Global Cold War vocabulary test

Cold War

a state of tension and hostility among nations allied with the United States on one side (capitalist) and the Soviet Union on the other (communist) without armed conflict between the major rivals

superpower

referred to a nation, specifically the United States and the Soviet Union, that had significant military, economic, and political influence on a global scale, capable of shaping world events and projecting power internationally.

iron curtain

DIVIDE OF EUROPE BETWEEN EASTERN SOVIET BLOC (COMMUNISM) AND WESTERN DEMOCRATIC BLOC

satellite countries

were nations that were politically and economically influenced or controlled by a superpower, particularly those in Eastern Europe under the Soviet Union’s influence. These countries often had communist governments aligned with Soviet policies.

truman doctrine

gave military and financial support to Greece and Turkey to prevent communist takeover

domino theory

was the belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would likely follow in a chain reaction, like falling dominoes. This idea was used to justify U.S. intervention in various regions to prevent the spread of communism.

containment

the US would try to stop (contain) the spread of Communism by creating strategic alliances to help weaker countries resist Soviet advances.

marshall plan

(1947) gave billions of $money to European nations to rebuild after WWII to resist communist takeover

NATO

(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) during the Cold War was a military alliance formed in 1949 between the United States, Canada, and Western European countries to counter the threat of Soviet expansion and protect member nations through collective defense.

Warsaw pact

was a military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European communist countries to counter NATO, solidifying Soviet control over its satellite states during the Cold War.

Berlin Blockade/airlift

was an attempt by the Soviet Union to cut off West Berlin from the Allies, while the Berlin Airlift was the Western response, where the U.S. and its allies supplied the city by air for nearly a year to overcome the blockade.

Berlin Wall

• LOW-PAID EAST GERMANS FLED IN MASS NUMBERS TO WEST BERLIN

• TO STOP THIS FLIGHT, THE USSR BUILT A WALL IN 1961 THAT SEALED OFF WEST BERLIN

collective defense

referred to the principle that an attack on one member of an alliance, such as NATO, would be considered an attack on all members, prompting a joint military response to protect each other.

MAD

(Mutually Assured Destruction) was the Cold War policy where both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, preventing nuclear war through fear of total annihilation

Arms race

was the competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to build increasingly powerful weapons, particularly nuclear missiles, in order to outdo each other militarily.

Sputnik

was the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the space race during the Cold War.

SALT

(Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) were negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1970s aimed at limiting the number of nuclear weapons and reducing the risk of nuclear conflict.

Detente

was the period of eased tensions and improved relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, particularly in the 1970s, aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear conflict.

Non Alignment

referred to the policy of countries that chose not to align with either the U.S. or the Soviet Union, aiming to remain independent and avoid involvement in the superpower rivalry.

korean war

(1950-1953) was a conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, supported by the U.S. and UN forces, following the division of Korea. It ended in an armistice, maintaining the division at the 38th parallel.

vietnam war

(1955-1975) was a conflict between communist North Vietnam, supported by the Soviet Union and China, and non-communist South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. The war ended with the fall of Saigon, leading to the reunification of Vietnam under communist control.

38th parallel / DMZ

is the dividing line between North and South Korea. The DMZ is a buffer zone along this line, serving as the border after the Korean War.

John F. Kennedy

was the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963), known for his leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the space race, and civil rights advancements, until his assassination in 1963.

Nikita Khrushchev

was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, known for his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, de-Stalinization, and efforts to promote Soviet influence during the Cold War.

Fidel Castro

was the communist leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, known for his role in the Cuban Revolution and for establishing a one-party, socialist state in Cuba, as well as his defiance of U.S. influence during the Cold War.

Bay of pigs invasion

(1961) was a failed attempt by Cuban exiles, supported by the U.S., to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist government in Cuba. It resulted in a major embarrassment for the U.S. and strengthened Castro's position.

cuban missile crisis

(1962) was a 13-day standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. It ended with an agreement to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba.

Ho Chi Minh

was the communist leader of North Vietnam from 1954 until his death in 1969, known for his role in the fight for Vietnamese independence and the establishment of a communist government in Vietnam.

Viet Cong

was the communist guerrilla force in South Vietnam, supported by North Vietnam, that fought against the South Vietnamese government and U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh trail

was a network of supply routes used by North Vietnam to transport troops and supplies through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

khmer rouge

was a communist regime led by Pol Pot that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, responsible for the genocide of an estimated 1.7 million people through starvation, forced labor, and executions.

pol pot

was the leader of the Khmer Rouge and the dictator of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, responsible for the Cambodian genocide, where millions of people were killed or died from starvation and forced labor.

Mikhail Gorbachev

was the last leader of the Soviet Union, known for his reforms (glasnost and perestroika) that helped end the Cold War and led to the USSR's collapse.

glasnost

was a policy of openness and transparency introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s, aimed at increasing freedom of expression and reducing government censorship in the Soviet Union.

perestroika

was a series of political and economic reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s to restructure the Soviet Union's economy and government.

Lech Walesa

was a Polish labor leader and co-founder of the trade union Solidarity. He played a key role in challenging communist rule in Poland and later became the country's president from 1990 to 1995.

How did nuclear proliferation lead to the idea of M.A.D.?

to proliferate means to create or build, nuclear proliferation was similar to the Arms Race. Leads to MAD because if one side uses a bomb the other side will retaliate and everyone will die