Unit 3: The Cold War

The Cold War

Truman Doctrine

A foundational foreign policy established by U.S. President Harry S. Truman in 1947, pledging that the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations perceived to be under threat from authoritarian forces, particularly those threatened by communist expansion. This policy was initially applied to aid Greece and Turkey to prevent them from falling under Soviet influence.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative, formally known as the European Recovery Program, proposed in June 1947. Its goal was to aid in the economic recovery of Western European countries devastated by World War II, providing approximately $13 billion (equivalent to over $150 billion in current dollars) to rebuild infrastructure and economies, thereby countering the appeal of communism by fostering stability and prosperity.

Containment

The formal U.S. foreign policy strategy, adopted during the Cold War, aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing geographic boundaries. Advocated prominently by diplomat George F. Kennan, this policy sought to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion using various means, including military, economic, and diplomatic pressure, without directly engaging in large-scale warfare.

Satellite States

A term used to describe the Eastern European nations that, after World War II, became economically, politically, and militarily dependent on the Soviet Union. These states, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany, served as a buffer zone for the USSR and had governments largely aligned with Soviet communist ideology and policies.

Berlin Airlift

A massive humanitarian operation conducted by the Western Allies (primarily the United States, United Kingdom, and France) from 1948 to 1949. This sustained effort supplied West Berlin by air for over 10 months after the Soviet Union imposed a land blockade on the city. It demonstrated Western resolve to resist Soviet pressure and maintain access to West Berlin.

Arms Race

A competition during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as their respective allies, to achieve superiority in the quantity and quality of military weaponry, particularly nuclear weapons. This intense rivalry involved developing larger, more destructive, and more numerous arsenals, fueled by technological advancements and mutual suspicion.

Warsaw Pact

Formally known as the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation, and Mutual Assistance, this was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, in May 1955. It was a military alliance formed by the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc communist states in Central and Eastern Europe as a direct counter to the formation of NATO.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance established in April 1949 by 12 founding member states including the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations. Its primary purpose during the Cold War was to provide collective security against the perceived threat of Soviet expansion, based on the principle of mutual defense, meaning an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Berlin Wall

A fortified barrier physically separating East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) with Soviet support, its official purpose was to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the 'will of the people,' but its main purpose was to stop the mass emigration and defections from East to West Germany.

Deterrence

A Cold War policy and military strategy centered on the idea that the possession of large arsenals of nuclear weapons by both the United States and the Soviet Union would prevent either side from launching a first strike. This concept, often summarized as 'mutually assured destruction' (MAD), suggested that any nuclear attack would result in the annihilation of both the attacker and the defender, thus preventing total war.

Proxy War

Conflicts during the Cold War where two major powers (the U.S. and the USSR) supported opposing sides in a conflict without directly confronting each other militarily. These wars were often fought in developing countries, with each superpower providing financial, logistical, and military aid to its respective client states or rebel groups, such as in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in Africa and Latin America.

38th Parallel

The pre-determined parallel of latitude that served as the initial boundary line dividing North Korea and South Korea. Established by the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, it became the de facto border between the two newly formed countries and the primary front line during the Korean War, remaining largely contested.

Korean War

A destructive conflict that began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, which was supported by the United States and other UN member states. The war was officially fought to prevent communist expansion and re-establish the border, and it concluded in July 1953 with an armistice that established a demilitarized zone near the original 38th Parallel, but no formal peace treaty was ever signed.

Bay of Pigs

A failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by a C.I.A.-sponsored paramilitary group of Cuban exiles in April 1961. The attempt was to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro. It resulted in a decisive defeat for the invaders and a significant embarrassment for the U.S. administration of President John F. Kennedy, strengthening Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day political and military confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet ballistic missiles on Cuba. This crisis brought the world closer to a nuclear war than at any other point during the Cold War, eventually resolved through negotiations resulting in the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and a secret agreement to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The fiercely anti-communist leader of South Vietnam from 1955 until his assassination in 1963. His authoritarian rule, perceived corruption, and repression of Buddhist protests alienated many South Vietnamese citizens. Despite U.S. support, his government struggled to gain popular legitimacy and effectively counter the Viet Cong insurgency, leading to declining U.S. confidence in his leadership.

Heavy Industry

An economic sector focused on the production of large, capital-intensive goods, such as steel, coal, machinery, and armaments. In the Soviet Union and other communist states, the development of heavy industry was a central priority in economic planning, exemplified by Five-Year Plans, often at the expense of consumer goods production, to build a strong industrial and military base.

Viet Cong

The informal name given to the National Liberation Front (NLF), a communist political organization and army in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought the United States and South Vietnamese governments during the Vietnam War. They primarily employed highly effective guerrilla warfare tactics, insurgency, and clandestine operations.

Vietminh

An alliance of communist and nationalist forces in Vietnam, formally known as the League for the Independence of Vietnam. Founded in 1941 and led by Ho Chi Minh, the Vietminh fought against Japanese occupation during World War II and then against French colonial rule during the First Indochina War, ultimately achieving Vietnamese independence after their victory at Dien Bien Phu.

Ho Chi Minh

A revolutionary Vietnamese communist leader who was the prime minister (1945–1955) and president (1945–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He was a key figure in the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and led the Vietminh independence movement, later guiding North Vietnam during the Vietnam War against the United States and South Vietnam.

