apush u8 vocab

Soviet Union

A communist superpower that emerged after World War II, rivaling the United States during the Cold War

Security Council

A key body of the United Nations responsible for maintaining international peace and security, with five permanent members

Satellite States

Eastern European nations under Soviet control during the Cold War, serving as a buffer zone

Iron Curtain

A metaphorical division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe during the Cold War

George F. Kennan

U.S. diplomat who advocated for the containment of Soviet expansion, shaping U.S. Cold War policy

Containment Policy

U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism by countering Soviet influence globally

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to provide economic and military aid to countries resisting communism, starting with Greece and Turkey

George C. Marshall

U.S. Secretary of State who proposed the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II

Marshall Plan

U.S. program providing economic aid to rebuild European nations and prevent the spread of communism

Berlin Airlift

U.S. and Allied operation to supply West Berlin by air during the Soviet blockade in 1948-1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance of Western nations formed in 1949 to counter Soviet aggression

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations led by the Soviet Union, formed in response to NATO

National Security Act

1947 law restructuring U.S. defense and intelligence, creating the CIA and Department of Defense

Douglas MacArthur (Japan)

U.S. general who oversaw Japan's post-WWII reconstruction and democratization

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who established the People's Republic of China in 1949

Korean War

A conflict (1950-1953) between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea, involving U.S. and UN forces

38th Parallel

The dividing line between North and South Korea, established after World War II

Stalemate

A situation where neither side can achieve victory, as seen in the Korean War

Brinkmanship

A Cold War strategy of pushing conflicts to the edge of war to force the opponent to back down

“Spirit of Geneva”

A brief thaw in Cold War tensions following a 1955 summit between the U.S. and Soviet Union

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader during the height of the Cold War, known for de-Stalinization and the Cuban Missile Crisis

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, sparking the Space Race

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

U.S. agency established in 1958 to lead space exploration efforts

U-2 Incident

1960 event where a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, worsening Cold War tensions

Cuba

A Caribbean nation that became communist under Fidel Castro, playing a key role in Cold War conflicts

Fidel Castro

Communist revolutionary who led Cuba from 1959, aligning the country with the Soviet Union

Military-Industrial Complex

The relationship between a nation's military and defense industry, warned about by Eisenhower

Berlin Wall

A barrier built in 1961 to separate East and West Berlin, symbolizing Cold War divisions

Bay of Pigs

A failed 1961 U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba by exiles attempting to overthrow Fidel Castro

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 standoff between the U.S. and Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba, nearly leading to nuclear war

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

A 1963 agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater

John F. Kennedy

U.S. president (1961-1963) known for the Cuban Missile Crisis, space race, and civil rights advocacy

Lyndon B. Johnson

U.S. president (1963-1969) who advanced civil rights and launched the Great Society programs

Non-Proliferation Treaty

A 1968 agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament

Henry Kissinger

U.S. diplomat who played a key role in Cold War diplomacy, including détente and opening relations with China

Détente

A period of eased Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the 1970s

Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I)

1972 U.S.-Soviet agreement to limit nuclear weapons

Soviet-Afghan War

A 1979-1989 conflict where the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, facing resistance from U.S.-backed rebels

McCarran Internal Security Act

A 1950 law requiring communist organizations to register with the U.S. government

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee that investigated suspected communist activities

Alger Hiss

U.S. government official accused of being a Soviet spy, fueling fears of communist infiltration

Julius Rosenberg

American executed with his wife Ethel for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union

Joseph R. McCarthy

U.S. senator who led a campaign against alleged communists, sparking the Second Red Scare

McCarthyism

The practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of communism, leading to widespread fear and paranoia

Second Red Scare

A post-WWII period of intense fear of communism in the U.S., marked by loyalty investigations

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights)

A 1944 law providing benefits to WWII veterans, including education and housing

Baby Boom

A post-WWII surge in birth rates, leading to significant demographic and cultural changes

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing developments symbolizing postwar American prosperity

Sun Belt

Southern and western U.S. regions that experienced population and economic growth after WWII

22nd Amendment

A 1951 amendment limiting U.S. presidents to two terms in office

Fair Deal

President Truman’s domestic program aimed at expanding New Deal reforms and social welfare

Dwight D. Eisenhower

U.S. president (1953-1961) known for the Interstate Highway Act and Cold War policies

Interstate Highway Act

A 1956 law funding the construction of a national highway system, boosting transportation and defense

New Frontier

President Kennedy’s domestic agenda focused on space exploration, civil rights, and economic growth

Great Society

President Johnson’s programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice in the U.S.

