Cold War

Truman Doctrine (1947)

stated that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to resist communism

Marshall Plan (1947)

A plan for aiding the European nations in economic recovery after World War II. 17 nations were given 13 Billion in aide.

Communism

a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Superpowers after WWII

United States and Soviet Union

Iron Curtain

a "curtain" split between the democratic nations and communist nations

hegemony

leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others. USA and the Soviets

Brinkmanship

the willingness to go to the brink of war to force an opponent to back down - idea from John Foster Dulles

Korean War

The conflict between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea. The United Nations (led by the United States) helped South Korea. 1950-1953

Berlin Blockade

The blockade was a Soviet attempt to starve out the allies in Berlin in order to gain supremacy. The blockade was a high point in the Cold War, and it led to the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Airlift

airlift in 1948 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of west Berlin when the Russians closed off land access to Berlin

Fall of China to Communism

1949

Arms Race

Cold war competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to build up their respective armed forces and weapons

Warsaw Pact (1955)

An alliance between Russia and Eastern communist countries against Western capitalist countries

McCarthyism

The term associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy who led the search for communists in America during the early 1950s through his leadership in the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Alger Hiss

U.S. government official accused of being a communist spy while working in the state department and convicted of perjury

Rosenbergs

Couple executed for giving military secrets to the Soviets in the 1950's

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Committee responsible for rooting out communists in American Government and Society

Space Race

A competition of space exploration between the United States and Soviet Union.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

An unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the U.S. government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 crisis that arose between the United States and the Soviet Union over a Soviet attempt to deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba

Nikita Khrushchev

A Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also famous for denouncing Stalin and allowed criticism of Stalin within Russia.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A 1949 defense alliance initiated by the US, Canada, and 10 Western European nations

Mao Zedong

(1893-1976) Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People's Republic of China and ruled from 1949 until 1976.

Stalemate

A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

cease-fire agreement

July 27, 1953; during the presidency of Eisenhower, this agreement ending the Korean War created a demilitarized zone extending roughly a mile and a half on either side of the 38th parallel.

Hydrogen Bomb (H-Bomb)

1,000 times more powerful as an atomic bomb; First tested in 1952 by the U.S.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

The possession of second-strike nuclear capabilities, which ensures that neither of two adversaries could prevent the other from destroying it in an all-out war.

Sputnik

First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.

Neil Armstrong, in 1969

First man on the moon. The United States was now ahead in the "Space Race"

Blacklist

A list of about 500 actors, writers, producers and directors who were not allowed to work on Hollywood films because of their alleged Communist connections.

38th Parallel (DMZ)

Division between North and South Korea- Demilitarized Zone