Cold War/New World Issues

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy aimed at containing the spread of communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. initiative providing $13 billion in economic assistance to rebuild European economies after WWII.

Berlin Airlift

Operation to supply West Berlin with food and fuel during the Soviet blockade.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to a U.S. naval blockade.

Detente

Period of improved relations between the U.S. and USSR during the Cold War.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; military alliance formed to provide collective security against the USSR.

SALT I

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty that limited the number of nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and USSR.

Sputnik

First artificial satellite launched by the USSR, marking the start of the space race.

Domino Theory

U.S. theory that a communist victory in one country would lead to the spread of communism in neighboring countries.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Castro in Cuba using trained Cuban exiles.

Korean War

Conflict between North Korea and South Korea, where the U.S. intervened to support the South.

Khmer Rouge

Communist party in Cambodia that ruled from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, responsible for genocide.

Islamic Revolution in Iran

1979 overthrow of the Shah, leading to the establishment of an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini.

9/11 Attacks

Terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, resulting in significant U.S. casualties and security overhauls.

Iraqi War

U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

1989 event symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the division between East and West Germany.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

1989 violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijing, resulting in thousands of deaths.

U-2 Crisis

Incident in 1960 when a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the USSR, increasing Cold War tensions.

Osama bin Laden

Leader of Al-Qaeda who orchestrated the September 11 attacks against the United States.

Gorbachev

Last leader of the Soviet Union known for reforms like glasnost and perestroika that contributed to the end of the USSR.

Russian Invasion of Crimea

2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, causing international tensions and sanctions against Russia.

Uyghur Persecution

Chinese government's actions against the Uyghur Muslim minority, including internment camps and forced labor.

Iran Hostage Crisis

1979 event where 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage by Iranian revolutionaries.

Civil War in Yugoslavia

Conflict arising from ethnic tensions leading to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Solidarity Movement

Polish labor union that challenged communist rule in the 1980s, led by Lech Walesa.

Vietnam War

Conflict in Vietnam, resulting in U.S. military involvement to prevent the spread of communism.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of North Vietnam, pivotal in the Vietnam War and a key figure in the struggle for Vietnamese independence.

Fall of the Soviet Union

Dissolution of the USSR in 1991, ending the Cold War and leading to multiple independent states.