APUSH Period 8

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II.

Soviet Union

A socialist state from 1922 to 1991, consisting of multiple republics, led by the Communist Party.

Joseph Stalin

The leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, known for his totalitarian rule.

United Nations

An international organization formed in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries.

satellites

Nations that are politically aligned with a more powerful nation, often dependent on it for military or economic support.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister during World War II and the early Cold War, known for his speeches and staunch opposition to Hitler.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between the Soviet-controlled countries and the West.

containment policy

A U.S. strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

George Marshall

U.S. Secretary of State who developed the Marshall Plan to aid Western European nations post-World War II.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy to provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat of authoritarian forces.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe for reconstruction after World War II.

Berlin airlift

The operation to supply West Berlin with food and fuel after the Soviet blockade in 1948.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between North America and European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, established in response to NATO.

National Security Act

A 1947 law that created the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

arms race

Competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons.

Douglas MacArthur

The American General who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II and led efforts in the Korean War.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China, governing from 1949 until his death in 1976.

People’s Republic of China

The state established in 1949 under the leadership of the Communist Party, with Mao Zedong as its first leader.

38th parallel

The latitude line that served as the pre-Korean War boundary between North and South Korea.

Korean War

A conflict between North Korea (with the support of China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with U.S. support), lasting from 1950 to 1953.

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State under Eisenhower, known for his efforts in shaping Cold War policies.

brinkmanship

The practice of pursuing dangerous policies to the limits of safety before pulling back.

massive retaliation

A military doctrine asserting that in response to an attack, the U.S. would use overwhelming force, including nuclear weapons.

Korean armistice

The agreement that established a ceasefire in the Korean War in 1953.

Nikita Khrushchev

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

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

U-2 incident

The 1960 shooting down of a U.S. reconnaissance plane over the Soviet Union, heightening Cold War tensions.

Fidel Castro

The communist revolutionary who led Cuba from 1959 to 2008.

military-industrial complex

The relationship between a country's military and its defense industry, which influences public policy.

Bay of Pigs

The failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba in 1961 intended to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Berlin Wall

A guarded concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989.

Cuban missile crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

An agreement prohibiting all nuclear detonations with the exception of those for military purposes.

flexible-response policy

A defense strategy to allow for a range of military responses to international crises, rather than reliance on nuclear weapons.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

An international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor known for his role in foreign policy during the Nixon administration.

detente

A relaxation of tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

anti-ballistic missiles

Missiles designed to counter and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)

Negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union aimed at curbing the arms race.

Loyalty Review Board

A U.S. government committee created in 1947 to investigate the loyalty of government employees.

Dennis et al. v. United States

A Supreme Court case that upheld the Smith Act, prohibiting advocacy of violent overthrow of the government.

Smith Act

A 1940 law making it a criminal offense to advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

McCarran Internal Security Act

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

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated allegations of subversive activities.

Alger Hiss

A former State Department official convicted of perjury in 1950 for denying he was a communist.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American citizens executed in 1953 for espionage, accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets.

McCarthyism

The practice of making unfounded accusations of disloyalty, especially in the context of anti-communism in the 1950s.

Harry S. Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953, known for his decisions at the end of WWII and the beginning of the Cold War.

Employment Act of 1946

Legislation aimed at promoting maximum employment and maintaining economic stability.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

A 1944 law that provided benefits to returning World War II veterans.

baby boom

The significant increase in birth rates from 1946 to 1964 following WWII.

Levittown

Planned communities in suburban areas known for affordable housing and rapid construction post-WWII.

22nd Amendment

The constitutional amendment ratified in 1951 limiting U.S. presidents to two terms.

Taft-Hartley Act

A 1947 labor law that restricted the activities and power of labor unions.

Fair Deal

A set of proposals put forth by President Truman aimed at ensuring economic stability and equality after WWII.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961, known for his leadership during the Cold War.

modern Republicanism

Eisenhower's approach to governance emphasizing a middle ground between liberal and conservative policies.

Highway Act

A 1956 act that authorized the building of a national system of interstate highways.

New Frontier

John F. Kennedy's domestic program aimed at improving the economy and civil rights.

beatniks

Members of the 1950s countercultural movement that rejected traditional values and emphasized artistic expression.

Jackie Robinson

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

Committee on Civil Rights

A U.S. presidential committee formed to address segregation and discrimination in the 1940s.

Thurgood Marshall

The first African American Supreme Court Justice, known for his civil rights advocacy.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

The 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Southern Manifesto

A document written in 1956 by lawmakers opposing racial integration in public places.

desegregation

The process of ending the separation of two groups, typically referring to racial groups in schools and public facilities.

Little Rock

The site of a 1957 crisis over the desegregation of a high school, where federal troops were used to enforce integration.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A leader in the American civil rights movement, known for his nonviolent protests and speeches, including "I Have a Dream."

Montgomery bus boycott

A civil rights protest against racial segregation on the public transit system in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

An organization established in 1957 to coordinate and support nonviolent direct action to challenge segregation.

sit-in movement

A form of protest in which participants sit and refuse to leave, most notably at segregated lunch counters.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A civil rights organization founded in 1960 that focused on student activism and nonviolent protest.

covert action

Secret activities conducted by a government to influence political, economic, or military conditions in another country.

Suez crisis

The 1956 invasion of Egypt by Israel, the UK, and France in response to Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Eisenhower Doctrine

A U.S. policy that pledged military and economic assistance to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

An organization of oil-producing countries that coordinate their oil production policies.

Yom Kippur War

A 1973 conflict between Israel and a coalition of Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria.

oil embargo

An action taken by OPEC members in 1973 to restrict oil exports to the U.S. as a response to American support for Israel.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreements brokered by President Carter between Egypt and Israel in 1978.

Peace Corps

A U.S. government program established in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship through volunteer service.

Alliance for Progress

A program initiated in 1961 to improve social and economic conditions in Latin America.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The first president of South Vietnam, whose regime was supported by the U.S. before being overthrown.

domino theory

The belief that the spread of communism in one country would cause nearby countries to fall under communist influence.

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)

A regional organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia, established in 1954.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Congressional resolution passed in 1964 that authorized President Johnson to take military action in Vietnam.

General William Westmoreland

U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations during the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive

A major escalation and turning point in the Vietnam War, consisting of coordinated attacks by North Vietnamese forces in 1968.

Robert F. Kennedy

A U.S. politician and civil rights activist, assassinated in 1968 while running for president.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President of the United States, whose presidency was marked by the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

Democratic Convention in Chicago

The 1968 convention that was marked by protests and the nomination of Hubert Humphrey amidst a divided party.

Hubert Humphrey

The Democratic nominee for President in 1968 and former Vice President under Lyndon Johnson.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. Secretary of State who played a significant role in U.S. foreign policy during the Nixon administration.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of transferring the responsibility of the Vietnam War from American forces to the South Vietnamese.

Nixon Doctrine

The foreign policy framework that stated the U.S. would assist allies in their defense but expected them to bear the main burden.

Kent State

The site of the 1970 protest where four students were killed by National Guard forces during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration.

My Lai

A massacre of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War in 1968.

Pentagon Papers

A classified document that detailed the U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam, released by Daniel Ellsberg.