Cold War - suburbanization

Truman Doctrine

U.S. promise to help nations resist communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. aid to rebuild Europe after WWII to resist communism.

Containment

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism.

Iron Curtain

Symbolic division between free West and communist East Europe.

NATO

Military alliance of Western nations against Soviet threat.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-led military alliance of communist countries.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off Allied access to West Berlin (1948-49).

Korean War

Conflict between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea.

Korean War Armistice (1953)

Ceasefire agreement ending major fighting in Korea.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Cuba's communist leader.

Viet Cong

Communist fighters in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Idea that full nuclear war would destroy both sides.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968)

Agreement to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963)

Treaty banning nuclear tests in the air, space, and water.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I, 1972)

U.S.-Soviet talks to limit nuclear arms.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

U.S. plan to build a missile defense system in space.

Helsinki Accords (1975)

Agreement to improve relations between communist and Western nations.

Détente

Period of eased tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War.

McCarthyism

Accusing people of communism without solid proof.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Congressional group investigating communist ties.

Cold War

Prolonged period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Containment

The U.S. government's commitment to preventing the expansion of communism.

Truman Doctrine

A policy announced in 1947 promising U.S. support to nations resisting communist insurgencies.

Marshall Plan

An initiative providing billions of dollars in aid to help European countries recover from World War II.

Iron Curtain

The ideological boundary separating Western Europe's democratic nations from Eastern Europe's communist states.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance established in 1949 pledging mutual defense against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance created by the Soviet Union in response to NATO, solidifying the divide between East and West.

Berlin Blockade

A 1948-49 Soviet attempt to cut off Allied access to West Berlin.

Berlin Airlift

The U.S. and its allies' response to the Berlin Blockade, supplying West Berlin with essentials for nearly a year.

Korean War

A conflict starting in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, leading to U.S. intervention.

Korean War Armistice

An agreement signed in 1953 creating a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed 1961 attempt by Cuban exiles, backed by the U.S., to overthrow Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba.

Viet Cong

Communist insurgents fighting against the U.S.-supported government of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Greece and Turkey Crises

Situations that prompted the Truman Doctrine as communist movements gained strength in these countries.

Collective Security

A security arrangement where nations agree to mutual defense, exemplified by NATO.

Soviet Union

The state that controlled or influenced Eastern Europe's communist states during the Cold War.

Demilitarized Zone

An area where military forces are prohibited, such as the zone along the 38th parallel in Korea.

Fidel Castro

The leader of Cuba whose communist regime was targeted by the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Kennedy Administration

The U.S. government during John F. Kennedy's presidency, which faced embarrassment from the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies.

Communist Insurgencies

Rebellions or movements aimed at establishing communist governments, as seen in Greece, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Economic Recovery

The goal of the Marshall Plan to help European nations rebuild their economies post-World War II.

Military Support

Assistance provided by the U.S. to nations resisting communism, as part of the Truman Doctrine.

Viet Cong

A group supported by North Vietnam that used guerrilla warfare tactics against the United States during the Vietnam conflict.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A doctrine that posited a full-scale nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union would lead to total devastation for both, deterring either from launching a first strike.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

A treaty signed in 1968 aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to countries that did not already possess them while promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Limited Test Ban Treaty

An agreement signed in 1963 that banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater, representing an early step toward reducing nuclear tensions.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I)

Negotiations that led to agreements in 1972 limiting the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) each superpower could maintain.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A proposed missile defense system based in space to protect the United States from Soviet missile attacks, representing a major shift in Cold War strategy.

Détente

Periods of reduced tensions during the Cold War characterized by diplomatic negotiations and agreements between the superpowers.

Helsinki Accords

Agreements signed in 1975 by 35 nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, focusing on improving human rights and reducing Cold War tensions.

McCarthyism

A period in the early 1950s characterized by aggressive accusations against individuals suspected of being communists or communist sympathizers, often without solid proof.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A committee that investigated alleged communist influences within American institutions, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and suspicion during the early Cold War years.

