AP World Cold War Terms

The Berlin Wall

A wall built by the German Democratic Republic to prevent their population from fleeing East Berlin, which was soviet controlled, to West Berlin. The wall created two zones in Berlin.

Winston Churchill

Announced the “iron curtain” speech in 1946. Known as a peacemaker between the East and West and wanted German unification based on neutrality.

Marshall Plan

A plan for America to aid Europe, in which the United States gave economic support to help rebuild European economies after the end of WWII in order to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism.

Warsaw Pact

A collective defense treaty established in 1955 by the Soviet Union along with seven other Soviet states in Europe to counter threat capitalist influence in Europe.

Wladislav Gomulka

A polish communist leader and politician who led Poland through the Cold War.

Deterrence

A strategy used to prevent aggression or a nuclear attack from the communist powers.

Truman Doctrine

Established by president Harry Truman stating the US would give economic, political, and military assistance to any country that was threatened by communism.

Geneva Summit

A meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland in 1985 between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss the arms race, in hopes of coming to the conclusion to decrease the use of nuclear weapons.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, created in 1949, made up of 32 countries from North America and Europe and provides protection to those territories against the Soviet Union.

Korean War

(1950-53) A war between North Korea and South Korea in which the United States along with other UN countries, fought on the side of the South Koreans while China fought on the side of the North Koreans.

Mao Zedong

A Chinese politician and military strategist who founded the Republic of China and led the Chinese communist party.

Geneva Accords

A peace agreement, established in 1954, that divided Vietnam into Communist controlled North Vietnam and noncommunist controlled South Vietnam.

Boris Pasternak

A Russian author who wrote “Dr. Dr. Zhivago” and “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, which both focused on the brutality of the Stalin era, as well as the concentration camps. The Soviet Union did not approve of these books and wouldn’t publish them.

Sputnik

The world's first satellite that was created by the Soviet Union in 1957 and was launched into space, marking the beginning of the space race.

German Federal Republic

Created in 1949 by Western Germany and reunified with Eastern Germany in 1990.

Nikola Kruschev

Served as premier and led the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He also negotiated with the US to decrease war tensions.

German Democratic Republic

Eastern Germany formed in 1949 and reunified with Western Germany in 1990.

Cuban Missile Crisis

In 1962, the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to annoy and threaten the United States.

Containment

A strategic policy initiated by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism after the end of WWII.

Berlin Blockade

In 1948, the Soviet Union attempted to limit the power of France, Europe, and the US, and prevent them from traveling to East Germany.

Nonproliferation treaty

An agreement signed in 1968 by many of the major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that stated they would cooperate in the spread of nuclear technology.