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Cold War

The prolonged period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. after WWII, characterized by ideological conflicts and military rivalry.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals own and control property and businesses, typically characterized by free market and competition.

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.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Yalta Conference

A meeting held in 1945 where the leaders of the U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. made decisions about post-war Europe, including the division of Germany.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed in 1961 to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to the West; symbolizing the Cold War divide.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy asserting that the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and several Western European nations.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe established in 1955, in response to NATO.

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)

A region where military forces are not allowed, notably the dividing line between North and South Korea.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed military invasion in 1961 by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro's regime.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. over Soviet missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Vietnam War

A conflict from 1955 to 1975 in which the U.S. intervened to prevent the spread of communism in Vietnam.

McCarthyism

The practice of making unfair allegations and accusations against individuals without proper evidence, particularly concerning communism.

Détente

The easing of strained relations, particularly in the context of the Cold War, especially between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A congressional resolution passed in 1964 that gave the U.S. president the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Vietnamization

President Nixon's strategy to gradually withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam and transfer responsibility to the South Vietnamese forces.

Glasnost

A policy introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s that called for increased transparency and openness in government institutions and activities in the U.S.S.R.

Perestroika

A political movement for the reformation of the political and economic system in the U.S.S.R. initiated by Gorbachev.

Red Scare

The post-World War I and post-World War II fear of the rise of communism and the spread of communist influence within the United States.