Cold War and Modern American History Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, military operations, and political events from the Cold War era, including the Vietnam War, Reaganomics, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Reaganomics

Reagan's economic policies that established tax cuts, decreased social spending, increased military spending, and established market deregulation [non-intervention].

Supply-side economics

Economic principles stating that decreases in taxes, especially for corporations, offer the best way to stimulate economic growth by allowing the rich to spend and invest more.

Berlin Wall (1989)

A symbol of the Cold War that was torn down following non-violent protests in East Germany, leading to the re-unification of Germany in 1990.

Glasnost

A Soviet policy of openness introduced by Gorbachev that allowed people greater freedom, rights to criticize the government, and an end to censorship.

Perestroika

A policy of government and economic restructuring that allowed some private ownership of businesses; it failed as prices soared and unemployment rose.

Watergate Scandal (1972)

A scandal involving the wiretapping of phones at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and a subsequent illegal cover-up by President Nixon.

Impeach

To charge and remove someone in public office, especially for misconduct.

War Powers Act (1973)

A law designed to limit a president's ability to involve the U.S. in foreign conflict without a formal declaration of war from Congress.

Sandinistas

Communist rebels in Nicaragua who overthrew the dictator in 1979 and established ties with the Soviet Union and Cuba.

The Contras

A group against the nationalized economy in Nicaragua, backed by President Reagan with military support starting in December of 1981.

Boland Amendment (1982)

A series of acts that prevented the Reagan administration from interfering in Nicaragua's state affairs due to the Contras' funding from the cocaine trade.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

The capture and holding of 52 American diplomats and citizens in Tehran for 444 days following the Iranian Revolution.

Theocracy

A government run by a religious figure; established in Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini based on Shari Law.

Tet Offensive

A series of surprise attacks by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in 1967 on major cities and American military bases in South Vietnam.

Vietnamization

A 1969 strategy to reduce American involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring military responsibilities to South Vietnam.

Operation Menu

A secret mission approved by Nixon where B-52 bombers dropped 110,000 tons of bombs on suspected communist base camps in neutral Cambodia.

Kent State Shooting

An event on May 4 where the National Guard fired into a crowd of student anti-war protesters, leaving four dead and nine injured.

Détente

A relaxation of tensions between two nations, specifically occurring between the U.S. and the Soviet Union starting in 1972.

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I)

A 1972 agreement prohibiting the manufacturing of nuclear missiles by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Sputnik

The first satellite successfully launched into space, sent by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Great Society

A series of programs by President Lyndon Johnson including poverty relief, education aid, and healthcare to develop economically depressed areas.

Viet Cong

South Vietnamese communist rebels led by Ho Chi Minh who attacked South Vietnam to unify the country under communism.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A resolution giving President Johnson permission to take military action against North Vietnam after alleged torpedo attacks on U.S. ships.

Operation Ranch Hand

A 1962-1971 mission to defoliate 4.5 million acres of Vietnam using more than 20 million gallons of herbicides to destroy forest cover.

Agent Orange

A highly toxic herbicide mixture containing dangerous dioxin used by American forces to destroy crops and forest cover in Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre

The 1968 brutal killing, rape, and torture of hundreds of Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers following the psychological toll of guerilla warfare.

38th Parallel

The latitude line that divided North Korea (communist) and South Korea (democracy) at approximately the mid-point of the peninsula.

Stalemate

A situation in which neither side in a conflict can gain the advantage; the outcome of the Korean War.

McCarthyism

The practice by Senator Joseph McCarthy of discrediting American citizens through unconfirmed accusations of communist involvement.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

A failed American air raid and land invasion of Cuba approved by President Kennedy to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A tense standoff between Kennedy and Khrushchev over the Soviet construction of nuclear missile bases in Cuba.

Berlin Airlift

President Truman's response to Stalin's 1948 blockade, involving 200,000 flights to drop food and fuel into West Berlin.

Domino theory

The fear that if one southeast Asian country turns communist, neighboring countries will also fall to communism soon after.

Cold War

A competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union for power and political influence regarding whether communism or democracy would dominate the world.

Satellite Nations

Countries under Soviet Union domination that served as a buffer zone between the communist USSR and democratic Western Europe.

Iron Curtain

A term used by Churchill to describe the invisible dividing line between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

Containment

The American policy during the Cold War aimed at stopping the further expansion of communism around the world.

Marshall Plan (1947)

A program giving billions of dollars in aid to European countries to rebuild after WWII to prevent them from turning communist.