The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century) (IB)

Cold War

Period of geopolitical tension between the US and USSR (1947-1991) characterized by an ideological struggle between capitalism and communism.

Proxy War

Conflicts where superpowers supported opposing sides without direct military engagement.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Doctrine stating that full-scale use of nuclear weapons would lead to total destruction of both the attacker and defender.

Espionage

Extensive intelligence gathering and covert operations conducted by both the US (CIA) and USSR (KGB).

Berlin Blockade

USSR's blockade of West Berlin (1948-49) attempting to force Western Allies out, countered by an airlift.

Korean War

Proxy war (1950-53) between North Korea (USSR & China) and South Korea (US & UN forces) that ended in division.

Domino Theory

US belief that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the fall of neighboring countries.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Military alliance of Western countries led by the US formed as a counter to Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of Eastern European countries led by the USSR, established as a response to NATO.

Détente

A period of eased tensions and improved relations between the US and USSR during the Cold War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and USSR, the closest the world came to nuclear war over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Gorbachev’s Reforms

Policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) aimed at reforming the Soviet system.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

A 1989 event symbolizing the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe.

End of Bipolarity

Post-Cold War era where the US emerged as the sole superpower.

Nuclear Proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries after the Cold War.

Ideological Conflict

Fundamental disagreement between capitalism (US) and communism (USSR) during the Cold War.

Space Race

Competition between the US and USSR for achievements in space exploration.

Prague Spring

Period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968, suppressed by the Soviet Union.

Soviet-Afghan War

A protracted and unsuccessful Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979-89), often referred to as the Soviet Union's Vietnam.

Human Rights in Helsinki Accords

Agreements reached to improve cooperation and address human rights issues between the Eastern and Western blocs.