Cold War and Post-War International Relations: UN, NATO, and Eastern Europe

United Nations (U.N.)

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations, though often limited by superpower rivalry during the Cold War.

Veto power

The ability of permanent UN Security Council members to block resolutions, often used by the U.S. and USSR to prevent action against their interests.

Japanese Constitution of 1946

A U.S.-influenced constitution that established democracy in Japan and renounced war as a national policy.

Kim Il-sung (Kim)

Communist leader of North Korea who initiated the Korean War by invading South Korea in 1950.

Yalu River

A river marking the border between China and North Korea; its approach by UN forces triggered Chinese intervention in the Korean War.

Korean War

A conflict between North and South Korea that became a proxy war between communist and capitalist powers.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A UN statement outlining basic human rights and freedoms, reflecting democratic ideals during the Cold War.

Cold War

A period of political, military, and ideological tension between the United States and the Soviet Union from about 1945 to 1991.

Containment

A U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism around the world.

Iron Curtain

A term describing the ideological and physical boundary separating communist Eastern Europe from democratic Western Europe.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist states formed in response to NATO.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy promising support to nations resisting communism, marking the start of containment.

Berlin Blockade

A Soviet attempt to cut off West Berlin, countered by a U.S.-led airlift supplying the city.

Cominform

An organization that coordinated communist parties under Soviet control in Eastern Europe.

NATO

A Western military alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense against Soviet aggression.

Yuri Andropov

A Soviet leader who attempted limited reforms but maintained strict political control before Gorbachev.

Andrei Sakharov (Sakharov)

A physicist and dissident who criticized Soviet repression and advocated for human rights.

Glasnost

A policy under Gorbachev promoting openness, transparency, and freedom of expression in the Soviet Union.

Gulag

A system of forced labor camps used by the Soviet government to punish political prisoners.

The Gulag Archipelago

A book exposing the harsh realities of Soviet labor camps and repression.

Intermediate-range nuclear missile

A class of nuclear weapons capable of striking targets at medium distances, central to Cold War arms tensions in Europe.

Congress of People's Deputies

A reformed Soviet legislative body that introduced limited democratic representation under Gorbachev.

Perestroika

Gorbachev's policy aimed at restructuring and modernizing the Soviet economy.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Agreements between the U.S. and USSR to limit the production of nuclear weapons.

Dissidents

Individuals who opposed and criticized communist governments, often advocating for reform and human rights.

Władysław Gomułka (Gomułka)

A Polish communist leader who initially pursued reform but later enforced stricter control.

Edward Gierek (Gierek

A Polish leader who borrowed heavily to improve the economy but failed, leading to unrest.

Lech Wałęsa (Wałęsa)

Leader of the Solidarity movement who pushed for workers' rights and political reform in Poland.

Wojciech Jaruzelski (Jaruzelski)

A Polish leader who imposed martial law to suppress opposition movements like Solidarity.

Solidarity

An independent labor movement in Poland that challenged communist rule and inspired reform across Eastern Europe.

János Kádár (Kádár)

A Hungarian leader who introduced moderate economic reforms while maintaining communist control.

Honecker

East German communist leader (1971-1989) who upheld strict Soviet-style control and resisted reforms until mass protests forced his resignation.

Berlin Wall

Barrier built in 1961 by East Germany to stop emigration to the West, becoming the central symbol of Cold War division until its fall in 1989.

Charter ´77

Czech human rights movement formed in 1977 that criticized the communist government for failing to uphold civil liberties agreements.

Civil society

Sphere of voluntary organizations and social groups outside state control that can challenge authoritarian regimes and promote political change.

Velvet Revolution

Peaceful 1989 uprising in Czechoslovakia that led to the end of communist rule without violence.

Havel (Václav Havel)

Czech dissident playwright and leader of Charter 77 who became president after the Velvet Revolution.

Ceaușescu

Romanian communist dictator known for harsh repression and economic mismanagement, overthrown and executed in 1989.

Kohl

West German chancellor who played a key role in negotiating German reunification in 1990.

German Question

The issue of Germany's political status and borders, especially whether it should be unified or divided during and after the Cold War.

Federal Republic of Germany

West Germany (1949-1990), a democratic state aligned with the West during the Cold War.

Nagy

Hungarian reform communist leader who supported the 1956 uprising and was later executed by Soviet-backed authorities.