Key Concepts of Cold War and Social Movements

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Containment

U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism by supporting allies and resisting Soviet influence.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy that provided military and economic aid to countries resisting communism, particularly Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program that provided economic aid to Western Europe after WWII to help rebuild economies and prevent communism.

Nuclear Proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons to multiple countries during the Cold War, increasing global tensions.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to counter Soviet threats.

Warsaw Pact

A Soviet-led military alliance formed in 1955 among Eastern Bloc nations in response to NATO.

MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)

A Cold War doctrine stating that nuclear war would lead to total destruction for both sides, deterring direct conflict.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts in which the U.S. and USSR supported opposing sides without engaging in direct warfare, such as Korea and Vietnam.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

A congressional committee that investigated suspected communist activity in the U.S.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of communism without proper evidence, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism in the U.S., leading to blacklists, trials, and loyalty oaths.

Federal Acts Against Communism

Laws such as the Smith Act and McCarran Act aimed at restricting communist influence in the U.S.

Hollywood Ten

A group of filmmakers and writers who were blacklisted for refusing to testify before HUAC about communist ties.

Rosenberg Case

The espionage trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for allegedly passing nuclear secrets to the Soviets.

Taft-Hartley Act

A 1947 law that restricted labor unions and required union leaders to swear they were not communists.

Interstate Highway System

A national network of highways created under Eisenhower to improve transportation and defense mobility.

GI Bill

A 1944 law that provided education, housing, and business loans to returning WWII veterans.

Baby Boom

A dramatic increase in births between 1946 and 1964, leading to major social and economic changes.

Suburbs/Suburbanization

The mass movement of Americans to suburban communities, often facilitated by government-backed loans.

Levittown

A model suburban development of affordable homes, symbolizing postwar suburban growth.

Sunbelt States

Southern and western states that saw rapid population growth due to warmer climate, economic opportunity, and defense spending.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed 1961 attempt by Cuban exiles, backed by the CIA, to overthrow Fidel Castro's government.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 Cold War standoff over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, resolved through diplomatic negotiations.

Guatemala

A 1954 CIA-led coup that overthrew a democratically elected government suspected of communist ties.

Iran

The 1953 U.S.-backed coup that ousted Iran's prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, and reinstated the Shah.

Vietnam War

A prolonged conflict in which the U.S. supported South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnamese and Vietcong.

Military-Industrial Complex

A term coined by Eisenhower warning of the growing influence of defense contractors in American policy.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who fought against French and U.S. forces.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, justifying U.S. intervention.

JFK (John F. Kennedy)

U.S. president who escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam and handled the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Lyndon B. Johnson

U.S. president who greatly expanded U.S. troop presence in Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident/Resolution

Alleged attack on U.S. ships by North Vietnam, leading Congress to grant LBJ broad military powers.

Credibility Gap

The growing public distrust of the U.S. government's statements about the Vietnam War.

Vietcong

Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who used insurgency tactics against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

Richard Nixon

U.S. president who initiated Vietnamization and later withdrew U.S. troops from Vietnam.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and shifting the burden to South Vietnamese forces.

Betty Friedan

Feminist author of The Feminine Mystique, which helped spark the modern women's movement.

Feminine Mystique

A book criticizing societal expectations for women and advocating for gender equality.

ERA (Equal Rights Amendment)

A proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee equal rights for women, which ultimately failed to be ratified.

STOP ERA

A conservative campaign led by Phyllis Schlafly to prevent the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Sexual Revolution

A movement challenging traditional norms around sex, relationships, and gender roles in the 1960s and 70s.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Gay Liberation Movement

A social movement advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, spurred by events like the Stonewall Riots.

NSC-68

A secret U.S. government report in 1950 advocating massive military buildup to counter Soviet expansion.

General Douglas MacArthur

A U.S. general who led forces in WWII and the Korean War before being dismissed by Truman.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. diplomat who played a key role in Cold War diplomacy, including détente and Vietnam peace negotiations.

Executive Order 10450

A 1953 order that expanded the government's ability to investigate and fire employees suspected of communist ties.

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where banks and real estate companies denied services to predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Kitchen Debate

A 1959 exchange between Nixon and Soviet leader Khrushchev, showcasing ideological differences between capitalism and communism.