diff --git a/backend/.gitignore b/backend/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea8c4bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..120a19e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
+# It is not intended for manual editing.
+version = 4
+
+[[package]]
+name = "backend"
+version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2927186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[package]
+name = "backend"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2024"
+
+[dependencies]
diff --git a/backend/src/main.rs b/backend/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7a11a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+fn main() {
+    println!("Hello, world!");
+}
diff --git a/plan/01_CORE_MVP/backend.md b/plan/01_CORE_MVP/backend.md
index e6fe826..f8b5fde 100644
--- a/plan/01_CORE_MVP/backend.md
+++ b/plan/01_CORE_MVP/backend.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ captains-log/
 ## Phase 1: Project Foundation (Days 1-2)
 
 ### Task 1.1: Initialize Rust Project
-- [ ] **File**: `backend/Cargo.toml`
+- [x] **File**: `backend/Cargo.toml`
   - Create new Rust binary project
   - Add core dependencies: axum, sqlx, tokio, serde, uuid, chrono, anyhow
   - Add dev dependencies: tarpaulin for coverage