HIST 2340 final

World-Systems Theory

Interpretation of U.S. foreign policy situating the United States as the **core** of a global capitalist system centered in Western Europe and North America; applied broadly to U.S. expansion and Cold War dominance (McCormick).

National Security State

Post-WWII U.S. governing structure centered in Washington, DC, emphasizing permanent military readiness, intelligence agencies, and global deployments, especially in Europe and Asia.

Myth of America

Hixson’s framework explaining how U.S. wars in Latin America, Asia, and Europe were justified through **exceptionalism, Christianity, race, and gender**, marginalizing dissent at home.

Bureaucratic Politics Model

Approach showing how U.S. foreign policy decisions—such as during the Cuban Missile Crisis—were shaped by inter-agency conflict within the U.S. government rather than unified strategy.

George F. Kennan

U.S. diplomat stationed in Moscow whose ideas shaped early Cold War policy toward the **Soviet Union and Eastern Europe**, especially containment.

Containment

U.S. strategy applied globally—initially in **Europe (1947)** and later in **Asia and the Middle East**—to block the expansion of Soviet and communist influence.

Proclamation of Neutrality (1914)

Woodrow Wilson’s declaration aimed at keeping the United States out of **World War I in Europe**, asserting moral distance from European conflict.

Lusitania

German submarine attack in the **North Atlantic (1915)** that killed American civilians and intensified U.S. hostility toward Germany.

Sussex Pledge

German naval pledge (1916) affecting the **Atlantic maritime war**, temporarily easing tensions with the United States.

Zimmermann Telegram

German diplomatic message sent to **Mexico (1917)** proposing an alliance against the U.S., accelerating American entry into WWI.

Preparedness Movement

U.S. domestic campaign (1914–1917) arguing military weakness endangered American security in a global war centered in Europe.

Wilsonianism

Foreign policy ideology applied globally after WWI, particularly in **Europe and former colonies**, promoting democracy, open markets, and moral leadership.

Fourteen Points

Wilson’s peace framework presented in **Europe (1918)** addressing postwar borders, self-determination, and international organization.

League of Nations

International organization based in **Geneva**, created to manage European security after WWI but weakened by U.S. absence.

Independent Internationalism

U.S. interwar approach active in **Europe, Asia, and Latin America**, combining engagement without binding alliances.

Open Door Policy

U.S. economic policy focused on **China and East Asia**, advocating equal trade access and opposing territorial partition.

Appeasement

European strategy toward **Nazi Germany** in the 1930s, centered on concessions in Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Grand Alliance

WWII military partnership between the **United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union**, coordinating strategy across Europe and Asia.

Second Front

Soviet demand for Western invasion of **France and Western Europe** to relieve pressure on the Eastern Front during WWII.

Atomic Diplomacy

U.S. use of nuclear weapons and secrecy to influence the **Soviet Union** and postwar negotiations, beginning in 1945.

Four Policemen

Roosevelt’s vision for postwar global order enforced by the **U.S., UK, USSR, and China**, spanning Europe and Asia.

Yalta Conference

1945 meeting in **Crimea** determining the occupation of Germany, Eastern Europe’s future, and UN structure.

Spheres of Influence

Post-WWII division of **Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and parts of Asia** into zones dominated by major powers.

Iron Curtain

Term describing the political and ideological divide across **Central and Eastern Europe** during the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy first applied in **Greece and Turkey (1947)** pledging aid to resist communist pressure.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic recovery program targeting **Western Europe (1948–1951)** to stabilize capitalism and block communism.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet effort to expel Western powers from **West Berlin (1948–1949)**; countered by U.S.-led airlift.

NATO

Military alliance formed to defend **Western Europe** against Soviet expansion, binding U.S. security to Europe.

NSC-68

U.S. policy document redefining Cold War strategy globally, justifying massive military buildup against the **Soviet Union**.

People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Communist state founded in **China (1949)** under Mao Zedong; initially excluded from U.S. diplomacy.

Defense Perimeter

Acheson’s Cold War concept outlining U.S. defense commitments across **Japan, the Philippines, and the Pacific**.

Korean War

Cold War conflict on the **Korean Peninsula (1950–1953)** testing U.S. containment in Asia.

38th Parallel

Geographic division separating **North Korea and South Korea**, established after WWII.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. commander in **East Asia** whose push to expand the Korean War led to dismissal.

Vietnamization

Nixon’s strategy in **South Vietnam** to transfer combat responsibility while withdrawing U.S. troops.

Domino Theory

Cold War belief applied to **Southeast Asia**, arguing communist victory in Vietnam would destabilize the region.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Congressional authorization enabling U.S. escalation in **Vietnam (1964)** without formal war declaration.

Tet Offensive

Major North Vietnamese offensive across **South Vietnam (1968)** undermining U.S. claims of victory.

Détente

Cold War easing of tensions between the **U.S. and USSR**, particularly through diplomacy in Europe and arms control.

SALT

U.S.–Soviet arms negotiations limiting nuclear weapons deployed in **Europe and intercontinental systems**.

Triangle Diplomacy

Nixon-Kissinger strategy balancing relations among the **U.S., China, and USSR** to gain leverage.

Shanghai Communiqué

1972 agreement redefining **U.S.–China relations**, especially regarding Taiwan.

Vietnam Syndrome

U.S. domestic reluctance toward foreign intervention following the **Vietnam War**.

Carter Doctrine

U.S. commitment to defend strategic interests in the **Persian Gulf** after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

Seizure of U.S. diplomats in **Tehran (1979–1981)** that crippled American diplomacy.

Reagan Doctrine

Global U.S. policy supporting anti-communist insurgents in **Latin America, Africa, and Asia**.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

U.S. missile defense proposal targeting Soviet nuclear capabilities, affecting arms talks in **Europe and the USSR**.

Iran-Contra Affair

Covert U.S. operation involving **Iran and Nicaragua**, revealing limits of post-Vietnam intervention.

Military-Industrial Complex

Eisenhower’s warning about the influence of defense industries on U.S. democracy, rooted in Cold War militarization.