Cold War I Key Terms

Cold War

The rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States that divided much of Europe into a Soviet-aligned Communist bloc and a U.S aligned capitalist bloc between 1945 and 1989. (EU communist east bloc, and democratic west bloc.)

denazification

Germany and Austria, procedures meant to identify and punish former Nazi Party members responsible for the worst crimes and eradicate National Socialist ideology from social and political institutions, set up by occupation authorities.

Nuremberg Trials

1945-1946, international military tribunal organized by the four allied powers that tried the highest-ranking Nazi military and civilian leaders who survived the war, charged them with war crimes and crimes against humanity. (12 sentenced to death ten more to lengthy prison terms.

Harry Truman

Succeeded Roosevelt, 33rd president, 1945-1953, was at Potsdam conference in July 1945, demanded immediate free elections throughout central and eastern EU. Wanted to stop expansion of communism, made Truman Doctrine to “contain” communism, aided anti-communist forces in Greek Civil war (1944-1949) and also helped turkey. Built up military and defense as part of policy of containment. Sent troops to Korea (Korean war) truce in 1953. (concealed information that US successfully tested its first atomic bomb at Potsdam conference.)

iron curtain

March 1946 Churchill informed American audience that it had fallen across the continent, dividing EU into two antagonistic camps. Describes divide between communist east EU and democratic west EU.

Truman Doctrine

America’s policy geared to containing communism to those countries already under Soviet Control. Promised the US would use diplomatic, economic, and even military means to resist the expansion of communism anywhere on the globe. First advocated by US diplomat George Kennan in 1946.

Containment

recognizing communism cannot be destroyed but that it must be prevented from spreading, Truman’s policy of keeping communism to areas already under communist governments not letting it spread. Implemented in the Truman doctrine. (ex. Greek Civil War, Soviet expansion in Turkey).

Marshall Plan

American plan (by secretary of state George C. Marshall) for providing economic aid to western EU to help it rebuild (economic and political stability would effectively block the appeal of communism)

COMECON

(Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) An economic organization of Communist states meant to help rebuild East Bloc countries under Soviet auspices. Yugoslavia not part of it.

FRG

Federal republic of Germany, West Germany, caused by breaking the Berlin blockade, aligned with US, 1949 after Berlin Crisis

GDR

German Democratic Republic, East Germany, caused by breaking the Berlin blockade, aligned with USSR, 1949 after Berlin Crisis

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an anti-Soviet military alliance of Western governments.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-backed military alliance of East Bloc Communist countries in EU, established 1955 after West Germany joins NATO. (military alliance of USSR and its Communist satellites.

Sputnik

first man-made satellite to orbit Eart, created by the Soviets and launched in 1957, gave the Soviets ICBC (intercontinental Ballistic capabilities).

Charles de Gaulle

dominant political figure in France post WWIII/Cold War era, pursued a policy of “national independence” asserting that France should not rely on other countries for security and prosperity, opposed supranational EU and promoted French nationalism. Reelected into office 1958?, romantic nationalist.

Cominform

communist information bureau, established by soviets, international organization dedicated to maintaining Russian control over Communist parties abroad.

Josip Tito

1892-1980, Yugoslavia’s communist leader, active in the anti-Nazi resistance, successfully resisted a Soviet domination and established an independent Communist state, remained outside the Soviet bloc and was a one-party multiethnic state until it began to break apart in 1991. Communist dictator.

Nikita Khrushchev

1894-1971, joined party as coal miner in 1918, reformer dictator who succeeded Stalin, de-Stalinization (initial law), Warsaw pact, Hungarian revolt, U-2 incident and Cuban missile crisis, berlin wall construction, called for relaxation of tension with the west, peaceful coexistence with capitalism was possible war was not inevitable

de-Stalinization

The liberalization of the post-Stalin Soviet Union led by reformer Nikita Khrushchev.

Kitchen Debate

debate between Khrushchev and Vice President Nixon in 1959 about which political system, communism or capitalism provided a better lifestyle.

Boris Pasternak

Russian author (1890-1960), wrote Doctor Zhivago in 1957 (did not appear in USSR until 1988) takes place between Russian revolution of 1905 and WWI and criticized socialism in Russia, awarded Nobel prize in 1958 but had to decline because the Soviets were upset but was later received by descendants in 1988. Challenged communism. (about a poet who rejects the violence and brutality of October revolution of 1917 and the Stalinist years)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

1918-2008, wrote One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, published in USSR 1962, portrays life in a soviet labor camps, he was also unjustly condemned to a labor camp, also wrote Gulag archipelago (also got Nobel peace prize for literature but did not receive until 1991 after collapse of USSR).

satellite states

central and eastern EU, included Eastern Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria. Were not part of USSR but under heavy soviet influence. Formally independent countries under heavy political, economic or military influence/control from another country.

John F. Kennedy

35th president, 1961-1963, insisted that US would never abandon Berlin but did not help to prevent the construction of the berlin wall. US discovered nuclear missiles that Khrushchev ordered in Cuba and countered with a naval blockade which got the missiles removed, also secretly promised to remove US nuclear missiles from turkey.

Fidel Castro

Communist dictator of Spain and leader of communist Cuba who replaced Francisco Franco

Leonid Brezhnev

1906-1982, reinstitutes Stalinist control, Czech revolt, détente with the west, invasion of Afghanistan ends détente, coup over Khrushchev, decreases liberalization, increases tension.