Cold War

A complex web of political, military, economic, and ideological struggles between democracy and communism that shaped the modern world.

Proxy wars

Conflicts where two opposing countries support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly against each other.

Nuclear arms race

A competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop and accumulate more nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Espionage

The practice of spying or using spies to obtain political or military information, particularly prominent during the Cold War.

Cultural competition

The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union to promote their respective ideologies and lifestyles globally during the Cold War.

Collapse of the Soviet Union

The event in 1991 that marked the end of the Cold War and had lasting impacts on global politics and military strategies.

Nuclear weapons

Explosive devices that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions, central to Cold War tensions.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Long-range missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads across continents, limited by SALT I agreements.

Submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs)

Missiles launched from submarines, which were also limited by SALT I agreements.

Nuclear tests

Experiments conducted to test the effectiveness and yield of nuclear weapons, banned by the Limited Test Ban Treaty.

Nuclear tensions

The heightened state of conflict and fear surrounding the potential use of nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Suburbanization

Mass movement to affordable, new suburban homes symbolizing the American Dream.

GI Bill

1944 law that gave WWII veterans benefits like college tuition and home loans; expanded the middle class.

Baby Boom

Major population surge (1946-1964) that increased demand for housing, schools, and family goods.

Levittown

First mass-produced suburb; offered cheap homes for white families but excluded minorities.

Federal-Aid Highway Act

1956 law funding the Interstate Highway System, connecting cities and expanding suburbs.

Interstate Highway System

Massive network of highways that boosted travel, economy, and car culture but hurt cities.

Consumerism

Surge in buying goods like cars, TVs, and appliances after WWII; linked to American identity and status.

Advertisements

Exploded during the 1950s, especially on TV; encouraged materialism and 'keeping up with the Joneses.'

Television

Became a household staple by the late 1950s; shaped consumer habits, culture, and reinforced gender roles.

I Love Lucy

Hit 1950s TV show that defined family entertainment and made TV a central part of daily life.

Rock 'n' Roll

New music style popular with teenagers; symbolized rebellion and cultural change.

Elvis Presley

Major figure of 1950s rock 'n' roll; influenced youth culture and challenged older values.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case ending legal school segregation.

Rosa Parks

Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955-1956 protest against segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama; major civil rights victory.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights leader who gained national attention from leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Civil Rights Movement

1950s-1960s effort to end segregation, discrimination, and racial inequality in America.

Second-wave feminism

Movement that grew in the 1960s from women's dissatisfaction with 1950s domestic roles.

The Feminine Mystique

1963 book by Betty Friedan that criticized traditional roles and inspired feminist activism.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

President who promoted suburban growth and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1956.

1950s car Culture

Cultural phenomenon centered around the automobile, influencing lifestyle and suburban growth.

Consumer Culture Explodes

Refers to the significant increase in consumer spending and materialism in the 1950s.

Gross National Product

The total value of all goods and services produced by a country, which more than doubled in America between 1945 and 1960.

Consumerism

A social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts, becoming a prominent feature of American life post-WWII.

Advertising

A powerful industry that exploded in the postwar era, utilizing new media like television to promote consumer goods and the ideal of middle-class affluence.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

A concept symbolizing the growing emphasis on material success as a measure of achievement in postwar America.

GI Bill

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 that provided returning veterans with low-interest home loans, college tuition, and business funding.

Suburbia

The rise of suburban developments like Levittown, which offered affordable housing primarily for white, middle-class families.

Baby Boom Generation

Children born during the postwar birth surge between 1946 and 1964, contributing to the expansion of suburbs.

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956

Legislation that created the Interstate Highway System, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in American history.

Mass Culture

The shared cultural experiences of the American population, which changed rapidly in the 1950s with the widespread adoption of television.

Second-Wave Feminism

A movement that emerged in the 1960s, fueled by works like Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, addressing issues of gender equality.

Rock 'n' Roll

A genre of music that emerged in the 1950s, led by artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, which became a voice for youth culture.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States, which persisted during the postwar years.

Brown v. Board of Education

The 1954 Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement sparked by Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat.