AP World History Unit 8: Cold War, Decolonization, and Global Conflicts

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, lasting from the end of World War II until the early 1990s.

Self-determination

The principle that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status without external interference.

Bipolar world

A global structure characterized by two dominant powers or blocs, particularly during the Cold War, primarily the United States and the Soviet Union.

Non-Aligned Movement

A group of states that chose not to formally align with either the Western or Eastern blocs during the Cold War.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the Western democracies during the Cold War.

Proxy wars

Conflicts where two opposing countries or parties support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign initiated by Mao Zedong in China from 1958 to 1962 aimed at rapidly transforming the country from an agrarian society into a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization.

Cultural Revolution

A sociopolitical movement in China from 1966 to 1976 initiated by Mao Zedong to enforce communism by removing capitalist, traditional, and cultural elements from Chinese society.

Indian National Congress

A major political party in India that played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement against British rule.

All-Muslim League

A political party in the British Indian Empire that advocated for the rights of Muslims and played a significant role in the creation of Pakistan.

Partition of India

The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, in 1947, which led to significant communal violence and mass migrations.

Pan-Africanism

A worldwide movement that aims to strengthen bonds of solidarity between all indigenous and diasporic ethnic groups of African descent.

Pan-Arabism

An ideology advocating for the political union of Arab countries and the promotion of Arab culture and identity.

Suez Crisis

A diplomatic and military confrontation in 1956 involving Egypt, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom over the control of the Suez Canal.

Shining Path

A communist guerrilla group in Peru that aimed to overthrow the government and establish a Maoist state.

Al-Qaeda

A militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden, responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, including the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Satellite countries

Nations that were politically and economically dominated by a more powerful country, particularly in the context of Eastern European countries under Soviet influence during the Cold War.

Containment

A U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide political, military, and economic assistance to countries threatened by communism.

Domino theory

The idea that if one country in a region fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall, like a row of dominoes.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe after World War II to help rebuild economies and prevent the spread of communism.

M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction)

A military doctrine in which both sides in a conflict possess the capability to destroy each other, deterring both from initiating a conflict.

New countries formed due to decolonization

Nations that gained independence from colonial rule, particularly in Africa and Asia, during the mid-20th century.

I.R.A. (Irish Republican Army)

A paramilitary organization that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland and reunify Ireland.

E.T.A. (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna)

A Basque nationalist and separatist organization in Spain that sought independence for the Basque Country.

Détente

A period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, characterized by arms control agreements.

Perestroika

A political movement within the Soviet Union in the 1980s aimed at reforming the economic and political system.

Glasnost

A policy of openness and transparency in government instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union during the 1980s.

INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty)

A 1987 agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.

Kuomintang

The Chinese Nationalist Party that governed China before the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Theocracy

A form of government in which a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, with religious leaders acting as the political leaders.

Khmer Rouge

A communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, known for its brutal policies and genocide.

FLN (National Liberation Front)

A political party in Algeria that led the struggle for independence from French colonial rule.

Điện Biên Phủ

A decisive battle in 1954 between French forces and the Viet Minh, leading to the end of French colonial rule in Indochina.

Balfour Declaration

A statement issued by the British government in 1917 expressing support for the establishment of a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine.

Zionism

A nationalist movement advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Imperial Metropoles

The central cities or countries that control and exploit colonies for economic and political gain.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.

Military Industrial Complex

The relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it, often influencing national policy.

SALT Treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)

Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union aimed at curbing the arms race during the Cold War.

Sukarno

The first President of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967, known for his role in the country's independence.

Kwame Nkrumah

The first Prime Minister and later President of Ghana, a key figure in the African independence movement.

Chiang Kai-shek

A Chinese political and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China and fought against the communists.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China and a key figure in the Chinese Communist Party.

Haile Selassie

The Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, known for his efforts to modernize the country and promote African unity.

Mengistu Haile Mariam

The leader of Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991, known for his Marxist-Leninist policies and the Red Terror campaign.

Ho Chi Minh

The leader of the Vietnamese independence movement and the first President of North Vietnam.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The first President of South Vietnam, known for his anti-communist stance and controversial policies.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

The second President of Egypt, known for his role in the Arab nationalist movement and the Suez Crisis.

Augusto Pinochet

A Chilean general who led a military coup in 1973, ruling as a dictator until 1990.

Salvador Allende

The first Marxist to be elected President of Chile, serving from 1970 until his overthrow in 1973.

Francisco Franco

The Spanish dictator who ruled from 1939 until his death in 1975, known for his authoritarian regime.

Idi Amin

The President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979, known for his brutal regime and human rights abuses.

