Cold War Key People and Terms

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII

Harry Truman

Became president when FDR died; gave the order to drop the atomic bomb

Nikita Khrushchev

A Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital

Command Economy

An economic system in which the government controls a country's economy.

Yalta Conference

1945 Meeting with US president FDR, British Prime Minister(PM) Winston Churchill, and and Soviet Leader Stalin during WWII to plan for post-war

Potsdam Conference

July 26, 1945 - Allied leaders Truman, Stalin and Churchill met in Potsdam, Germany to set up zones of control.

Self-Determination

the right of people to choose their own form of government

Truman Doctrine

President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism.

Containment

American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world

Marshall Plan

A United States program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952)

Iron Curtain

A political barrier that isolated the peoples of Eastern Europe after WWII, restricting their ability to travel outside the region

Censorship

restriction on access to ideas and information

Propaganda

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.

Satellite State

Eastern European Countries that were controlled by the Soviet Union.

Buffer Zone

an area of land that serves as a barrier

Berlin Airlift

airlift in 1948 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of west Berlin when the Russians closed off land access to Berlin

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries

Collective Security

A system in which a group of nations acts as one to preserve the peace of all

Warsaw Pact

Alliance against democracy, supporting communism

Arms Race

Cold war competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to build up their respective armed forces and weapons

Brinkmanship

A policy of threatening to go to war in response to any enemy aggression.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

idea that both sides would face certain destruction in a nuclear war

Nuclear Proliferation

the spread of nuclear weapons

Sputnik

First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.

Space Race

A competition of space exploration between the United States and Soviet Union.

Berlin Airlift

the Allies response to the Soviets blockade of West Berlin

Korean War

The conflict between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea. The United Nations (led by the United States) helped South Korea.

Cuban Missle Crisis (1962)

Standoff between John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in October 1962 over Soviet plans to install nuclear weapons in Cuba.

Vietnam War

A prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the non-communist armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States.

Vietcong

A group of Communist guerrillas who, with the help of North Vietnam, fought against the South Vietnamese government in the Vietnam War.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

A multilateral treaty signed in 1968 which aims to control the spread of nuclear weapons; extended indefinitely in May 1995. The treaty has been signed by over 175 nations.

Berlin Wall

A wall separating East and West Berlin built by East Germany in 1961 to keep citizens from escaping to the West

Nonalignment

political and diplomatic independence from both Cold War powers

Main Causes of the Cold War

1. Rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

2. Yalta Conference and the Soviet Satellite Nations

3. Containment Policy

Why did the Soviet Union establish satellite states in Eastern Europe after World War II?

Buffer zone between them and Western Europe.

Explain the differences between the political and economic ideologies of the Soviet Union and the United States (superpowers) during the Cold War (1945-1991)

Soviets: Communist and Command Economy

United States: Democratic and Free Market System

Discuss the impact of atomic weapons on international relations during the cold war.

1. It created an arms race between the USA and the Soviets.

2. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

Explain why Germany was a source of tension during the Cold War.

1. Berlin Blockade

2. Berlin Airlift

3. Berlin Wall

Explain why the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall which encircled West Berlin from much of the Cold War?

They didn't want Soviet citizens fleeing to West Berlin.

Explain causes and effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

1. Cuba became Communist.

2. Bay of Pigs Invasion (USA lost)

3. Soviets send Nuclear Weapons to Cuba

Explain causes and effects of the Korean War?

1. Division of North and South Korea. North was communist and south was democratic.

2. North invaded the South.

3. Containment Policy of the USA

Explain the causes and efforts of the Vietnam War?

1. Division of North and South Korea. North was communist and south was democratic.

2. North invaded the South.

3. Containment Policy of the USA

Identify the role of the United Nations during the Cold War?

It was a forum for dialogue and diplomacy for the United States and Soviet Union.

Explain the purpose of many Asian and African nations following a policy of non alignment during the Cold War?

They wanted to not be influenced by the USA or USSR and have self determination for their respective country.