Period 8 Flashcards

What was the Cold War and what two ideologies were in conflict?

The Cold War (late 1940s–1991) was a rivalry between the U.S. (capitalism/democracy) and the Soviet Union (communism) fought through diplomacy the nuclear arms race and proxy wars rather than direct combat.

What event first sparked long-term hostility between the U.S. and the Soviet Union before WWII?

The Bolshevik Revolution created a communist government in Russia fueling American fear of communism and contributing to the first Red Scare.

How did WWII temporarily change U.S.–Soviet relations

and what ended that cooperation?

What were the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

and why did Truman's involvement matter?

What were Soviet satellite states and which countries became them?

Nations whose governments were controlled by the USSR after WWII: Poland Hungary Romania Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia.

What did Winston Churchill mean by the "Iron Curtain" in 1946?

Churchill described the ideological and political division separating Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe from the democratic West as an "Iron Curtain."

What was containment

who developed it

What was the Truman Doctrine and what specific nations did it target?

A 1947 pledge to provide aid to nations resisting communism specifically Greece and Turkey marking the formal start of the containment policy.

What was the Marshall Plan and why was it created?

A 1947 U.S. program providing $12 billion to rebuild war-devastated Western Europe aimed at preventing poverty-driven communist influence.

What was the Berlin Blockade and how did the U.S. respond?

The Soviet Union blocked land routes to West Berlin in 1948–1949. The U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift flying in supplies until the Soviets lifted the blockade.

What were NATO and the Warsaw Pact and why were they formed?

NATO (1949) was a Western military alliance against Soviet aggression. The Warsaw Pact (1955) was the Soviet counter-alliance of communist states. Both formalized the Cold War's military blocs.

What was NSC-68 and what did it recommend?

NSC-68 was a 1950 National Security Council document that called for a massive expansion of U.S. military spending in response to the Soviet atomic bomb and growing communist threats.

What happened in China in 1949 and why did it alarm Americans?

Communist forces under Mao Zedong defeated the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. The People's Republic of China was established; the Nationalists fled to Taiwan. The "loss" of China intensified Cold War fears at home.

What caused the Korean War and how did it end?

North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950. The UN (led by the U.S.) intervened. China entered when UN forces approached its border. The war ended in 1953 in an armistice with Korea still divided at the 38th parallel.

Why did Truman fire General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War?

MacArthur publicly pushed to expand the war into China directly contradicting Truman's policy of limited war. Truman removed him to assert civilian control over the military.

What was Sputnik and what was its domestic impact on the U.S.?

Sputnik (1957) was the USSR's first artificial satellite. It shocked Americans prompted increased federal funding for science and math education and led to the creation of NASA.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis and how was it resolved?

In 1962 the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy imposed a naval blockade. After 13 days the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba. It led to a U.S.–Soviet hotline and a nuclear test ban treaty.

What was détente and what were its key achievements?

Détente was a 1970s policy of reduced Cold War tensions under Nixon. Key achievements included Nixon's 1972 visit to China the SALT I arms limitation agreement and improved U.S.–Soviet relations.

What ended détente?

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ended cooperation and led the U.S. to resume a more confrontational Cold War posture.

What was the Second Red Scare and what federal actions did it produce?

Post-WWII fear of communist infiltration. Federal responses included the Loyalty Review Board (investigated millions of employees) the Smith Act (criminalized advocating government overthrow) the McCarran Internal Security Act (required communist registration) and HUAC investigations.

What were the Alger Hiss and Rosenberg cases and why did they matter?

Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury for alleged espionage (1950). Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 for passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets. Both cases deepened fears of communist infiltration.

Who was Joseph McCarthy and what was McCarthyism?

Senator Joseph McCarthy (Wisconsin) made widespread accusations that communists had infiltrated the U.S. government. "McCarthyism" refers to his reckless evidence-thin accusations. He was censured by the Senate in 1954 after the Army-McCarthy hearings exposed his bullying tactics on television.

What was HUAC and what did it target?

The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated suspected communists in government Hollywood and civic organizations. It created blacklists that ended many careers.

How did the GI Bill affect postwar American society?

The 1944 GI Bill provided veterans with education benefits job training and low-interest home loans creating a skilled middle class and boosting college attendance—though its benefits were largely denied to Black veterans due to systemic racism.

What was the Baby Boom and what were its consequences?

Approximately 50 million births between 1945 and 1960 reshaping family life driving suburban growth and creating a massive consumer generation.

What was Levittown and what did it symbolize?

Levittown was a mass-produced suburban development by William Levitt. It symbolized postwar suburbanization—affordable housing for white families fueled by FHA loans and government policy while reinforcing racial segregation.

What was the Sun Belt migration and what drove it?

A post-WWII shift of population to the South and West driven by climate job growth lower taxes and military-industrial spending in those regions.

What cultural values dominated 1950s mass culture and what criticized them?

