APUSH 8.2-8.3

LTHS

Cold War

A geopolitical and ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991, marked by political tension, military competition, and economic rivalry without direct military confrontation.

Soviet Union

A communist state officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) that existed from 1922 to 1991, led by the Communist Party.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, known for expanding communist influence in Eastern Europe.

United Nations

An international organization established in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations.

Satellites

Eastern European countries under Soviet influence during the Cold War, including Poland, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister who coined the term 'Iron Curtain' to describe the division between the West and Soviet-controlled East.

Iron Curtain

A symbolic division between the communist-controlled East and the democratic West in Europe during the Cold War.

Containment Policy

A US strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism by providing support to countries resisting Soviet influence.

George Marshall

US Secretary of State who developed the Marshall Plan for European recovery after World War II.

Truman Doctrine

A US policy announced in 1947 to provide military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism.

Marshall Plan

A US economic aid program that provided over $12 billion to rebuild European economies after World War II.

Berlin Airlift

A US and Allied operation in 1948-1949 that supplied West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked access.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the US, Canada, and Western European nations.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states.

National Security Act

A 1947 law that restructured the US military and intelligence agencies.

Arms Race

A Cold War competition between the US and the Soviet Union to develop nuclear weapons.

Douglas MacArthur

A US general who led UN forces in the Korean War.

Mao Zedong

The communist leader of China who established the People's Republic of China in 1949.

People's Republic of China

A communist nation founded in 1949 after Mao's victory in the Chinese Civil War.

38th Parallel

The dividing line between North and South Korea before and after the Korean War.

Korean War

A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea and South Korea, ending in a stalemate.

John Foster Dulles

US Secretary of State under Eisenhower who promoted anti-communist policies.

Brinkmanship

A Cold War strategy of pushing dangerous situations to the brink of war.

Massive Retaliation

A US military policy emphasizing the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent.

Korean Armistice

The 1953 agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader after Stalin known for de-Stalinization and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

A US agency established in 1958 to oversee space exploration.

U-2 Incident

A 1960 event when a US spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.

Fidel Castro

The communist leader of Cuba who took power in 1959.

Military-Industrial Complex

A term warning of the close relationship between the military and defense industries.

Bay of Pigs

A failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by US-backed Cuban exiles.

Berlin Wall

A barrier built in 1961 to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

A 1963 agreement banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and underwater.

Flexible-Response Policy

A US military strategy under Kennedy that sought alternatives to nuclear war.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

A 1968 agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Henry Kissinger

A US diplomat known for his role in détente and negotiating arms control agreements.

Détente

A policy of easing Cold War tensions during the 1970s.

Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABMs)

Missiles designed to intercept incoming nuclear warheads.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)

Negotiations between the US and USSR to limit nuclear weapons.

Loyalty Review Board

A government agency established in 1947 to investigate federal employees for communist ties.

Dennis et al. v. United States

A 1951 Supreme Court case that upheld the conviction of Communist Party leaders.

Smith Act (1940)

A law making it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government.

McCarran Internal Security Act

A 1950 law requiring communist organizations to register with the government.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee that investigated suspected communist influences.

Alger Hiss

A former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

A couple convicted of espionage and executed for allegedly passing atomic secrets.

McCarthyism

A period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the US during the early 1950s.