cold war

the truman doctrine

a US foreign policy that pledged American support for democratic nations against authoritarian threats, particularly communism, and marked a shift towards global involvement instead of isolationism. places like turkey, greece, etc.

the marshall plan

a US-led initiative to provide economic aid to Western European nations after World War II, aiming to rebuild their economies and prevent the spread of communism. us gave 10% of national budget to europe

north atlantic treaty organization

a military alliance between the U.S., Canada, and Western European countries to counter the threat of Soviet expansion and communism. Its principle of collective defense united Western nations and served as a major deterrent during the Cold War. its creation marked the formal division between East and West, intensifying the Cold War rivalry.

containment policy

the United States' Cold War strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond where it already existed. It was based on the idea that if communism could be contained, it would eventually collapse on its own. This policy shaped major U.S. actions during the Cold War, including involvement in Korea, Vietnam, and support for anti-communist governments worldwide.

the iron curtain

a term popularized by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the political and ideological barrier that divided Western Europe (democratic) and Eastern Europe (communist) during the Cold War. It symbolized the Soviet Union’s control over Eastern Europe and the lack of freedom and communication between the two sides. The Iron Curtain became a powerful symbol of the Cold War’s division between capitalism and communism.

domino theory

the belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would quickly follow. It was used by the U.S. to justify involvement in conflicts like the Vietnam War, aiming to stop the spread of communism in Asia. This theory reflected Cold War fears of global communist expansion.

the korean war

a Cold War conflict between North Korea (communist, backed by the Soviet Union and China) and South Korea (non-communist, supported by the U.S. and United Nations). It began when North Korea invaded the South, aiming to unify the country under communism. The war ended in a stalemate with Korea still divided at the 38th parallel, and it marked the first major armed conflict of the Cold War, showing how the U.S. would use force to contain communism.

house of un-american activities

a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated suspected communist influence in American society during the Cold War. It focused on rooting out alleged communists in government, Hollywood, and other sectors, often leading to blacklists and ruined careers. it reflected the era’s intense fear of communism at home and contributed to the broader Red Scare in the United States.

the hollywood ten

a group of ten screenwriters, directors, and producers in Hollywood who were blacklisted in 1947 for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) during investigations into communist influence in the film industry. They were charged with contempt of Congress for not answering questions about their political beliefs and affiliations, and many served prison sentences. Their stance made them symbols of resistance against the anti-communist hysteria of the time, but it also led to their careers being ruined during the Red Scare.

alger hiss

a former U.S. government official accused of being a Soviet spy during the Cold War. In 1948, he was accused by Whittaker Chambers, a former communist, of passing classified documents to the Soviet Union in the 1930s. Hiss denied the charges, but in 1950, he was convicted of perjury for lying about his espionage activities and sentenced to prison, although he was never convicted of espionage itself. His case became one of the most high-profile incidents of the Red Scare, fueling fears of communist infiltration in the U.S. government.

ethel and julius rosenberg

American citizens who were convicted of espionage for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In 1951, they were sentenced to death for their role in a conspiracy to provide the Soviets with information about the U.S. atomic bomb, based on testimony from individuals involved in the case. Despite maintaining their innocence, they were executed in 1953, and their trial and execution remain controversial, with debates over whether they were guilty or victims of anti-communist hysteria during the Red Scare.

mccarthyism

the period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the U.S. during the early 1950s, led by a senator. he claimed that communists had infiltrated the U.S. government, military, and other institutions, and he conducted high-profile hearings in which many individuals were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers. These hearings often lacked solid evidence and led to blacklisting, ruined careers, and widespread fear, making McCarthyism synonymous with reckless accusations and political repression during the Cold War. synonymous with witchhunt?

john foster dulles

a key proponent of the strategy of "massive retaliation," which was closely tied to the idea of using nuclear weapons as a central component of U.S. defense policy during the Cold War. Dulles argued that any Soviet aggression should be met with a full-scale nuclear response, creating the concept of nuclear deterrence. He believed that the threat of overwhelming nuclear retaliation would prevent Soviet expansion and aggression.

brinkmanship

a Cold War-era strategy in which a country pushed a dangerous situation to the edge of conflict or war, hoping that the opposing side would back down to avoid mutual destruction. The term is most closely associated with John Foster Dulles, who used it in the context of U.S. foreign policy during the Eisenhower administration. The strategy relied on the threat of nuclear retaliation and massive force, essentially playing chicken with the Soviet Union, with the goal of forcing the enemy to retreat without actually going to war. It was a high-risk tactic aimed at achieving political goals through the fear of escalation, but it also created significant global tension.

central intelligence agency

primary civilian foreign intelligence service of the United States, created in 1947 under the National Security Act. Its main role is to gather, analyze, and disseminate intelligence related to national security, focusing on foreign governments, organizations, and individuals. During the Cold War, the CIA was involved in a wide range of covert operations, including overthrowing foreign governments (such as in Iran 1953 and Guatemala 1954), spying on Soviet activities, and supporting anti-communist forces in various regions, often using tactics that are still controversial today.

warsaw pact

a military alliance established in 1955 by the Soviet Union and seven other communist states in Eastern Europe, including Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. It was created in response to the formation of NATO, as a way for the Soviet Union to solidify its control over Eastern Europe and counter Western military influence.

eisenhower doctrine

a policy aimed at containing the spread of communism in the Middle East. It stated that the U.S. would provide military and economic assistance to any Middle Eastern country threatened by communist aggression or subversion. The doctrine was part of the broader Cold War strategy to prevent Soviet influence from expanding, and it was first used in response to the crisis in Lebanon in 1958, where the U.S. sent troops to stabilize the government and protect it from communist influence.

bay of pigs incident

a failed attempt by a CIA-backed force of Cuban exiles to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro in Cuba. It took place in April 1961, during the presidency of John F. Kennedy. The exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba's southern coast, but the operation quickly fell apart due to poor planning, lack of air support, and strong resistance from Cuban forces. The failure was an embarrassment for the U.S. and strengthened Castro's position in Cuba, while also damaging U.S.-Cuba relations and increasing tensions during the Cold War.

the cuban missile crisis

a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. The crisis began when U.S. spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union had secretly placed nuclear missiles on the island, just 90 miles from the U.S. mainland, which posed a direct threat to American security. The situation escalated to the brink of nuclear war, but after tense negotiations, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and the secret removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey. The crisis marked one of the closest moments to nuclear war during the Cold War and led to a thaw in relations, including the establishment of a direct communication "hotline" between the U.S. and Soviet leaders.

berlin wall

a concrete barrier constructed by East Germany in 1961 to divide East Berlin (controlled by the communist Soviet Union) from West Berlin (controlled by the democratic Western Allies). The wall was built to stop the massive migration of East Germans fleeing to the West through Berlin, which had become a symbol of Cold War tensions. The wall became a powerful symbol of the Iron Curtain and the division between the communist East and capitalist West during the Cold War. It stood until 1989, when it was demolished as part of the broader collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War.