I. Cold War Beginnings and Mao’s China

Cold War

Period of tension (1947–1991) between the United States and Soviet Union marked by rivalry without direct war.

Denazification

Process of removing Nazi influence from Germany after World War I

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy announced in 1947 to provide political, military, and economic support to countries resisting communism.

Iron Curtain

Term describing the political and ideological division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program (1948) to rebuild Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift

Operation (1948–1949) in which Western allies flew supplies into West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

NATO

Military alliance formed in 1949 for collective defense against the Soviet Union and communism.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-led military alliance formed in 1955 in response to NATO.

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to maintain peace and promote cooperation between countries.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who established the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and led the country until 1976.

Great Leap Forward

Economic campaign (1958–1962) aimed at rapidly industrializing China, which led to famine and millions of deaths.

Cultural Revolution

Movement (1966–1976) led by Mao to enforce communist ideology and remove opposition, causing social and political chaos.

Little Red Book

Collection of Mao’s sayings used to spread communist ideology during the Cultural Revolution.