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49 Terms
1
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.
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2
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.
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3
Joseph Stalin
Leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, known for expanding communist influence in Eastern Europe.
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4
United Nations
An international organization established in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations.
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5
Satellites
Eastern European countries under Soviet influence during the Cold War, including Poland, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia.
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6
Winston Churchill
The British Prime Minister who coined the term 'Iron Curtain' to describe the division between the West and Soviet-controlled East.
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7
Iron Curtain
A symbolic division between the communist-controlled East and the democratic West in Europe during the Cold War.
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8
Containment Policy
A US strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism by providing support to countries resisting Soviet influence.
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9
George Marshall
US Secretary of State who developed the Marshall Plan for European recovery after World War II.
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10
Truman Doctrine
A US policy announced in 1947 to provide military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism.
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11
Marshall Plan
A US economic aid program that provided over $12 billion to rebuild European economies after World War II.
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12
Berlin Airlift
A US and Allied operation in 1948-1949 that supplied West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked access.
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13
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
A military alliance formed in 1949 between the US, Canada, and Western European nations.
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14
Warsaw Pact
A military alliance formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states.
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15
National Security Act
A 1947 law that restructured the US military and intelligence agencies.
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16
Arms Race
A Cold War competition between the US and the Soviet Union to develop nuclear weapons.
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17
Douglas MacArthur
A US general who led UN forces in the Korean War.
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18
Mao Zedong
The communist leader of China who established the People's Republic of China in 1949.
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19
People's Republic of China
A communist nation founded in 1949 after Mao's victory in the Chinese Civil War.
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20
38th Parallel
The dividing line between North and South Korea before and after the Korean War.
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21
Korean War
A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea and South Korea, ending in a stalemate.
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22
John Foster Dulles
US Secretary of State under Eisenhower who promoted anti-communist policies.
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23
Brinkmanship
A Cold War strategy of pushing dangerous situations to the brink of war.
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24
Massive Retaliation
A US military policy emphasizing the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
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25
Korean Armistice
The 1953 agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War.
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26
Nikita Khrushchev
Soviet leader after Stalin known for de-Stalinization and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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27
Sputnik
The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
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28
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A US agency established in 1958 to oversee space exploration.
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29
U-2 Incident
A 1960 event when a US spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
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30
Fidel Castro
The communist leader of Cuba who took power in 1959.
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31
Military-Industrial Complex
A term warning of the close relationship between the military and defense industries.
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32
Bay of Pigs
A failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by US-backed Cuban exiles.
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33
Berlin Wall
A barrier built in 1961 to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin.
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34
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 1962 confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba.
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35
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
A 1963 agreement banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and underwater.
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36
Flexible-Response Policy
A US military strategy under Kennedy that sought alternatives to nuclear war.
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37
Non-Proliferation Treaty
A 1968 agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
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38
Henry Kissinger
A US diplomat known for his role in détente and negotiating arms control agreements.
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39
Détente
A policy of easing Cold War tensions during the 1970s.
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40
Anti-Ballistic Missiles (ABMs)
Missiles designed to intercept incoming nuclear warheads.
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41
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
Negotiations between the US and USSR to limit nuclear weapons.
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42
Loyalty Review Board
A government agency established in 1947 to investigate federal employees for communist ties.
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43
Dennis et al. v. United States
A 1951 Supreme Court case that upheld the conviction of Communist Party leaders.
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44
Smith Act (1940)
A law making it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government.
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45
McCarran Internal Security Act
A 1950 law requiring communist organizations to register with the government.
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46
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
A congressional committee that investigated suspected communist influences.
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47
Alger Hiss
A former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy.
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48
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
A couple convicted of espionage and executed for allegedly passing atomic secrets.
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49
McCarthyism
A period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the US during the early 1950s.
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