Cold War Vocab

Containment

A U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism beyond where it already existed.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe during the Cold War.

Long Telegram / George Kennan

A 1946 message explaining that the Soviet Union would try to expand communism and should be contained by the U.S.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting where Allied leaders planned the post

United Nations / Security Council

An international organization created to promote peace, with the Security Council responsible for maintaining global security.

Harry S. Truman Doctrine

A policy stating that the U.S. would support countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program that provided economic aid to rebuild Western Europe after World War II.

NATO

A military alliance of Western countries formed to defend against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries created in response to NATO.

NSC-68

A U.S. policy document that called for a major military buildup to confront the Soviet Union.

Korean War

A war between North Korea (communist) and South Korea (supported by the U.S. and UN).

House Un-American Activities Committee

A government group that investigated suspected communist influence in the U.S.

Joseph McCarthyism

A period of intense fear and accusations of communism in the U.S. during the early Cold War.

Truman’s Fair Deal

A set of domestic policies aimed at improving economic security and social welfare after WWII.

GI Bill

A law providing returning WWII veterans with benefits like education, housing, and loans.

Levittown

A mass-produced suburban community that symbolized postwar suburban growth.

Baby Boom

A large increase in birth rates in the United States after World War II.

Interstate Highway System

A nationwide network of highways built to improve transportation and national defense.

Sputnik

The first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, starting the space race.

National Defense Education Act

A law that increased funding for education, especially in science and math, after Sputnik.

Massive Retaliation

A policy of responding to aggression with overwhelming nuclear force.

Geneva Accords

Agreements that temporarily divided Vietnam into North and South after the First Indochina War.

Military Industrial Complex

The close relationship between the military, government, and defense industries.

Arms Race

A competition between countries to build more and stronger weapons, especially nuclear weapons.