Domino Theory

A Cold War geopolitical theory, predominantly advanced by the U.S., which posited that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would inevitably follow in a chain reaction, like a row of falling dominoes. This theory heavily influenced U.S. foreign policy and interventions in Southeast Asia, particularly concerning Vietnam.

Civil Rights Movement

A pivotal social and political movement in the United States from the 1950s to the 1960s, aimed at ending racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and securing equal rights under the law. It employed various strategies, including nonviolent protests, civil disobedience, and legal challenges, leading to landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Watergate

A major political scandal in the United States that unfolded from 1972 to 1974. It began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel complex, leading to revelations of illegal activities by President Richard Nixon's administration, including obstruction of justice and abuse of power. The scandal ultimately resulted in Nixon's resignation in August 1974, making him the only U.S. president to do so.

Student protests

Widespread demonstrations and activism by university students, particularly prominent in the late 1960s globally. In the U.S., these protests were largely focused on opposition to the Vietnam War, conscription (the draft), racial injustice, and demands for greater student rights and participation in university governance. Other protests in Europe and elsewhere challenged established social norms and political systems.

Consumer society

A societal trend that emerged in Western countries after World War II, characterized by a significant increase in the purchasing of goods and services by individuals, often beyond basic needs. Fueled by economic prosperity, rising real wages, mass production, and targeted advertising, this trend led to a culture where material possessions and consumption became central to identity and lifestyle, resembling the habits of a growing middle class.

Women’s liberation movement

A broad and diverse social movement from the late 1960s through the 1980s that sought to address systemic gender inequalities and advocate for women's rights across various spheres of life, including political, economic, personal, and social. It championed issues such as equal pay, reproductive rights, an end to sex discrimination, and challenging traditional gender roles, significantly impacting Western societies.

De-Stalinization

A process of political reform initiated by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. This campaign involved repudiating Stalin’s cult of personality, releasing political prisoners from gulags, loosening censorship, and decentralizing some economic decision-making, aiming to move away from the most oppressive and tyrannical aspects of Stalin's regime, though retaining the one-party communist system.

Dissidents

Individuals in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who openly voiced opposition to the government, its policies, or communist ideology. These individuals often faced severe repression, including imprisonment, forced psychiatric treatment, internal exile, or forced emigration, for challenging the state's authority and control over information and expression.

Detente

A period of reduced geopolitical tensions and improved diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred primarily during the 1970s. This era aimed to de-escalate the Cold War through arms control treaties (like SALT I and II), increased trade, cultural exchanges, and more open lines of communication, though underlying ideological conflicts persisted.

People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

The unified armed forces of the People's Republic of China, established in 1927. It originated as the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), initially formed by Mao Zedong, and played a crucial role in the Chinese Civil War, eventually defeating the Nationalist forces and establishing Communist rule in mainland China in 1949.

Mao Zedong

A Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which he governed as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1949 until his death in 1976. His Marxist-Leninist theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known as Maoism, profoundly shaping China's modern history and its social, political, and economic trajectory.

Little Red Book

Formally titled 'Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong,' this small, pocket-sized book was a collection of selected statements and writings by Mao Zedong. Published in 1964, it became a fundamental ideological text and a symbol of Mao's personality cult during the Cultural Revolution, with its teachings widely propagated and memorized by the Red Guards and the Chinese populace.

Five-Year Plans

Centralized economic development plans implemented in communist countries, most notably in the Soviet Union and China, to rapidly industrialize and collectivize agriculture. These plans set specific goals for industrial and agricultural output over a five-year period, often prioritizing heavy industry over consumer goods, aiming to transform the national economy through state control and directed investment.

Cultural Revolution

A sociopolitical movement in China from 1966 to 1976 launched by Mao Zedong, ostensibly to preserve 'true' Communist ideology in China by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. It involved mass mobilization of young Red Guards who attacked perceived enemies of the state, leading to widespread social upheaval, political purges, destruction of cultural heritage, and economic disruption.

Great Leap Forward

An aggressive economic and social campaign launched by Mao Zedong in China from 1958 to 1962. Its radical aim was to rapidly transform China from an agrarian economy into a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. It mandated the establishment of large agricultural communes and backyard furnaces for steel production, but ultimately led to catastrophic results, including widespread famine and millions of deaths.

Red Guards

A mass paramilitary social movement of young students and zealous revolutionaries in China, urged by Mao Zedong to carry out the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1968. They were instrumental in attacking traditional values, perceived bourgeois elements, and enemies of Mao, enforcing his will and contributing to significant social chaos, violence, and the destruction of cultural artifacts.

One Child Policy

A population control policy implemented by the Chinese government from 1979 to 2015. It generally restricted families to having only one child, though there were numerous exceptions for rural families, ethnic minorities, and other specific circumstances. The policy aimed to curb rapid population growth and alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems, but it also led to severe demographic imbalances and human rights concerns.

Tiananmen Square

A large city square in the center of Beijing, China, that became the site of massive pro-democracy protests in 1989. These demonstrations, primarily by students and intellectuals, called for greater political freedoms and reforms. The protests were violently suppressed by the Chinese government, employing military force against unarmed civilians, resulting in a significant number of casualties and widespread international condemnation.