International Relations and the Balance of Power Since 1945

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the interplay of world powers, the Cold War, bipolarity, crises, détente, decolonization, and early European integration from 1945 onward.

Superpower (Superpuissance)

An exceptionally dominant nation possessing immense economic, military, political, technological, and scientific power without equal in 1945, specifically referring to the United States and the USSR.

Collective Security (Sécurité collective)

An international principle holding that the security of one state is the concern of all states, requiring nations to work together collectively to maintain global peace.

United Nations (Organisation des Nations Unies - ONU)

An international body established in 1945 to promote collective security, international cooperation, and peace, though its actions were frequently paralyzed by US-Soviet rivalry.

Cold War (Guerre froide)

An indirect geopolitical, military, and ideological confrontation lasting from 1947 to 1991 between the two global superpowers—the United States (Western bloc) and the USSR (Eastern bloc)—and their allies.

Bipolarization (Bipolarisation)

The division of the post-1947 international order into two dominant opposing poles or spheres of influence (led respectively by the United States and the Soviet Union), which pressured countries to align with one side or the other.

Ideology (Idéologie)

The comprehensive set of beliefs, ideas, and values characteristic of an individual, group, or society at a given point in time that shapes their worldview and interpretation of society.

Liberal Democracy

The political model championed by the United States, centered on representative government, free and competitive elections, individual liberties, and freedom of expression.

Capitalism

The economic system advocated by the United States, based on private ownership of property, a free market economy, and an individualist consumer-driven society.

Communism

The socioeconomic and political system led by the USSR, aiming for a classless egalitarian society where banks and enterprises are state-owned, the economy is centrally planned, and political power is held by a single party.

Truman Doctrine

The foreign policy outlined by US President Harry Truman on March 12, 1947, framing world politics as a choice between freedom and oppression, and pledging US aid to free peoples resisting armed minorities or external communist pressure.

Jdanov Doctrine

The Soviet ideological stance articulated on September 22, 1947, by Andrei Jdanov, which divided the world into an imperialist, anti-democratic camp led by the US and an anti-imperialist, anti-fascist camp led by the USSR.

Propaganda (Propagande)

State-directed communication and persuasion techniques designed to convince populations of the righteousness of their cause, preserve morale, and discredit or dehumanize the adversary.

Imperialism (Impérialisme)

The policy or action by which a powerful state extends its authority, control, and domination over other territories and peoples.

Nuclear Deterrence (Dissuasion nucléaire)

The strategic reliance on nuclear arsenals as a deterrent to prevent direct military attack by ensuring catastrophic mutual destruction if a conflict begins.

NATO (OTAN)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a mutual military alliance formed in 1949 linking the United States and its Western allies (such as France, Great Britain, and Norway).

Warsaw Pact (Pacte de Varsovie)

The military mutual defense alliance established in 1955 between the Soviet Union and its Eastern European communist satellite states (including East Germany and Romania).

Marshall Plan (Plan Marshall)

The financial and economic aid package launched by the United States to rebuild Western European economies and solidify Western bloc cohesion after World War II.

Comecon

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, an economic organization and aid framework created by the USSR to coordinate and assist the economies of the Eastern bloc.

Iron Curtain (Rideau de fer)

The physical and ideological line of demarcation separating the Western, democratic European nations from the Soviet-controlled communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.

RFA (Federal Republic of Germany)

West Germany, created in 1949 from the Western occupation zones (United States, Great Britain, and France) as a capitalist, democratic state aligned with the Western bloc.

RDA (German Democratic Republic)

East Germany, formed in 1949 from the Soviet occupation zone as a communist state integrated into the Eastern bloc.

Berlin Wall (Mur de Berlin)

The physical barrier erected in August 1961 by the communist authorities to separate East and West Berlin, preventing East German citizens from fleeing to the West until its fall in 1989.

Berlin Blockade (Blocus de Berlin)

The 1948–1949 crisis in which the Soviet Union severed land and water routes into West Berlin, leading Western allies to organize an aerial resupply effort.

Cuban Missile Crisis (Crise des missiles de Cuba)

A major October 1962 confrontation sparked by the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba close to American shores, which brought both superpowers to the brink of nuclear war.

Proxy War (Guerre par États interposés)

An indirect armed conflict between the superpowers fought through third-party nations, such as the Korean War (1950–1953) and the Vietnam War (1955–1975).

Détente

A period of reduced diplomatic tension and increased mutual tolerance between the United States and the Soviet Union, initiated around 1962 in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Red Telephone (Téléphone rouge)

A direct communication hotline established between the White House and the Kremlin following the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis to prevent accidental nuclear escalation.

Helsinki Accords (Accords d'Helsinki)

A 1975 diplomatic agreement signed to promote European security, peaceful coexistence, state sovereignty, and mutual respect for human rights and democratic norms.

Decolonization (Décolonisation)

The historical process through which colonized nations gained national sovereignty, exemplified by the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 and Algeria in 1962.

Multipolar World (Monde multipolaire)

An international system characterized by the coexistence of multiple major powers or regional centers of influence (such as the European Union, China, and India) rather than dominance by two superpowers.

ECSC / CECA (European Coal and Steel Community)

A supranational organization founded in 1951 to pool coal and steel resources among Western European nations, serving as the first major step in European integration.

Treaty of Rome (Traité de Rome)

The 1957 foundational treaty signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg that created the European Economic Community (EEC / CEE).

Founding Fathers of Europe (Pères de l'Europe)

Key political leaders who initiated European integration after World War II to secure lasting peace and economic growth, notably Konrad Adenauer, Jean Monnet, and Paul-Henri Spaak.

Soviet Space Milestones (1957 & 1961)

Key technological and scientific achievements of the USSR, including the launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human in space in 1961.