APUSH Unit 8

Cold War

The geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II.

Yalta Conference

A meeting in 1945 between the leaders of the US, UK, and the USSR to discuss post-war reorganization.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation among countries.

Potsdam Conference

A 1945 meeting of Allied leaders to negotiate terms for the end of World War II.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister during World War II known for his leadership and oratory.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Churchill to describe the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries.

Containment

A US policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

George Kennan

An American diplomat who proposed the policy of containment.

Long Telegram

A 1946 message by George Kennan outlining his views on the Soviet threat.

Truman Doctrine

A policy established in 1947 to provide aid to countries resisting communism.

George C. Marshall

The US Secretary of State who proposed the Marshall Plan for European recovery.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative to aid Western Europe in economic recovery after WWII.

Berlin airlift

A 1948 operation to supply West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

A military alliance formed in 1949 among Western nations for collective defense.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, established in 1955.

NSC-68

A key document that outlined US Cold War strategy and increased military spending.

National Security Act/Council

Legislation forming the National Security Council to advise the President on security matters.

General Douglas MacArthur

A US General who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during WWII and in the Korean War.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China and a leading communist revolutionary.

38th Parallel

The dividing line between North and South Korea.

Cold War liberalism

A political ideology that combined anti-communism with support for social welfare.

Taft-Hartley Act

A 1947 law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions.

Dixiecrats

A faction within the Democratic Party in the South that opposed civil rights in the 1940s.

Do-Nothing Congress

A derogatory term for Congress during the 80th Congress (1947-1948), criticized for its inaction.

Fair Deal/Harry Truman

A set of proposals by President Truman aimed at improving social welfare.

Second Red Scare

A period of heightened fear of communism in the United States after WWII.

Loyalty-Security Program (Executive Order 9835)

A program initiated by Truman to root out communists in the federal government.

House Un-American Activities Committee

A congressional committee that investigated alleged subversive activities.

Joseph McCarthy

A US Senator known for his anti-communist investigations in the 1950s.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American citizens executed for espionage, accused of leaking atomic secrets to the Soviets.

Smith Act

A 1940 law prohibiting the advocacy of violent overthrow of the government.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

Senate hearings that exposed the tactics of Senator McCarthy in accusing individuals of communism.

Dwight Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States, known for his leadership during the Cold War.

Nikita Khrushchev

The leader of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.

New Look policy

Eisenhower's defense strategy focusing on nuclear deterrence.

Massive retaliation

A military strategy emphasizing the use of nuclear weapons in response to aggression.

John Foster Dulles

Eisenhower's Secretary of State, advocate of the policy of massive retaliation.

Third World/Developing/Post-colonial nations

Countries that emerged from colonial rule and were often caught in the Cold War rivalry.

SEATO

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, a collective defense organization against communism.

CIA

Central Intelligence Agency, responsible for foreign intelligence and covert operations.

Allen Dulles

The Director of the CIA who oversaw significant covert operations during the Cold War.

Operation Ajax

A CIA-led operation that orchestrated the overthrow of Iran's government in 1953.

Iranian Revolution

The 1979 overthrow of the Shah of Iran and establishment of an Islamic Republic.

Vietminh

A nationalist and communist-led movement that fought for Vietnamese independence.

Ho Chi Minh

The leader of North Vietnam and a key figure in the struggle for Vietnamese independence.

Domino theory

The Cold War belief that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the fall of neighboring countries.

Dien Bien Phu

The battle where Vietnam defeated French colonial forces in 1954.

Israel

A country established in 1948, often central to Middle Eastern geopolitics.

Suez Canal

A critical waterway in Egypt contested during the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Eisenhower Doctrine

A policy declaring US readiness to assist Middle Eastern nations resisting communism.

JFK

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, known for his Cold War policies.

New Frontier

Kennedy's domestic program aimed at social reforms and economic expansion.

Fidel Castro

The Prime Minister and later President of Cuba who established a communist regime.

Bay of Pigs

A failed CIA-led invasion of Cuba in 1961 intended to overthrow Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and the USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Peace Corps

A volunteer program created by JFK to provide technical assistance in developing countries.

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for space exploration.

National Liberation Front (Vietcong)

A political organization and army fighting against South Vietnam and the US during the Vietnam War.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The first President of South Vietnam, supported by the US during the Vietnam War.

Kitchen debate

A series of exchanges between Nixon and Khrushchev in 1959 over the merits of capitalism versus communism.

Henry Luce

Influential American publisher known for promoting the concept of the 'American Century'.

“American Century”

The belief that the 20th century belongs to America in terms of political and cultural influence.

Bretton Woods

The 1944 conference that established a new international monetary order.

World Bank/International Monetary Fund

Institutions created to manage loans and stabilize economies post-WWII.

Military-industrial complex

The relationship between a country's military and the defense industry.

Boeing/General Dynamics/Raytheon/Lockheed/IBM

Major American corporations involved in defense and technology.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the USSR in 1957.

National Defense Education Act

Legislation providing funding for education to counter the Soviet technological advantage.

William Whyte

An American sociologist and author known for his studies on urban sociology.

United Auto Workers

A labor union representing workers in the automobile industry.

John Kenneth Galbraith

An economist known for his liberal perspectives on capitalism and economics.

Michael Harrington

A socialist writer and activist known for his focus on poverty in America.

GI Bill

Legislation providing benefits for returning World War II veterans.

Baby boom

A significant increase in birth rates following World War II.

Veterans Administration

The agency responsible for providing services to military veterans.

General Motors

One of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world.

Safety net

Government programs designed to protect individuals and families from economic hardship.

Collective bargaining

Negotiation between employers and a group of employees.

Consumers republic

A concept describing American identity based on consumerism and material well-being.

McCall’s

A popular women's magazine during the mid-20th century.

Planned obsolescence

A design strategy to encourage consumers to purchase products more frequently.

TV

Television, a major form of entertainment and information in post-war America.

Father Knows Best

A popular television show that portrayed an idealized version of family life in America.

Leave it to Beaver

A classic American TV show reflecting suburban family life in the 1950s.

Teenagers

A distinct youth culture that emerged in the 1950s, marked by new fashion and attitudes.

The Wild One

A film exemplifying teenage rebellion and the rise of youth culture.

Rebel Without a Cause

A film that became iconic for its portrayal of teenage angst and rebellion.

Rock-n-roll/Elvis

A genre of music and a cultural phenomenon associated with the 1950s youth culture.

Beats/Allen Ginsberg-Jack Kerouac

A literary movement that challenged conventional norms and celebrated spontaneity.

Evangelical Protestantism

A branch of Protestant Christianity emphasizing personal faith and conversion.

Billy Graham

A prominent evangelical preacher who gained fame during the mid-20th century.

Norman Vincent Peale

An American minister known for his self-help book 'The Power of Positive Thinking'.

Nuclear Family

A family unit consisting of two parents and their children.

Penicillin/Streptomycin/Cortisone

Antibiotics and medications that revolutionized medicine in the 20th century.

Polio vaccine/Jonas Salk

A vaccine developed by Salk that virtually eradicated polio.

Dr. Spock

A pediatrician whose book on child-rearing influenced parenting in the 20th century.

Ladies Home Journal

A magazine popular among women that provided advice on various domestic issues.

Double-day

The concept of women balancing home responsibilities and work outside the home.

Alfred Kinsey

A biologist known for his pioneering research in human sexuality.

Mattachine Society

One of the first gay rights organizations in the United States.