Key Concepts from American History Lecture

These flashcards cover relevant vocabulary and concepts related to American history, particularly focusing on the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.

New Deal

A series of programs and reforms enacted by FDR to counter the Great Depression, though many argue it failed to end the depression.

Wartime Prosperity

An artificially induced state of economic growth during World War II due to high government demand and employment, not seen as sustainable.

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

A monetary measure of the market value of all final goods and services produced in a specific time, reflecting economic health.

Health Care Plans

Employer-provided health insurance that began emerging as a job benefit during World War II amid wage freezes.

Revenue Act of 1945

Legislation that cut income and corporate taxes, allowing businesses and consumers to keep more money for spending and investment.

Truman's Fair Deal

A proposal to continue and expand New Deal policies, which was ultimately rejected by Congress.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Western Powers led by the US and the Soviet Union, characterized by military rivalry and ideological conflict.

Iron Curtain

A metaphor used by Churchill to describe the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries following World War II.

Katyn Forest Massacre

The execution of Polish military leaders by the Stalin regime, concealed and later attributed to Nazi forces during WWII.

Third World

Countries not aligned with NATO (West) or the Communist Bloc (East) during the Cold War, often developing nations.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where major powers (like the US and the USSR) supported rival factions or nations, without direct military confrontation between them.

Espionage

The practice of spying, particularly prominent during the Cold War, as both sides sought to gain intelligence on each other.

Berlin Wall

A literal barrier erected in the 1960s dividing East and West Berlin, representing the physical and ideological division of Europe during the Cold War.