unit 4 - cold war

Cold War

Tension but no physical fighting between the US and Soviet Union.

United Nations

An international peacekeeping organization formed after World War II to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

Security Council

Made up of 5 countries with permanent seats and veto powers: USA, Russia, China, Great Britain, France.

Harry S. Truman

Sent an American diplomat to Russia to help contain communism, known for the Truman Doctrine.

Joseph Stalin

A dictator of the Soviet Union during the Cold War who created a buffer zone in Eastern Europe.

Satellite Nations

Countries under Soviet control that serve as a buffer zone to prevent direct attacks on the Soviet Union.

Marshall Plan

Provided foreign aid for the reconstruction of Europe from 1948 to 1952 to contain communism.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization created to protect democratic countries from the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet equivalent of NATO, an alliance of communist countries.

Red Scare

The intense fear of communism, with a second Red Scare being more enhanced than the first.

McCarthyism

Accusing individuals of communism, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare.

Federal Civil Defense Administration

US agency established to prepare civilians for nuclear attacks during the Cold War.

Berlin Wall

A concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, symbolizing Cold War division.

Containment

American policy to stop the spread of communism.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

President during the Cold War known for tactics like deterrence and Brinkmanship.

Iron Curtain

A political barrier isolating Eastern Europe after WWII, as described by Winston Churchill.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed military landing on Cuba by US-backed Cuban exiles in April 1961.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation in 1962 over Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to a naval blockade by the US.

John F. Kennedy

President during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet premier and leader after Stalin.

Fidel Castro

Cuban socialist leader who overthrew a dictator in 1959.

ICBM

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, facilitating the Soviet's first steps in the space race.

Brinkmanship

Escalating tensions to the brink of war to force opponents to back down.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee that investigated allegations of communist activities in the US.