Apush Vietnam

Cold War

A conflict between two belligerents in which neither engages in open military conflict, but the tension is so high that war could erupt at any time.

Containment

The overarching US strategy during the Cold War aimed at halting the spread of Marxist-Leninism, which was viewed as inherently expansionist.

Arms Race

The advancement and stockpiling of nuclear weapons during the Cold War period, leading both the US and USSR to realize the devastating consequences of nuclear war.

Proxy War

A conflict where two opposing countries support combatants in a third country, exemplified by the Korean War between North Vietnam (communist) and South Vietnam (non-communist, backed by the U.S.).

Second Red Scare

A period of heightened paranoia about communism in the US after World War II, characterized by the accusations of communist associations against military officials and civilians.

GI Bill

A legislation that provided WWII veterans with access to a free college education and low-interest loans for homes and businesses.

Beat Generation

A literary movement that rejected postwar American conformity and capitalism through writing, fashion, and drug use.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark decision that overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Movement

A social movement aimed at ending racial discrimination and achieving equal rights for African Americans during the 1950s and 60s.

Women's Rights Movement

A movement advocating for economic and social rights for women, including the proposed Equal Rights Amendment that faced significant backlash and was never ratified.

Counterculture Movement

A social movement primarily consisting of young people who rejected traditional societal norms, embracing alternative lifestyles, fashion, music, and drug use.

Vietnamization

A U.S. policy initiated by Richard Nixon aimed at training South Vietnamese forces to take over the combat role, leading to the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Tet Offensive

A surprise attack by North Vietnam against South Vietnam during the Vietnam War that, despite failing militarily, shocked Americans and shifted public opinion against the war.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Legislation passed in 1964 that gave President Johnson the power to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal involving the Nixon administration's attempts to cover up a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, leading to Nixon's resignation.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion based on the right to privacy.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

A regulatory agency created to manage and enforce laws aimed at protecting the environment from the impacts of industrial activities.