APUSH Unit 7 – Vocabulary (1945-present?)!

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance established in 1949.

collective security/mutual defense

A security arrangement where states agree to defend each other against aggression.

CENTO/ SEATO

Central Treaty Organization and Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, alliances aimed at containing Soviet expansion.

NSC-68

Key U.S. policy document from 1950 advocating for a strong military response to the Soviet threat.

containment

U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism during the Cold War.

George F. Kennan

American diplomat who proposed the policy of containment.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe after World War II to rebuild economies.

Churchill’s 'Iron Curtain' speech

1946 speech by Winston Churchill emphasizing the division between the West and the Soviet bloc.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy providing military and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

Berlin Blockade/ Airlift

1948-49 crisis where the Soviets blocked access to West Berlin, leading to a U.S.-led airlift.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries established in 1955.

Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong)

Chinese communist revolutionary, founding father of the People's Republic of China.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953, involving U.N. forces led by the U.S.

General Douglas MacArthur

U.S. General during the Korean War, known for his strategy and later dismissal.

38th Parallel

The latitude line dividing North and South Korea, established as the border.

Mutual Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)

Military doctrine that ensured full-scale use of nuclear weapons would lead to total destruction.

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State under Eisenhower, known for his policy of aggressive containment.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

U.S. government agency responsible for intelligence and covert operations.

brinksmanship

The practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink of disaster to achieve favorable outcomes.

Hungarian Revolt (1956)

Failed uprising against Soviet rule in Hungary, leading to harsh reprisals.

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. policy to provide economic and military support to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

Suez Crisis

1956 conflict over the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt, involving Britain, France, and Israel.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader known for de-Stalinization and leading during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

U-2 Incident

1960 incident in which a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, worsening U.S.-Soviet relations.

Bay of Pigs

Failed U.S. invasion of Cuba in 1961 to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1952 confrontation between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba, bringing the world close to nuclear war.

Fidel Castro

Cuban communist revolutionary leader who governed Cuba from 1959 until 2008.

Berlin Wall

Barrier erected in 1961 separating East and West Berlin until its fall in 1989.

ICBMs

Intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963)

International treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

Domino Theory

The belief that the spread of communism in one country would lead to the spread in neighboring countries.

Flexible response

U.S. defense strategy allowing for a range of military responses to challenges.

Robert McNamara

U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, known for his involvement in military strategy.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of North Vietnam and key figure in the fight for Vietnamese independence.

Viet Cong (VC)

Guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who supported the North during the Vietnam War.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964 congressional resolution giving President Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam.

Tet Offensive

1968 surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnamese New Year, significantly impacting U.S. public opinion.

Agent Orange

Herbicide used by U.S. forces in Vietnam, causing health issues for veterans and Vietnamese people.

My Lai Massacre

1968 mass killing of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers, leading to global outrage.

Television War

Term for the Vietnam War due to its extensive media coverage influencing public opinion.

Vietnamization

U.S. policy of withdrawing troops and transferring combat roles to South Vietnamese forces.

Paris Peace Accords, 1973

Agreement intended to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War.

Covert operations in Afghanistan

Secret U.S. military actions in Afghanistan during the 1980s to undermine the Soviet-supported government.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Last leader of the Soviet Union, known for reform policies and ending the Cold War.

Glasnost & Peristroika

Policies introduced by Gorbachev aimed at openness and restructuring the Soviet economy.

Tiananmen Square

Site of a pro-democracy protest in Beijing in 1989, met with government crackdown.

Fall of Berlin Wall

1989 event symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany.

2nd Red Scare

Period of anti-communist hysteria in the U.S. following World War II.

Alger Hiss

Accused Soviet spy whose case heightened fears of communism in the U.S.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Couple executed for espionage for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviets.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Committee investigating alleged disloyalty and subversive activities in the U.S.

National Security Act (1947, 1949)

Legislation creating the National Security Council and restructuring the military.

Loyalty Boards

Committees established by the U.S. government to investigate loyalty to the country.

Senator Joseph McCarthy/ McCarthyism

Senator known for accusing individuals of communism without substantial evidence.

