brown Warren H. Carroll Chen Jian Adrian Cioroianu John Costello Michael Cox Nicholas J. Cull Nick Cullather Norman Davies Willem Drees Robert D. English Herbert Feis Robert Hugh Ferrell Sheila Fitzpatrick André Fontaine Anneli Ute Gabanyi John Lewis Gaddis Lloyd Gardner Timothy Garton Ash Gabriel Gorodetsky Greg Grandin Fred Halliday Jussi Hanhimäki Jamil Hasanli John Earl Haynes Patrick J. Hearden James Hershberg Tvrtko Jakovina Tony Judt Oleg Khlevniuk Harvey Klehr Gabriel Kolko Bruce R. Kuniholm Walter LaFeber Walter Laqueur Melvyn P. Leffler Fredrik Logevall Geir Lundestad Vojtech Mastny Jack F. Matlock Jr. Thomas J. McCormick Robert J. McMahon Timothy Naftali Marius Oprea David S. Painter William B. Pickett Ronald E. Powaski Stephen G. Rabe Yakov M. Rabkin Sergey Radchenko M. E. Sarotte Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Ellen Schrecker Giles Scott-Smith Shen Zhihua Timothy Snyder Frances S. Saunders Michael Szonyi Fyodor Tertitskiy Athan Theoharis Andrew Thorpe Vladimir Tismăneanu Patrick Vaughan Alex von Tunzelmann Odd Arne Westad William Appleman Williams Jonathan Reed Winkler Rudolph Winnacker Ken Young Vladislav M. Zubok Espionage and intelligence List of Eastern Bloc agents in the United States Soviet espionage in the United States Russian espionage in the United States American espionage in the Soviet Union and Russian Federation CIA and the Cultural Cold War CIA MI5 MI6 United States involvement in regime change Soviet involvement in regime change MVD KGB Stasi See also Origins of the Cold War Soviet Union–United States relations Soviet Union–United States summits Russia–NATO relations War on terror Brinkmanship Pax Atomica Second Cold War Russian Revolution Category List of conflicts Timeline Participants --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Exercise Mainbrace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Mainbrace) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Mainbrace?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.