Untitled Flashcards Set

Containment

A U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism to new countries.

Iron Curtain

A term used by Winston Churchill to describe the political and military barrier between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

McCarthyism

The practice of accusing people of being communists without solid evidence, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism and communist infiltration in the U.S., especially after WWII.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to defend against the Soviet threat.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program that gave over $12 billion in aid to rebuild Western European economies after WWII.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated alleged disloyalty and communist activity.

Satellite State

A country that appears independent but is actually controlled politically and economically by another nation, especially the USSR.

Truman Doctrine

1947 U.S. policy to provide military and economic aid to countries resisting communism, especially Greece and Turkey.

Korean War

A war from 1950–1953 between communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea.

Espionage

The act of spying or using spies to gather secret information.

Totalitarianism

A government system where one party or leader has total control over all aspects of life.

Ideology

A system of beliefs or ideas.

Berlin Airlift

A year-long operation in which U.S. and British planes delivered food and supplies to West Berlin after the Soviets blocked land access.

Communism

A political and economic system where the government owns everything and wealth is shared equally (in theory).

Proxy War

A war where major powers support different sides but don’t fight each other directly.

Nuclear Proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons to more countries.

Détente

A period of relaxed tensions between the U.S. and USSR during the 1970s.

U-2 Incident

In 1960, a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union; the pilot was captured.

Civil Defense

Government programs to prepare civilians for possible nuclear attacks.