U.S. History Unit 7~Study Guide

Marshall Plan

 A U.S. program that gave over $12 billion in aid to help rebuild Western European countries after World War II and stop the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

A policy that promised U.S. support for anti-communist governments, starting with aid to Greece and Turkey in 1947.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism in the U.S., especially during the late 1940s and 1950s, when many Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers

Joseph McCarthy

A U.S. senator who led a campaign during the Red Scare to root out suspected communists in government and other institutions, often with little or no evidence

House Un-American Activities Committee

 A congressional committee that investigated suspected communists, especially in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. 

GI Bill

A law that provided benefits to World War II veterans, including money for college, housing, and job training.

Military-Industrial Complex

used by President Eisenhower to warn about the close relationship between the military and defense contractors, Businesses that supply the army with uniforms, artillery, etc, profit from the continuation of war and will be hurt by peace

The Fair Deal

President Truman's domestic policy plan to continue and expand New Deal programs, including health care, education, and civil rights

Eisenhower Doctrine

A U.S. policy that promised military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country resisting communism, especially during the Cold War.

Covert Operations

Secret missions or actions taken by the CIA or U.S. government to influence events in other countries, often to stop the spread of communism.

Dynamic Conservatism

President Eisenhower’s approach to government—conservative with money but progressive when it comes to social issues

Iron Curtain

A term popularized by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Western Europe (democratic) and Eastern Europe (communist) during the Cold War.

Duck & Cover

A safety drill taught to American schoolchildren during the Cold War in case of a nuclear attack. 

Suez Canal Crisis

 A 1956 conflict in which Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to a brief war involving Britain, France, and Israel. The U.S. and USSR pressured them to withdraw

Molotov Plan

The Soviet Union’s version of the Marshall Plan; it provided aid to Eastern European countries aligned with the USSR.

U-2 Spy Planes

High-altitude American planes used to spy on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. One was shot down in 1960, causing an international incident.

philip Wylie

 An American author whose works, like Tomorrow!, reflected fears about nuclear war and the dangers of the atomic age.