Cold War

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals own and control businesses and property, based on free market principles and competition.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders.

Berlin Airlift

An operation to supply West Berlin with food and essentials after the Soviet Union blocked all ground routes into the city in 1948.

Satellite state

A country that is officially independent but is heavily influenced or controlled by another more powerful country, especially those under Soviet influence during the Cold War.

Communism

A political and economic system where the government controls all property and means of production, aiming for a classless society.

Stalin's deceptive promise

His promise for free elections in Poland was broken when he installed a communist government.

Berlin Wall

Symbolized the division between the communist East and democratic West, and the broader Cold War divide between the USSR and the West.

Response to Berlin Blockade

The U.S. and Britain organized the Berlin Airlift to supply the city by air for almost a year.

Concerns at Potsdam

The U.S. and Britain feared harsh reparations would cripple Germany and encourage communism to spread.

Tensions at Potsdam

Disagreements intensified due to leadership changes, the U.S. testing the atomic bomb, and Stalin's actions in Eastern Europe.

End of Cold War

The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the Cold War’s end.

Primary rivals

The United States and the Soviet Union.

NATO significance

A military alliance that united Western countries against the threat of Soviet expansion.

Satellite states

Countries controlled politically and militarily by the USSR, limiting their independence.

Key leaders

Joseph Stalin (USSR), Franklin D. Roosevelt & Harry Truman (USA), Winston Churchill & Clement Attlee (UK).

Berlin Wall’s long-term impact

Physically and ideologically divided Germany, symbolizing Cold War tensions for nearly 30 years.

UN peace efforts

Provided a platform for diplomacy, peacekeeping missions, and attempted conflict resolution.

Role of ideology

Competing ideologies—capitalism vs. communism—shaped foreign policies and military alliances.

Impact on global security

Heightened global tensions, led to arms races, proxy wars, and fear of nuclear conflict.

Consequence of Berlin Airlift

Increased Cold War tensions but showcased Western resolve, leading to the formal division of Germany.