Cold War and Vietnam War Vocabulary

Flashcards for review

Cold War

Post WWII competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and their respective allies.

Containment

The U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program to provide economic aid to help rebuild Europe after WWII.

Iron Curtain

The ideological barrier between the communist Eastern Europe and the democratic West.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation over the Soviet Union's placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The closest the US and the Soviet Union ever came to nuclear war

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed in 1961 to separate Communist East and capitalist West Berlin.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance of Western nations. to oppose the Soviet Union and communism

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of Eastern European nations led by the Soviet Union.

Nuclear Arms Race

A competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to develop superior nuclear weapons.

Space Race

A competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to achieve milestones in space exploration.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Vietnam between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with U.S. involvement on behalf of the South Vietnamese

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A joint resolution passed by the U.S. Congress in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Gave the president the power to send troops to Vietnam and escalate the war without an actual declaration of war from Congress

Operation Rolling Thunder

A U.S. bombing campaign during the Vietnam War.

The Draft

System for selecting individuals for mandatory military service. Used extensively during the Vietnam war.

Tet Offensive

A series of attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Tet holiday. Significant turning point in the Vietnam War, demonstrating that the war was far from over despite previous US claims of imminent victory.

My Lai Massacre

The mass killing of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers in March 1968.

Anti-War Protests

Demonstrations against the Vietnam War. These protests were fueled by opposition to the war's casualties, moral implications, and calls for peace, particularly among college students and activists.

Kent State

The killing of four students by the National Guard during an anti-war protest at Kent State University in Ohio.