Period 8 Vocab

Containment

U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism, first articulated by George Kennan.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one nation falls to communism, neighboring countries will follow.

Collective Security

A system where nations act together to defend against aggression.

Brinkmanship

Pushing conflicts to the edge of war to force adversaries to back down.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

A doctrine holding that a nuclear war would annihilate both attacker and defender.

Massive Retaliation

Responding to Soviet aggression with overwhelming nuclear force.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy of providing support to nations resisting communism.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Extension of the Truman Doctrine to the Middle East, offering military and economic assistance.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program to rebuild European economies after WWII to prevent communism's spread.

United Nations

An organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and international cooperation.

Berlin Airlift

The operation that supplied West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of Soviet-aligned countries in Eastern Europe.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of Western democracies.

Arms Race

Competition between the U.S. and USSR to develop superior military capabilities.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite, launched by the USSR in 1957, sparking the Space Race.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Agency established in 1947 for intelligence gathering and covert operations.

Korean War

Conflict between North Korea and South Korea, marking the first application of containment.

Suez Crisis

Conflict over the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt.

U-2 Incident

The shooting down of a U.S. spy plane over Soviet airspace, escalating Cold War tensions.

Bay of Pigs

A failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba, bringing the world close to nuclear war.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

1963 treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

Vietnam War

Prolonged conflict in Vietnam between communist North and U.S.-backed South.

Vietnamization

Nixon's strategy to withdraw U.S. troops while training South Vietnamese forces.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Resolution that escalated U.S. military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Tet Offensive

A major attack by North Vietnam that undermined U.S. claims of progress in the war.

My Lai Massacre

The killing of hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers.

Paris Peace Accords

Agreements to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

John Foster Dulles

Eisenhower's Secretary of State known for his anti-communist policies.

Henry Kissinger

Key advisor under Nixon, known for his role in foreign policy and détente.

Viet Minh

A communist-led movement in Vietnam seeking independence from foreign rule.

Viet Cong

Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam fighting against U.S. forces.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of North Vietnam and symbol of Vietnamese resistance.

Fair Deal

Truman's domestic policy agenda aimed at extending New Deal programs.

Taft-Hartley Act

1947 act limiting the power of labor unions.

G.I. Bill

Legislation providing benefits to WWII veterans.

McCarthyism

The anti-communist hysteria led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Alger Hiss

Former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy.

Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, executed for espionage regarding atomic secrets.

Modern Republicanism

Eisenhower's blend of conservative fiscal policies and moderate social programs.

Military-Industrial Complex

The influence of defense contractors and military interests on government policies.

Interstate Highway Act

1956 act funding the construction of a nationwide highway network.

Desegregation of Armed Forces

Truman's order ending racial segregation in the military.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case declaring school segregation unconstitutional.

Thurgood Marshall

The first African American Supreme Court Justice.

Little Rock Crisis

Federal intervention in Arkansas to enforce school desegregation.

Baby Boom

Post-WWII population surge contributing to demographic changes.

Dixiecrats

Southern Democrats who opposed civil rights legislation.

Civil Rights Acts

Legislation aimed at ending segregation and discrimination.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, influential in civil rights activism.

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, focused on nonviolent civil rights protests.

Sit-Ins

Nonviolent protests at segregated lunch counters.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader advocating for Black empowerment and self-defense.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited discrimination in voting and empowered federal oversight.

Warren Court

Supreme Court known for expanding civil rights and liberties.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Supreme Court case guaranteeing the right to legal counsel.

Miranda v. Arizona

Case requiring police to inform suspects of their rights.

New Frontier

Kennedy's agenda focusing on social progress and global engagement.

Great Society

Johnson's program aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

McCarran Act

Act requiring communist organizations to register with the government.

Immigration Act of 1965

Abolished national origins quota system for immigration.

Students for a Democratic Society

1960s activist group advocating for social change.

Hippies

1960s counterculture embracing peace, love, and communal living.

Chicago Democratic Convention

1968 event marked by violent clashes over the Vietnam War.

Kent State Massacre

1970 shooting of anti-war protesters by National Guardsmen.

New Federalism

Nixon's policy decentralizing federal power to state and local governments.

Environmental Protection Agency

Agency established to address pollution and protect the environment.

Race Riots

Violent uprisings in urban areas during the 1960s highlighting racial tensions.

Head Start

Program providing early childhood education for low-income families.

NOW

National Organization for Women, advocating for gender equality.

Equal Rights Amendment

Proposed amendment to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex.

Roe v. Wade

1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

Richard M. Nixon

37th President, involved in détente and the Watergate scandal.

CREEP

Committee to Re-Elect the President, involved in illegal campaign activities.

Impeachment of Nixon

Nixon's resignation amid the Watergate scandal before impeachment process completion.

1980 Olympic Boycott

U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics protesting Soviet actions.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by Jimmy Carter.

Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill)

Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, this act, also known as the GI Bill, provided veterans of the Second World War funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing

baby boom

A cohort of individuals born in the Unite States between 1946 and 1964, which was just after World War 2 in a time of relative peace and prosperity

suburban growth

Low interest rates on mortgages that were government-insured and tax deductible made the move from the city to the suburb affordable for almost any family. In a single generation the majority of middle-class Americans became suburbanites

Levittown

Four large suburban developments created in the U.S. featuring large numbers of similar houses that were built easily and quickly, allowing rapid recovery of costs

Sunbelt

VA to FL, extending to CA; saw a large population increase after WWII and rise of key industries

Employment Act of 1946

Enacted by Truman, it committed the federal government to ensuring economic growth and established the Council of Economic Advisers

inflation

A general and progressive increase in prices

Committee on Civil Rights

Truman bypassed the southern Democrats in key seats in Congress and established this committee to challenge racial discrimination in 1946

Executive Order 9981

Establishes equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services for people of all race, religions, or national origins

22nd Amendment

Amendment that created a 2 term limit on presidents

Taft-Hartley Act

Act that provides balance of power between union and management by designating certain union activities as unfair labor practices; also known as Labor-Management Relations Act

Dixiecrats

southern Democrats who opposed Truman's position on civil rights. They caused a split in the Democratic party.

Strom Thurmond

Democratic governor of South Carolina who headed the State's Rights Party (Dixiecrat); he ran for president in 1948 against Truman and his mild civil rights proposals and eventually joined the Republican Party

Fair Deal

Truman's extension of the New Deal that increased min wage, expanded Social Security, and constructed low-income housing

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years

Soviet Union

A Communist nation, consisting of Russia and 14 other states, that existed from 1922 to 1991

Joseph Stalin

Communist dictator of the Soviet Union

Security Council

Five permanent members( US, UK, France, China, USSR) with veto power in the UN. Promised to carry out UN decisions with their own forces

World Bank

a United Nations agency created to assist developing nations by loans guaranteed by member governments

satellite states

Eastern European states under the control of the Soviet Union during the Cold War

Iron Curtain

A political barrier that isolated the peoples of Eastern Europe after WWII, restricting their ability to travel outside the region

Winston Churchill

A noted British statesman who led Britain throughout most of World War II and along with Roosevelt planned many allied campaigns

George Kennan

He was an American diplomat and ambassador best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War