Atomic Age

Era characterized by the development and presence of nuclear weapons.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

'Duck and Cover'

Civil defense training in the U.S. during the Cold War educating citizens on how to protect themselves from nuclear blasts.

National Defense Education Act (NDEA)

1958 legislation to provide federal funding for education, particularly in science and technology.

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the nation's civilian space program.

'military-industrial complex'

Term describing the relationship between the military establishment and defense contractors.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Proposed missile defense system intended to protect the U.S. from nuclear attacks.

INF Treaty

1987 agreement between the U.S. and USSR to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, KS (1954)

Landmark Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Mapp vs. Ohio (1961)

Supreme Court ruling that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in court.

Baker vs. Carr (1962)

Supreme Court case establishing that federal courts could hear cases on legislative districting.

Engel vs. Vitale (1962)

Supreme Court decision banning school-sponsored prayer as a violation of the First Amendment.

Gideon vs. Wainwright (1963)

Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing the right to counsel for defendants in criminal cases.

Escobedo vs. Illinois (1964)

Supreme Court decision that established the right to counsel during police interrogation.

Miranda vs. Arizona (1966)

Supreme Court ruling requiring that individuals taken into police custody be informed of their rights.

Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969)

Supreme Court case affirming students' rights to free speech in schools.

22nd Amendment (1951)

Amendment limiting U.S. presidents to two terms in office.

24th Amendment (1964)

Constitutional amendment prohibiting poll taxes in federal elections.

25th Amendment (1967)

Amendment detailing presidential succession and disability.

26th Amendment (1971)

Amendment lowering the voting age to 18 years.

G.I. Bill (1944)

Legislation providing benefits to returning World War II veterans.

Baby Boom

Significant increase in birth rates in the U.S. from 1946 to 1964.

Levittown, NY

Planned community in New York characterized by mass-produced homes, representing postwar suburban growth.

Fair Deal

President Truman's set of proposals aimed at social welfare and civil rights.

Senator Strom Thurmond/ Dixiecrats

Southern Democrats who opposed civil rights, particularly during the 1948 election.

Federal-Aid Highway Act (1956)

Legislation authorizing the construction of the Interstate Highway System.

Taft-Hartley Act

1947 law restricting the power of labor unions in the U.S.

AFL-CIO merger

The merging of two major labor unions in 1955 to strengthen the labor movement.

Alfred Kinsey

Sexologist known for his research on human sexuality in the 1940s and 1950s.

Beat Movement

Cultural movement of the 1950s characterized by rejection of societal norms and experimentation.

Jack Kerouac – On the Road

Novel capturing the American Beat Generation's search for meaning and adventure.

Allen Ginsberg – 'Howl'

Poem expressing the feelings of the Beat Generation and critiquing modern society.

The Organization Man (1956)

Book by William H. Whyte highlighting conformity in postwar American corporate culture.

'New conservatives'

Political movement emerging in the 1960s advocating for traditional values.

Sunbelt

Region in the U.S. characterized by economic growth and migration, particularly to the South and Southwest.

JFK’s 'New Frontier'

President Kennedy's agenda aimed at addressing domestic issues and advancing civil rights.

Peace Corps

U.S. program established in 1961 to promote peace and friendship through volunteer service abroad.

Great Society / 'War on Poverty'

Lyndon Johnson's policies aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Office of Economic Opportunity

Agency responsible for administering the War on Poverty programs.

Medicare/ Medicaid

Health care programs established in 1965 providing services to the elderly and low-income individuals, respectively.

HUD

Department of Housing and Urban Development, responsible for national housing policies.

Counterculture/ Hippie movement

Social movement in the 1960s advocating for peace, love, and countering mainstream society.

New Left

Political movement in the 1960s focusing on civil rights, anti-war protests, and social justice issues.

1968 Democratic Party Convention

Controversial convention marked by protests against the Vietnam War.

Southern Strategy (Nixon)

Political strategy to gain support from Southern white voters by appealing to their resistance to civil rights.

Ralph Nader – Unsafe at Any Speed (1965)

Book criticizing the auto industry for prioritizing profits over safety.