Television advertising and chain stores promoted conformity and middle-class white values (e.g. Leave It to Beaver). Critics included William Whyte (The Organization Man) David Riesman (The Lonely Crowd) and John Kenneth Galbraith (The Affluent Society).

Who were the Beat Generation and what did they represent?

Writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg who rejected 1950s conformity and materialism. They were a literary and cultural precursor to the 1960s counterculture.

What were the roots of the Civil Rights Movement?

The Great Migration gave African Americans growing political power in northern cities. Despite WWII service Black Americans still faced de jure segregation voting restrictions (poll taxes literacy tests) and economic inequality.

What did Truman do for civil rights?

Truman created the Committee on Civil Rights (1946) strengthened the DOJ civil rights division and in 1948 ordered desegregation of the armed forces and federal government—the first major federal civil rights action since Reconstruction.

What did Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decide and why was it significant?

The Supreme Court ruled that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and ordering desegregation with "all deliberate speed." It established the federal judiciary as a key force for civil rights.

What was the Southern resistance to desegregation after Brown?

101 congressmen signed the "Southern Manifesto." States closed public schools created private segregated schools and the KKK surged in violence. By 1964 fewer than 2% of Black students in the South attended integrated schools.

What was the Little Rock Crisis (1957)?

Governor Orval Faubus blocked the integration of Central High School. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce the court order demonstrating federal authority over state resistance.

What sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and what was its outcome?

Rosa Parks' 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat sparked a year-long boycott led by MLK. The Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional and nonviolent protest was established as the movement's key strategy.

What was the SCLC and how did it operate?

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957) led by Martin Luther King Jr. mobilized Black churches to organize nonviolent protests across the South.

What was SNCC and what was its role?

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organized youth-led activism including sit-ins. John Lewis was a key leader. The Greensboro sit-ins (1960) launched a wave of direct-action protests.

What did the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960 accomplish?

They created the Civil Rights Commission and provided limited protections for voting rights—the first civil rights laws since Reconstruction though with limited immediate impact.

What was the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 and why was it significant?

MLK led protests in Birmingham; he was arrested and wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail defending nonviolent resistance. Televised images of police violence shocked the nation and built momentum for federal legislation.

What happened at the March on Washington in 1963?

Approximately 200

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

It ended segregation in public accommodations banned employment discrimination based on race sex religion and national origin and created the EEOC to enforce these protections.

What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 do?

It banned literacy tests and other discriminatory voting barriers and authorized federal oversight of elections in areas with histories of discrimination.

What was the 24th Amendment (1964)?

It eliminated poll taxes in federal elections removing a key barrier used to disenfranchise Black voters.

What was "Bloody Sunday" and what resulted from it?

On March 7 1965 civil rights marchers were violently attacked by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama. Televised footage outraged the nation and directly led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

How did Malcolm X's approach differ from MLK's?

Malcolm X and the Black Muslims advocated Black nationalism and self-defense rather than integration and nonviolence. He argued that Black Americans should build separate self-sufficient communities.

What was the Black Power Movement?

Emerging after 1965 it emphasized Black pride self-determination and in some cases self-defense. Key figures included Stokely Carmichael (SNCC) and Huey Newton and Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers.

What were the urban riots of the 1960s and what did the Kerner Commission find?

A wave of riots struck cities including Watts (1965 34 deaths) through 1968. The Kerner Commission concluded the U.S. was becoming "two societies—one Black one white—separate and unequal" and blamed white racism.

What happened after MLK's assassination in 1968?

Riots erupted in 168 cities. The assassination deepened racial tensions increased "white backlash" and weakened momentum for further civil rights progress.

What is the difference between de jure and de facto segregation?

De jure segregation is legally enforced (e.g. Jim Crow laws in the South). De facto segregation exists through social practices and housing patterns without explicit laws as seen in Northern cities.

What was The Feminine Mystique and what movement did it help launch?

Betty Friedan's 1963 book described the dissatisfaction of educated women confined to domestic roles. It helped spark the second-wave feminist movement leading to the founding of NOW in 1966.

What were the key legislative achievements of the women's movement?

The Equal Pay Act (1963) gender protections in the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Title IX (1972) which required equal educational and athletic opportunities for women. The ERA passed Congress in 1972 but was never ratified.

Who was César Chávez and what did he accomplish?

Leader of the United Farm Workers who organized strikes and boycotts on behalf of Latino agricultural workers winning collective bargaining rights by 1975 and advocating for bilingual education and political representation.

What was the American Indian Movement (AIM) and what were its key actions?

AIM was founded in 1968 to advocate for Native American self-determination. Key actions included the occupation of Alcatraz (1969) and the standoff at Wounded Knee (1973). The Indian Self-Determination Act (1975) gave tribes greater control over education law enforcement and land claims.

What was the Stonewall Riot and why is it historically significant?

A 1969 uprising by LGBTQ+ patrons against a police raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York City. It marked the beginning of the organized gay rights movement in the United States.

What were the key Warren Court decisions and what did each establish?