New Federalism

Nixon’s policy to shift power from the federal government to state and local governments

Richard Nixon

U.S. president (1969-1974) known for détente, the Watergate scandal, and ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam

Stagflation

A 1970s economic condition of high inflation and unemployment with stagnant economic growth

Rock and Roll

A popular music genre emerging in the 1950s, symbolizing cultural change and youth rebellion

Beatniks

A 1950s countercultural group rejecting mainstream values, emphasizing art, poetry, and nonconformity

Kennedy Assassination

The 1963 killing of President John F. Kennedy, leading to national mourning and conspiracy theories

Warren Commission

The official investigation into Kennedy’s assassination, concluding Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone

Committee on Civil Rights

A group established by Truman to investigate and address racial discrimination in the U.S.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

A civil rights organization fighting for racial equality

Jackie Robinson

The first African American to play Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier in 1947

Brown v. Board of Education

A 1954 Supreme Court case declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP lawyer who argued Brown v. Board of Education and later became the first Black Supreme Court justice

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court known for landmark decisions on civil rights and liberties

Desegregation

The process of ending racial segregation in public spaces and institutions

Little Rock Nine

A group of African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A year-long protest against bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King Jr.

Emmett Till

A 14-year-old African American brutally murdered in 1955, galvanizing the civil rights movement

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights leader advocating nonviolent resistance to achieve racial equality

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

A civil rights organization led by Martin Luther King Jr., promoting nonviolence

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A civil rights group organizing sit-ins and protests for racial equality

Covert Action

Secret operations conducted by the CIA to influence foreign governments and counter communism

Suez Canal

A strategic waterway in Egypt (its nationalization in 1956 led to an international crisis)

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. policy to provide military and economic aid to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

A group of oil-producing nations formed to regulate oil prices and policies

Yom Kippur War

A 1973 conflict between Israel and Arab nations, leading to U.S. involvement and an oil embargo

Oil Embargo

A 1973 OPEC action cutting oil supplies to the U.S., causing economic turmoil and energy shortages

Camp David Accords

A 1978 peace agreement brokered by President Carter between Israel and Egypt

Iran Hostage Crisis

A 1979-1981 standoff where Iranian militants held 52 Americans hostage, straining U.S.-Iran relations

The Peace Corps

A U.S. program established by Kennedy to send volunteers abroad for humanitarian and development work

Panama Canal

A strategic waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (control was transferred to Panama in 1999)

Vietnam War

A Cold War conflict (1955-1975) between communist North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

A 1964 congressional resolution giving President Johnson authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam

Credibility Gap

Public skepticism about government statements, especially during the Vietnam War

Hawks vs. Doves

Hawks supported military action in Vietnam, while Doves opposed the war and sought peace

Tet Offensive

A major 1968 North Vietnamese attack that shifted U.S. public opinion against the Vietnam War

Vietnamization

Nixon’s policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and transferring responsibility to South Vietnamese forces

Kent State Massacre

A 1970 incident where National Guard troops killed four students protesting the Vietnam War

My Lai Massacre

A 1968 atrocity where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians, sparking outrage

Pentagon Papers

Secret government documents leaked in 1971, revealing deception in U.S. Vietnam War policy

Paris Accords

A 1973 agreement ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam and temporarily halting the conflict

War Powers Act

A 1973 law limiting presidential authority to deploy troops without congressional approval

Fall of Saigon

The 1975 capture of South Vietnam’s capital by North Vietnamese forces, marking the end of the Vietnam War

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who fought for Vietnamese independence and unification