USW Final Exam

containment

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism

domino theory

idea that if one nation fell to communism others nearby would follow

detente

period of reduced Cold War tensions in the 1970s

proxy war

conflict where major powers support opposing sides indirectly

partition

division of a region into separate political units

segregation

enforced separation of people by race

mccarthyism

1950s anti‑communist accusations without evidence

partition of india and pakistan

1947 division creating Hindu‑majority India and Muslim‑majority Pakistan

cold war

ideological conflict between the U.S. and USSR from 1947–1991

korean war

1950–53 war between communist North Korea and U.S.-backed South Korea

cuban missile crisis

1962 nuclear standoff between the U.S. and USSR over missiles in Cuba

civil rights movement

movement to end racial discrimination and secure equal rights

vietnam war

conflict where the U.S. supported South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam

indochina

region including Vietnam

north

communist-aligned northern region in Korea or Vietnam depending on context

south

U.S.-aligned southern region in Korea or Vietnam depending on context

draft

mandatory military service used during the Vietnam War

pentagon papers

leaked documents showing U.S. leaders misled the public about Vietnam

impact of chemical weapons

long-term health and environmental damage from agents like Agent Orange

iran

Middle Eastern nation shaped by monarchy

iran majority language and religion

Persian (Farsi) and Shia Islam

coup 1953

CIA-backed overthrow of Iran’s Prime Minister Mossadegh

revolution 1979

uprising that replaced the Shah with an Islamic Republic

current concerns and conflict (iran)

nuclear program

iraq

Middle Eastern nation shaped by dictatorship

iraq majority language and religion

Arabic and Shia Islam majority

gulf war

1991 U.S.-led effort to expel Iraq from Kuwait

2003 invasion

U.S. removal of Saddam Hussein leading to insurgency

war on terror

global U.S. campaign targeting terrorism after 9/11

9/11

2001 terrorist attacks by al‑Qaeda on U.S. targets

al qaeda

extremist group responsible for 9/11

isis

extremist group that formed from al‑Qaeda in Iraq and created a “caliphate”

hamas

Palestinian Islamist group governing Gaza

hezbollah

Shia militant and political group in Lebanon backed by Iran

1950s to 1980s key cultural characteristics

consumerism

1950s to 1980s key economic characteristics

postwar boom

key current events

globalization

key tv and film examples

works depicting Cold War or conflict themes like The Americans or Platoon

winston churchill

British prime minister who coined “Iron Curtain”

fidel castro

communist leader of Cuba

ho chi minh

leader of North Vietnam

ayatollah

title for Iran’s top Shia religious leaders including Khomeini

jfk

U.S. president during Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

jimmy carter

U.S. president known for Camp David Accords and Iran hostage crisis

bush

U.S. president during 9/11 and the 2003 Iraq invasion

ronald reagan

U.S. president who escalated and later eased Cold War tensions

osama bin laden

founder of al‑Qaeda

saddam hussein

dictator of Iraq removed in 2003

korea

region divided into communist North and U.S.-aligned South

china

major communist power and Cold War actor

vietnam

Southeast Asian nation shaped by colonialism and war

cuba

communist island allied with the USSR

iran (again)

Middle Eastern nation shaped by revolution and geopolitics

iraq (again)

nation involved in Gulf War and 2003 invasion

kuwait

small Gulf nation invaded by Iraq in 1990

afghanistan

site of Soviet invasion and later U.S. War on Terror

russia

successor state to the USSR

india

South Asian democracy with Hindu majority

pakistan

Muslim-majority nation created in 1947