Brown v. Board (1954) – desegregation; Mapp v. Ohio (1961) – exclusionary rule for illegal evidence; Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) – right to an attorney; Miranda v. Arizona (1966) – rights upon arrest; Engel v. Vitale (1962) – no state-sponsored school prayer; Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) – right to privacy; Baker v. Carr (1962) – "one man one vote" reapportionment.

Why was Vietnam divided and how was it governed after 1954?

The Geneva Accords (1954) divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel after France's defeat at Dien Bien Phu. North Vietnam was governed by Ho Chi Minh's communist government; South Vietnam by Ngo Dinh Diem's anti-communist government with U.S. support.

What was the Domino Theory and who used it to justify Vietnam involvement?

President Eisenhower's argument that if one country fell to communism neighboring countries would follow like falling dominoes. It became the central justification for increasing U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) and why is it controversial?

After reported attacks on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin Congress authorized President Johnson to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. The incident was later revealed to be exaggerated or fabricated.

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

A sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam launched in 1965 intended to weaken the North's ability to wage war. U.S. troop levels grew to over 500

What was the "credibility gap" during the Vietnam War?

The growing distrust between the public and the government as official optimistic claims about the war increasingly conflicted with media reports from the battlefield.

What were "Hawks" and "Doves" during the Vietnam War?

Hawks supported the war as necessary to stop communism. Doves opposed the war arguing it was unjust unwinnable or too costly in lives and resources.

What was the Tet Offensive (1968) and what was its impact?

A massive surprise attack by communist forces on over 100 South Vietnamese cities during the Tet holiday. Although militarily repulsed it devastated American public confidence in the war. Johnson began peace talks and declined to run for reelection.

What was Vietnamization under Nixon?

Nixon's strategy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops while training South Vietnamese forces to take over combat responsibility allowing the U.S. to exit the war.

What happened at Kent State in 1970 and why?

After Nixon ordered the invasion of Cambodia to attack communist bases nationwide protests erupted. National Guard troops killed four student protesters at Kent State University in Ohio intensifying antiwar sentiment.

What were the My Lai Massacre and the Pentagon Papers?

My Lai (1968): U.S. soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians exposing the moral cost of the war. Pentagon Papers (1971): leaked government documents (via Daniel Ellsberg) revealed decades of government deception about the war's progress and prospects.

What did the Paris Peace Accords (1973) accomplish?

Negotiated by Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho the accords called for a ceasefire and U.S. troop withdrawal from Vietnam. Both negotiators won the Nobel Peace Prize.

How did the Vietnam War end?

North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in 1975 unifying Vietnam under communist rule. The war left over 58

What energized the conservative movement in the 1960s–1970s?

Conservatives opposed liberal court decisions the expanding welfare state and perceived moral decline. Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign though a landslide loss energized figures like Ronald Reagan and built the modern conservative coalition.

What was Barry Goldwater's 1964 platform?

Goldwater advocated dramatically reducing the federal government including abolishing programs like the TVA and Social Security. His campaign lost badly but established a foundation for the conservative resurgence.

What drove declining public trust in government during the 1970s?

A combination of Watergate Vietnam the energy crisis stagflation and political scandals led to widespread cynicism and loss of faith in government institutions.

What role did Rachel Carson play in the environmental movement?

Her 1962 book Silent Spring documented the harmful effects of pesticides like DDT on ecosystems sparking public awareness and the modern environmental movement.

What environmental legislation was passed in the 1970s?

The EPA was created in 1970. Major laws included the Clean Air Act (1970) Clean Water Act (1977) and Endangered Species Act (1973) marking a major expansion of federal environmental regulation.

What was the 1973 oil embargo and what were its effects?

Arab members of OPEC cut off oil exports to the U.S. in response to U.S. support for Israel. It caused fuel shortages long gas lines inflation and prompted long-term efforts to develop a national energy policy.

What was the rise of evangelical Christianity in the 1970s and its political impact?

Evangelical churches and organizations grew significantly in the 1970s. Paired with increased political activism this growth fueled social conservatism and laid groundwork for the Religious Right's influence on the Republican Party.

What is the significance of the Korean War being called "the Forgotten War"?

Despite costing 36

How did the Cold War shape domestic U.S. policy in the 1950s?

Fear of communist infiltration led to loyalty oaths government purges HUAC investigations and McCarthyism—demonstrating how foreign policy anxieties directly suppressed civil liberties at home.

Why were GI Bill benefits largely inaccessible to Black veterans?

Administration of benefits was handled locally and often by racially biased officials. Black veterans were frequently denied loans excluded from white suburbs and steered away from higher-education institutions reinforcing racial inequality despite formal eligibility.

How did the Civil Rights Movement shift after 1965 and what caused the shift?

Growing frustration with the slow pace of progress continued poverty urban inequality and police violence pushed parts of the movement toward Black Power self-defense and economic demands—moving beyond legal desegregation to systemic change.