M. K. Gandhi

An Indian leader known for his nonviolent resistance to British rule and his role in the Indian independence movement.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah

The founder of Pakistan and its first Governor-General, advocating for the rights of Muslims in India.

Jawaharlal Nehru

The first Prime Minister of India, a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence.

Indira Gandhi

The first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India, serving from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

The world's first female head of government, serving as Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) three times.

Julius Nyerere

The first President of Tanzania, known for his policies of African socialism and self-reliance.

Jomo Kenyatta

The first President of Kenya and a key figure in the country's struggle for independence from British colonial rule.

Martin Luther King Jr.

An American civil rights leader known for his nonviolent activism and his role in the American civil rights movement.

Nelson Mandela

A South African anti-apartheid revolutionary who became the country's first black president from 1994 to 1999.

Berlin Blockade

A Soviet attempt to cut off access to West Berlin in 1948-1949, leading to the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Wall

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

Korean War

A conflict between North Korea (with support from China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with support from the United States) from 1950 to 1953.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975, involving North Vietnam and its communist allies against South Vietnam and the United States.

Bay of Pigs

A failed invasion of Cuba by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles in 1961, aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation in 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

Angolan Civil War

A multi-party civil conflict in Angola from 1975 to 2002, involving various factions including the MPLA and UNITA.

Sandinista-Contra conflict in Nicaragua

A conflict in the 1980s between the Sandinista government and the Contra rebels, supported by the U.S.

White Revolution in Iran

A series of reforms launched in 1963 by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi aimed at modernizing Iran.

Algerian Wars of Independence

A series of conflicts between France and Algerian nationalists from 1954 to 1962, leading to Algeria's independence.

Fidel Castro

The Cuban revolutionary leader who served as Prime Minister and later President of Cuba, known for establishing a one-party socialist state.

Fulgencio Batista

The Cuban dictator overthrown by Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

The last Shah of Iran, whose reign ended with the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Ruhollah (Ayatollah) Khomeini

The leader of the Iranian Revolution who became the Supreme Leader of Iran after the overthrow of the Shah.

Ronald Reagan

The 40th President of the United States, known for his conservative policies and role in ending the Cold War.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union, known for his reforms of glasnost and perestroika.

Pol Pot

The leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, responsible for the Cambodian genocide.

Charles de Gaulle

The French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II and later became President of France.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President of the United States, known for his foreign policy achievements and the Watergate scandal.

Leonid Brezhnev

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, known for his era of stagnation.

Soviet-Afghan War

A conflict from 1979 to 1989 where the Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan to support a communist government.

Chinese Civil War

A conflict between the Nationalist Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, leading to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Quebecois in Canada

The French-speaking population of Quebec, advocating for greater autonomy and recognition of their cultural identity.

Biafra in Nigeria

A region that attempted to secede from Nigeria in the late 1960s, leading to the Nigerian Civil War.

United Nations

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

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance established in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression, primarily from the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, established in 1955 in response to NATO.

EU (European Union)

A political and economic union of European countries established to promote integration and cooperation.

WTO (World Trade Organization)

An intergovernmental organization that regulates international trade and promotes free trade among nations.

Know the set up of the United Nations. Who makes up the security council? What do they have that other members do not?

The UN Security Council consists of 15 members, including five permanent members (the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, and China) with veto power over resolutions.

Why did the Soviet Union insist on a 'buffer' between them and the West after WWII?

The Soviet Union sought to create a buffer zone of friendly states in Eastern Europe to protect against potential invasions from the West.

Where were the first conflicts of the Cold War located? Where does it spread?

The first conflicts were in Europe, particularly in Greece and Turkey, and it spread globally to Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

What is NATO and the Warsaw Pact? What was the purpose of each and did they achieve their goals?

NATO was formed for collective defense against the Soviet threat, while the Warsaw Pact was a response to NATO. Both aimed to secure their member states.

What was the Marshall Plan? What did it aim to achieve?

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe in economic recovery after WWII, aiming to prevent the spread of communism.

Know general characteristics of the Western European economy after WWII?

Western European economies experienced rapid growth, industrialization, and the establishment of welfare states, aided by the Marshall Plan.

How did Soviet satellite countries challenge Soviet rule during this period? How did the Soviets respond?

Satellite countries challenged Soviet authority through uprisings and reforms, leading to Soviet military interventions, such as in Hungary in 1956.

Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a communist government facing opposition from insurgent groups.

What is détente, who orchestrated it and what was its main goal?

Détente was a period of eased tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, orchestrated by leaders like Nixon and Brezhnev, aiming for arms control.