Cold War Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the Cold War era, including its origins, major events, and key figures.

Cold War

An ideological struggle between the Soviet & Eastern Bloc nations and the US & Western Democracies from 1945-1991.

Iron Curtain

The division between Soviet & Eastern Bloc nations and the US & Western Democracies during the Cold War.

Containment

The US goal to contain the spread of Communism, developed by George Kennan.

Espionage

A Cold War methodology involving intelligence gathering, exemplified by the KGB vs. the CIA.

Arms Race

A Cold War methodology involving nuclear escalation between the US and the Soviet Union.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts during the Cold War where major powers supported different sides without directly engaging each other.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 policy providing $400 million in aid to support free peoples resisting armed minorities or outside pressures.

Marshall Plan

A 1948 program providing $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe for recovery, addressing hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.

Berlin Blockade & Airlift

A Cold War crisis (1948-49) where the Soviet Union blocked access to West Berlin, leading the US and allies to supply the city by air.

Domino Theory

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

Massive Retaliation

A military doctrine associated with Eisenhower, advocating a strong response to aggression, potentially involving nuclear weapons.

Brinksmanship

A foreign policy associated with John Foster Dulles, involving pushing a situation to the brink of war to achieve a desired outcome.

Warsaw Pact

A 1955 treaty that formed an alliance of Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain, led by the Soviet Union.

De-Stalinization Program

Referenced by Premier Nikita Khrushchev regarding the capitalist states, and emphasizing the Soviet Union's existence is independent of their acceptance.

Sputnik I

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, signaling a technological edge in space.

U-2 Spy Incident

The 1960 downing of a US spy plane over Soviet airspace, escalating Cold War tensions.

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed in 1961 dividing East and West Berlin, symbolizing Cold War division.

Bay of Pigs Debacle

A failed 1961 CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.