Unit 5 - Cold War Key Terms

Yalta Conference

The 1945 meeting between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin to plan postwar Europe; divided Germany, called for free elections in Eastern Europe, and created the United Nations.

Cold War

Long period of geopolitical and ideological rivalry (1945-1991) between the U.S. and the USSR, marked by nuclear arms race, proxy wars, and global tension.

Bretton Woods Conference

1944 Allied meeting establishing the IMF and World Bank to promote global economic stability and reconstruction.

United Nations

International peacekeeping organization formed in 1945 to replace the League of Nations and promote collective security.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-WWII war-crimes tribunals prosecuting top Nazi officials for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Berlin Airlift

1948-49 U.S. and British operation supplying West Berlin by air after the Soviet blockade; major early U.S. Cold War victory.

Iron Curtain Speech

1946 Churchill speech warning that a Soviet "iron curtain" had descended across Europe, urging Western resistance to communism.

Containment Doctrine

U.S. Cold War strategy (proposed by George Kennan) aimed at preventing the spread of communism through political and military pressure.

George Kennan

U.S. diplomat who authored the Long Telegram and developed the containment strategy guiding Cold War foreign policy.

Truman Doctrine

1947 U.S. policy pledging $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to resist communist influence.

Marshall Plan

1948 U.S. economic aid program providing over $12 billion to rebuild Western Europe and prevent communist expansion.

Palestine

Middle Eastern region where Israel was established in 1948, leading to long-term geopolitical tensions and U.S. involvement.

National Security Act

1947 law reorganizing U.S. defense: created Department of Defense, CIA, and National Security Council (NSC).

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

U.S. agency created by the National Security Act to gather intelligence and conduct covert foreign operations.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

1949 military alliance between U.S., Canada, and Western Europe; collective defense against Soviet aggression.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who won the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and established the People's Republic of China.

National Security Council Memorandum Number 68 (NSC-68)

1950 top-secret policy calling for massive U.S. military buildup to contain global communism.

Korean War

1950-53 conflict between communist North Korea (with China/USSR) and South Korea (with U.S./UN); ended in stalemate at the 38th parallel.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Congressional committee investigating suspected communist influence in government and Hollywood.

McCarthyism

Period of reckless communist accusations led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; resulted in fear, blacklists, and civil liberties violations.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

1954 televised hearings exposing McCarthy's abusive tactics, leading to his public downfall and Senate censure.

Executive Order 9981

1948 Truman order desegregating the U.S. military.

Taft-Hartley Act

1947 law limiting union power; banned certain strikes and required union leaders to swear they were not communists.

Operation Dixie

Failed CIO effort (post-WWII) to unionize Southern workers; defeated by anti-union sentiment and racism.

Employment Act of 1946

Law committing U.S. government to promote maximum employment and economic stability; created Council of Economic Advisers.

GI Bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act)

Provided WWII veterans with college tuition, job training, loans, and unemployment benefits; expanded middle class.

Dixiecrats

Southern Democrats who broke from the Democratic Party in 1948 over civil rights; nominated Strom Thurmond.

Fair Deal

Truman's domestic program aiming to expand New Deal reforms, including civil rights and national health insurance; partly blocked by Congress.

Sunbelt

Fast-growing postwar region from the South to Southwest, boosted by defense spending, industry, and air conditioning.

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing developments symbolizing affordable postwar suburban growth and conformity.

Baby Boom

Dramatic rise in U.S. birthrates from 1946-1964, shaping American demographics and culture.