Cold War Beginnings and Mao’s China

Cold War

A period of tension (about 1947–1991) between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union, marked by rivalry but no direct large-scale war.

Denazification

The process after World War II of removing Nazi influence from Germany’s government, society, and institutions.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 U.S. policy to contain communism by providing political, military, and economic aid to countries threatened by it.

Iron Curtain

A term describing the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe during the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program (1948) that provided economic aid to rebuild Western European countries after World War II and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift (Berlin Crisis)

A 1948–1949 operation in which the U.S. and its allies flew supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked land access.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations for mutual defense.

Warsaw Pact

A 1955 military alliance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist countries, created in response to NATO.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries.

Mao Zedong

The leader of communist China and founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign (1958–1962) led by Mao to rapidly industrialize China, which resulted in economic failure and widespread famine.

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

A movement (1966–1976) led by Mao to reinforce communist ideology, which caused social chaos and persecution of millions.

Little Red Book

A collection of quotations from Mao Zedong that was widely distributed and used for propaganda during the Cultural Revolution.