The Cold War

Cold War

A prolonged period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, marked by ideological conflict, military rivalry, and proxy wars.

proxy war

A conflict where two opposing countries or parties support combatants that serve their interests instead of fighting directly. During the Cold War, numerous proxy wars occurred in various regions around the world.

liberated

refers to regions or countries that gained independence or freedom from external control

satellite state

A country that is formally independent but heavily influenced or controlled by another, larger power. During the Cold War, many Eastern European nations were considered satellite states of the Soviet Union.

containment

A foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the expansion of a hostile power, particularly during the Cold War to stop the spread of communism.

arms race

a competition between nations to accumulate more weapons and military technology, particularly pronounced during the Cold War.

nuclear weapon

A type of explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, used primarily in warfare and deterrence.

deterrence

The military strategy of maintaining a strong enough military capability to deter adversaries from attacking or taking hostile actions, especially through the threat of retaliatory nuclear strikes.

bloc

A group of countries or political parties that work together for a common purpose, often to influence international relations or achieve specific goals.

domino theory

A geopolitical theory suggesting that the spread of communism in one nation could trigger a chain reaction, leading to the fall of neighboring nations to communism.

Nikita Krushchev

The leader of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, known for his efforts to de-Stalinize the country and for his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China and leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong implemented policies that transformed China into a socialist state.

Red Guard

A mass student-led movement in China during the Cultural Revolution, aimed at enforcing communist ideology and eliminating perceived enemies of the state.

Great Leap Forward

An economic campaign initiated by Mao Zedong in 1958 aimed at rapidly transforming China into a socialist society through collective farming and industrialization. The campaign led to widespread famine and economic disaster.

Chinese Cultural Revolution

Mao Zedong's sociopolitical movement (1966-1976) to preserve Chinese communism by purging capitalist and traditional elements through the mobilization of youth and Red Guards.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between Western powers and the regions controlled by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, symbolizing the ideological conflict between capitalism and communism.

Winston Churchill

A British statesman who served as Prime Minister during World War II and is best known for his leadership in resisting Nazi Germany. He famously coined the term "Iron Curtain" to describe the divide in Europe after the war.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy established in 1947 aimed at containing communism by providing political, military, and economic assistance to countries threatened by Soviet expansion.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. initiative launched in 1948 to provide economic aid to European nations to help rebuild their economies after World War II, aiming to prevent the spread of communism.

Harry Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt and implemented the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

Berlin Airlift

A military operation initiated in 1948 to supply West Berlin with food and resources via air transport, following the Soviet blockade of the city.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries in response to the devastation of World War II.

NATO

A military alliance established in 1949 among North American and European countries for collective defense against Soviet aggression during the Cold War.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance formed in 1955 among communist countries in Eastern Europe as a counterbalance to NATO, solidifying the division of Europe during the Cold War.

military-industrial complex

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

ICBM

A type of long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads and launched from land or submarines, primarily used for intercontinental strikes.

Space Race

A competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve significant milestones in space exploration, including satellite launches and human spaceflight.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking a significant milestone in the Space Race and the beginning of space exploration.

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed in 1961 by East Germany that separated East and West Berlin, symbolizing the Cold War divide and restricting movement between the two areas until its fall in 1989.

The Long March

A strategic retreat by the Chinese Communist Party in 1934-1935, where they traveled over 6,000 miles to evade the Nationalist forces, eventually solidifying Mao Zedong's leadership and ideology.

Korean War

A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea and South Korea, with the involvement of international forces, notably the United States and China, resulting in a military stalemate and the continued division of Korea along the 38th parallel.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 political and military standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba, which brought the two superpowers close to nuclear war.

John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He is known for his leadership during major Cold War events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the establishment of the Peace Corps.

Fidel Castro

A Cuban revolutionary leader who governed Cuba from 1959 to 2008, known for establishing a one-party socialist state and being a central figure in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Bay of Pigs

A failed military invasion of Cuba in April 1961, undertaken by Cuban exiles and backed by the US government, aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro's regime.

Yalta Conference

A meeting held in February 1945 between leaders of the Allied Powers, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin, to discuss post-war reorganization and the future of Europe.

communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society, where all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production, where goods and services are produced for profit in a competitive market.

Mutually Assured Destruction

a military strategy in which both sides possess the capability to inflict unacceptable damage in retaliation, thus deterring any nuclear conflict.

CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency, a U.S. government agency responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world.

KGB

the main security agency for the Soviet Union, responsible for intelligence, internal security, and state surveillance.