Cold War vocab

NATO

A military group formed in 1949 to protect against the Soviet Union. Members included: The U.S., Canada, and Western European countries like the UK, France, and Italy.

Iron Curtain

The invisible line that split communist Eastern Europe from democratic Western Europe.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting where the Allied leaders planned how to divide Europe after WWII.

Cold War

A time of tension and competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, without actual fighting.

United Nations

A group of countries that work together to keep peace and solve world problems.

Satellite Nations

Countries controlled by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Superpower

A very strong country with lots of influence—like the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Containment

The U.S. plan to stop communism from spreading.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. promise to help countries fight against communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. money given to Europe to help rebuild after WWII and stop communism.

Warsaw Pact

A military group of communist countries led by the Soviet Union.

Brinkmanship

Going to the edge of war to scare the other side into backing down.