AP World History Unit 8 Vocab

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards to aid in the study of Cold War and Decolonization concepts from 1900 to present.

38th Parallel

The line that separated Soviet occupied North Korea and US occupied South Korea.

Ahmed Ben Bella

An Algerian socialist soldier and revolutionary who was the first President of Algeria from 1963 to 1965.

Agent Orange

An herbicide used mainly by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to defoliate trees.

Alexander Dubcek

Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia who attempted to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring.

Alger Hiss

A State Department official accused of passing secrets to the Soviet Union during the 1930s.

Algerian Civil War

War between the Algerian government and Islamist rebel groups from 1991 to 2002.

Algerian War for Independence

War fought from 1954-1962 for Algerian independence from France.

Al-Qaeda

Originally founded to fight off the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

African National Congress (ANC)

The Republic of South Africa's governing social democratic party.

Angolan Civil War

A major civil war in Angola that began after independence in 1975 and ended in 2002.

Augusto Pinochet

Deposed Salvador Allende in a coup and became President of Chile.

Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA)

Organization founded in 1959 that sought independence for the Basque region in northern Spain.

Benazir Bhutto

First female leader of a majority Muslim country; elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988.

Berlin Airlift

Effort by the US and Britain to ship 2.3 million tons of supplies to Berlin residents in response to a Soviet blockade.

Berlin Wall

Wall built in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany.

Biafran Civil War

Nigerian civil war that began in 1967 when Igbos tried to secede from the government.

Big Three

Great Britain, United States, and Soviet Union.

Brezhnev Doctrine

Stated that the Soviet Union and its allies would intervene if an action by one member threatened others.

Brinkmanship

A policy of responding to enemy aggression with the threat of war.

Camp David Accords

A peace agreement between Israel and Egypt that was rejected by Palestinians and Arab states in 1979.

Charles de Gaulle

French president who expanded presidential power and sought French and Algerian approval for independence.

Cold War

A conflict without direct military confrontation between rival states.

Communes

Groups of people living together sharing possessions and responsibilities.

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

Soviet plan to rebuild Eastern Europe without participating in the Marshall Plan.

Containment

A policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation between the US and Soviet Union after missiles were discovered in Cuba.

Cultural Revolution

Mao's attempt in 1966 to reinvigorate China's commitment to communism.

Détente

A relaxation of strained relations by communication.

Domino Theory

The concept that one nation's fall to communism would lead neighboring nations to do the same.

Douglas MacArthur

US commander of UN military forces supporting South Korea during the Korean War.

Fatah Faction

One of the two Palestinian factions that controlled the West Bank.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

General who overthrew the king and established the Republic of Egypt.

Glasnost

Policy of opening up Soviet society and allowing more freedoms.

Great Leap Forward

Mao Zedong's economic policy introduced in 1958 that resulted in economic disaster.

Hamas Faction

One of the Palestinian factions that controlled Gaza.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam opposing French occupation.

Hydrogen Bomb

A bomb developed by the US and Soviet Union, more powerful than the atomic bomb.

Imre Nagy

Hungarian leader who declared freedom from Soviet control and supported free elections.

Indian National Congress

Political party founded in 1885 to demand greater Indian participation in government.

Indira Gandhi

Only child of Jawaharlal Nehru who became India's PM after her father's death in 1966.

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)

A 1987 treaty between the US and Soviet Union restricting nuclear weapons.

Irish Republican Army (IRA)

Established in 1919 to stop British rule in Northern Ireland.

Iron Curtain

A political barrier that isolated Eastern Europe after World War II.

Julius Nyerere

First president of Tanzania who instituted African socialist ideas.

Kashmir

Border region causing tension between India and Pakistan.

Kent State University

Site of an anti-war demonstration where four students were killed.

Khmer Rouge

Communist guerilla organization in Cambodia led by Pol Pot.

Korean War

Conflict from 1950-1953 when North Korea invaded South Korea.

Kwame Nkrumah

First president of independent Ghana who took office in 1960.

Land Reform

Changes in laws or customs regarding land ownership.

Mao Zedong

Declared the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Marshall Plan

Offered $12 billion to European countries for economic recovery after WWII.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Prominent civil rights leader in the US during the 1950s and 1960s.

Mengistu Haile Mariam

Ethiopian head of state who attempted to establish a communist state.

Metropole

Large city of a former colonial ruler.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet statesman who introduced major reforms and ended the Cold War.

Military-industrial Complex

Alliance between a government and defense contractors.

Muslim League

Political organization advocating for a separate nation for Indian Muslims.

Nelson Mandela

Lawyer who led resistance to apartheid in South Africa.

Nikita Khrushchev

Led de-Stalinization and argued for innovations in Soviet policy.

Non-Aligned Movement

Group of countries that vowed to remain neutral during the Cold War.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Alliance of Western countries for mutual defense.

One-party State

State where only one political party can form the government.

Organization of African Unity (OAU)

Founded in 1963 to protect African sovereignty.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

Political movement formed in 1964 to create an independent Palestinian state.

Perestroika

Attempts to restructure the Soviet economy toward free enterprise.

Potsdam Conference

Meeting of the leaders of the US, Britain, and Soviet Union in July 1945.

Prague Spring

Period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia.

Proxy War

Conflict where a major power influences others without direct involvement.

Quiet Revolution

Period of socio-political change in Quebec after 1960.

Red Guards

Groups of students ordered by Mao to seize government officials and others.

Ronald Reagan

US president during the Cold War.

Salvador Allende

President of Chile overthrown in 1973 with US support.

Sandinista-Contras Conflict

Proxy conflict in Nicaragua with US-backed Contras.

Satellite Countries

Small states dependent on larger powers.

Self-determination

The principle that nations should choose their own governments.

Shining Path

Revolutionary organization in Peru based on Maoist ideas.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

First female prime minister of Sri Lanka, took office in 1960.

Six-Day War

War in 1967 where Israel gained territory from its neighbors.

Space Race

Competition of space exploration between the US and Soviet Union.

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)

Negotiations aimed at curbing strategic missile production.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Missile defense system proposed to protect against Soviet attacks.

Suez Crisis

Attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel after nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Sukarno

Leader of Indonesia's struggle for independence from the Netherlands.

Tehran Conference

1943 meeting where Big Three planned post-war strategies.

Truman Doctrine

1947 speech outlining US measures to counter communism.

Ulster Defense Association

Protestant group opposing the IRA in Northern Ireland.

United Nations

Established in 1945 to promote world peace and cooperation.

Viet Cong

Name for the communist guerrilla movement in southern Vietnam.

World Revolution

Belief that workers would overthrow capitalism globally.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet response to NATO including Eastern European states.

White Revolution

Reforms resulting in modernization of Iran from 1960-1963.

Wladyslaw Gomulka

Polish Communist Party leader who pursued an independent policy.

Yalta Conference

1945 meeting between the Big Three to discuss post-war plans.

Yom Kippur War

1973 war with Egypt and Syria that was repelled by Israel.