Cold War Vocab

GI Bill

Officially the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, it provided WWII veterans with benefits like tuition assistance, low-interest home loans, and unemployment aid.

Levittown

The first mass-produced suburban community built by William Levitt in the late 1940s, symbolizing postwar affluence and suburbanization while reinforcing racial segregation.

Baby Boom

A dramatic increase in birth rates between 1946 and 1964, driven by postwar prosperity and an emphasis on family life.

Cold War

A prolonged ideological, political, and military rivalry (1947-1991) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Bretton Woods Conference

A 1944 meeting of Allied nations that established a new global economic order, creating the IMF and World Bank.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to maintain world peace and promote international cooperation.

Nuremberg War Crime Trials

A series of military tribunals (1945-1946) prosecuting Nazi leaders for war crimes and setting a precedent for international law.

Berlin Airlift (1948-1949)

A Cold War crisis where the U.S. and allies airlifted supplies to West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

A policy declaring U.S. support for nations threatened by communism.

Marshall Plan (1948)

A U.S. economic aid program providing over $12 billion to rebuild Western European economies after WWII.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1949)

A military alliance formed for collective security against the Soviet Union.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee that investigated alleged communist influence in the U.S.

Fair Deal

President Truman’s domestic policy agenda aimed at expanding New Deal programs.

NSC-68 (1950)

A secret National Security Council report calling for a massive increase in U.S. military spending.

Korean War (1950-1953)

A conflict between communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea, ending in a stalemate.

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)

Extended the Truman Doctrine by pledging U.S. aid to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

Nixon Doctrine (1969)

A policy stating that the U.S. would assist allies but would not deploy large-scale ground forces.

Reagan Doctrine (1980s)

A policy supporting anti-communist insurgencies worldwide.

Dropping the Atomic Bomb (1945)

The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan’s surrender in WWII.

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

A meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to plan postwar Europe.

Potsdam Conference (July 1945)

A meeting that finalized postwar settlements but revealed tensions between the U.S. and USSR.

Iron Curtain Speech (1946)

A speech by Churchill warning of Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe.

Warsaw Pact (1955)

A Soviet-led military alliance of Eastern Bloc nations in response to NATO.

McCarthyism/Second Red Scare (1950s)

A period of intense anti-communist hysteria in the U.S., characterized by investigations and blacklisting.

Chinese Civil War (1945-1949)

A conflict ending in a communist victory and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

Space Race (1957-1969)

A Cold War competition between the U.S. and USSR for space exploration dominance.

Nuclear Arms Race (1945-1991)

A Cold War competition to develop and stockpile nuclear weapons.

Berlin Wall (1961-1989)

A barrier built to prevent defections to the West, symbolizing Cold War oppression.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

A failed U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A 13-day standoff over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Suez Crisis (1956)

A conflict with Britain, France, and Israel invading Egypt after the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Détente (1970s)

A period of reduced Cold War tensions marked by arms control agreements.

SALT I and SALT II (1972, 1979)

Treaties limiting nuclear weapon stockpiles between the U.S. and USSR.

Domino Theory

A belief that if one nation fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

Massive Retaliation (1950s)

A U.S. policy threatening overwhelming nuclear force in response to Soviet aggression.

Perestroika (1980s)

A policy aiming to restructure the Soviet economy with limited market reforms.

Glasnost (1980s)

A Soviet policy promoting political openness and transparency.