Cold War test flashcards

Tehran Conference (1943)

First major Allied meeting (Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin) planning WWII strategy and postwar Europe.

Yalta Conference (1945)

Allied leaders agreed on division of Germany and free elections in Eastern Europe (later disputed).

Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. president during WWII, favored cooperation with USSR.

Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader, aimed to secure Eastern Europe as a buffer zone.

Winston Churchill

British PM who distrusted Stalin and later warned of Soviet expansion in Europe.

Potsdam Conference (1945)

Meeting between Truman, Stalin, and Attlee; relations deteriorated over Germany, reparations, and atomic tensions.

Harry Truman

U.S. president; adopted a tougher stance against communism, used atomic diplomacy to assert U.S. power.

James Byrnes

U.S. Secretary of State, advocated a strong U.S. position in early Cold War diplomacy.

Curzon Line

Proposed postwar boundary between Poland and USSR.

Lublin Government

Soviet-backed Polish government after WWII, replacing the London-based government-in-exile, showing Soviet dominance.

Clement Attlee

British PM after Churchill; attended Potsdam, less influential than Churchill in early Cold War diplomacy.

Long Telegram (1946)

George Kennan's message urging containment of Soviet expansion, shaped US policy.

George Kennan

US diplomat; architect of containment policy, argued that the USSR would eventually collapse if resisted.

Novikov Telegram (1946)

Soviet response accusing the U.S. of imperialism.

Iron Curtain Speech (1946)

Churchill warned of division between East and West.

Marshall Plan (1947)

U.S. economic aid to rebuild Europe and stop communism, increased division as USSR rejected it.

V.I. Molotov

Soviet foreign minister, opposed Western policies and reinforced Soviet control in Eastern Europe.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism, start of containment.

"X" Article (1947)

Kennan's article outlining containment strategy, influenced Cold War policy.

Eastern Bloc

Communist states in Eastern Europe under Soviet control, formed political and military buffer

Cominform (1947)

Organization to coordinate communist parties and ensure loyalty to Moscow.

National Security Act (1947)

Created CIA, NSC, and Department of Defense.

Tito

Yugoslav leader who broke away from Soviet control and resisted Stalin.

Czechoslovakia Coup (1948)

Communist takeover backed by USSR, alarmed the West and justified containment policies.

Trizonal Fusion (1948)

US, UK, and France combined zones in Germany.

Berlin Blockade (1948-49)

Soviet attempt to force West out of Berlin; failed due to airlift.

Berlin Airlift

Western response to Berlin Blockade supplying Berlin by air.

NATO (1949)

Western military alliance against Soviet threat.

COMECON (1949)

Soviet economic organization for Eastern Bloc, counter for the Marshall Plan.

George Marshall

U.S. Secretary of State; proposed Marshall Plan (economic containment via reconstruction).

Dean Acheson

US Secretary of State; supported containment.

Socialist Unity Party

Ruling communist party in East Germany.

Lucius Clay

U.S. general; led Berlin Airlift.

Mao Zedong (Mao)

Chinese communist leader; founded PRC (1949).

Chiang Kai-shek

Nationalist Chinese leader; retreated to Taiwan.

NSC-68 (1950)

U.S. policy calling for military buildup vs USSR.

McCarthyism

U.S. anti-communist hysteria led by Senator McCarthy.

Red Scare

Fear of communist influence in the U.S.

Korean War (1950-53)

Conflict between North (communist) and South Korea.

Yalu River

Chinese border; China entered Korean War near here.

Inchon Landing

Successful UN counterattack in Korea led by MacArthur, turning point for UN

Pusan Perimeter

Last defensive line of South Korea early in war.

Rosenberg Case

U.S. couple executed for passing atomic secrets to USSR.

Eisenhower

U.S. president, Favored nuclear deterrence over conventional warfare to reduce costs.

New Look Policy

Emphasized nuclear weapons and deterrence over conventional forces.

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State, promoted aggressive anti-communism and brinkmanship.

Kim Il-Sung

Leader of North Korea.

Syngman Rhee

Leader of South Korea.

38th Parallel

Division line between North and South Korea.

Brinkmanship

Strategy of pushing to the edge of war to gain advantage.

Malenkov

Soviet leader after Stalin (briefly).

Khrushchev

Soviet leader; pursued de-Stalinization and coexistence, intensified crises like Berlin and Cuba.

CIA

U.S. intelligence agency involved in covert operations, used to secretly influence governments (Iran, Guatemala, etc).

Covert Action

Secret operations to influence other countries.

Iran Coup (1953)

CIA-backed overthrow of Iran's leader, protecting Western oil interests.

Guatemala Coup (1954)

CIA-backed removal of the Guatemala government

Dien Bien Phu (1954)

End of French colonial rule in Vietnam, leading to division.

Ho Chi Minh

Nationalist and communist leader fighting for Vietnamese independence.

Geneva Conference (1954)

Divided Vietnam at 17th parallel.

Matsu & Quemoy

Islands disputed by China and Taiwan.

Baghdad Pact

Anti-communist alliance in Middle East.

Warsaw Pact (1955)

Soviet military alliance between the USSR and Eastern European nations.

Secret Speech (1956)

Khrushchev denounced Stalin, destabilizing Eastern Europe.

Aswan Dam Crisis

Trigger for Suez Crisis.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

Egyptian leader, wanted pan-Arabism.

Non-Aligned Movement

Countries not aligned with US or USSR.

Suez Crisis (1956)

Conflict over control of Suez Canal.

Hungarian Uprising (1956)

Anti-Soviet revolt in Hungary crushed by USSR.

Imre Nagy

Hungarian leader during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956.

Gomułka

Polish communist leader.

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. policy to support Middle East states vs communism.

Sputnik (1957)

First artificial satellite launched by USSR.

Arms Race

Competition, mainly between US and USSR, in nuclear weapons buildup.

Gaither Report

Warned U.S. was behind in missile development.

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (Long-range nuclear missile)

U-2 Incident (1960)

U.S. spy plane shot down over USSR, espionage scandal.

Missile Gap

Perceived U.S. inferiority in missiles (in reality this was unsubstantiated, but shaped US policy).

Khrushchev's Ultimatum

Demand to remove Western forces from Berlin.

Peaceful Coexistence

Khrushchev's policy to avoid nuclear war.

Common Market (EEC/European Economic Community)

Western European economic alliance.

Western Alliance

NATO countries.

Konrad Adenauer

West German leader.

Berlin Wall (1961)

Barrier dividing East and West Berlin.

Fidel Castro

Cuban communist leader.

Fulgencio Batista

Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro, supported by the US.

Bay of Pigs (1961)

Failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Major nuclear confrontation between US and USSR.

Allen Dulles

CIA director during Cuban Missile Crisis.

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. opposition to foreign influence in Americas.

Dean Rusk

U.S. Secretary of State.

Alliance for Progress

U.S. aid program for Latin America.

Berlin Crisis

Tensions over control of Berlin.

Checkpoint Charlie

Key crossing point in Berlin. Us-USSR confrontation occurred here.

Walter Ulbricht

East German leader.

Robert McNamara

U.S. Secretary of Defense.

John F. Kennedy

U.S. president during Cuban Missile Crisis. Later assassinated.

Strategic Hamlet Program

U.S. attempt to isolate Viet Cong.

Westmoreland

U.S. general in Vietnam.

Lyndon B. Johnson

U.S. president who escalated Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive (1968)

Major Viet Cong attack; turning point in Vietnam War.