DC U.S History Final Flashcards 1920s-Cold War

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Laissez-faire

Policy practiced by pro-business Republican presidents in the 1920s, involving minimal government regulation and lower taxes/tariffs.

Harding's "Return to Normalcy"

President Harding's promise after WWI, characterized by pro-business policies like tax cuts and increased tariffs to protect U.S. industry.

Fundamentalists

Mainly rural Protestant Christians in the 1920s who believed in the literal truth of the Bible and opposed modern science and secularism.

Prohibition (18th Amendment)

Banned the manufacture/sale of alcohol, but ultimately failed due to illegal drinking, organized crime, and job losses.

Schenck v. U.S. (1919)

Supreme Court case that upheld the conviction of Charles Schenck, introducing the "clear and present danger" test for limiting free speech during wartime.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff (1930)

Tariff that exacerbated the Great Depression by choking off world trade.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns that arose during the Depression due to widespread job loss, homelessness, and poverty.

Appeasement (Late 1930s)

Policy followed by Britain and France toward Hitler, conceding territory to Germany in hopes of preventing another war but ultimately emboldening Nazi aggression.

Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

Treaty between Nazi Germany and the USSR, promising not to attack each other and secretly agreeing to divide Eastern Europe.

Battle of Midway (June 1942)

Pivotal naval battle in the Pacific where U.S. aircraft carriers ambushed and sank four Japanese carriers, marking the turning point in the Pacific War.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, opening a Western front and allowing Allied forces to begin liberating France and eventually push into Germany.

The "Final Solution"

Nazi Germany's plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe, resulting in the Holocaust and the murder of over 6 million Jews.

Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)

Meeting of the "Big Three" Allied leaders to plan postwar Europe, agreeing to divide Germany, establish the United Nations, and allow "free elections" in liberated countries (promises, however, were broken).

Marshall Plan (1948)

U.S. aid to rebuild Europe after WWII to revive European economies, tie Western Europe to U.S. markets, and contain communism.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

President Truman's policy to support "free peoples" resisting subjugation, launching a policy of containment against Soviet expansion.

Space Race

Cold War rivalry in science/technology between the U.S. and USSR, sparked by the Soviet launch of Sputnik.

Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct 1962)

Tense 13-day standoff between the U.S. and USSR after U.S. spy planes found Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba.

Korean War (1950-53)

Conflict between North and South Korea, demonstrating Cold War tensions turning hot and solidifying the U.S. policy of containment.

NATO (1949)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed by the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to deter Soviet aggression in Europe.

Massive Retaliation

A Cold War defense doctrine under President Eisenhower, threatening an overwhelming nuclear response to any Soviet aggression.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine.

LBJ's Great Society

President Johnson's domestic programs to end poverty and racial injustice, including Medicare, Medicaid, federal education reforms, and expanded voting rights.

Betty Friedan

A leading feminist who published 'The Feminine Mystique', challenging traditional gender roles and co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Southern Manifesto (1956)

Document signed by 101 Southern congressmen opposing racial integration and accusing the Supreme Court of abusing judicial power in Brown v. Board.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Landmark federal law that outlawed segregation and discrimination in public places and banned job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow

War Powers Act (1973)

Law passed by Congress to limit presidential war-making power, requiring Congressional notification and authorization for deploying armed forces.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The authoritarian, U.S.-backed President of South Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

The communist leader of Vietnam's independence movement and President of North Vietnam.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

Also known as Viet Cong, was the South Vietnamese communist guerilla movement.

Viet Minh

The nationalist/communist movement founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1941 to resist Japanese occupation and then French colonial rule.

Pentagon Papers (1971)

Secret Department of Defense study that revealed the government had misled the public about the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive (1968)

Surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces during the Tet holiday, weakening U.S. public support for the war.

LBJ's decision not to run for reelection (1968)

Due to declining popularity over Vietnam and internal opposition, Johnson stepped aside to focus on peace negotiations.

Eisenhower's Involvement in Vietnam

Eisenhower backed Ngo Dinh Diem established SEATO, and sent aid to Vietnam.

Vietnamization (1969)

Nixon's strategy to end U.S. involvement by shifting the burden to South Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Aug 1964)

Gave President Johnson broad authority in defending Southeast Asia, and enabled expansion of U.S. ground forces in Vietnam.