The Cold War

Post War Economic Boom

Period after WWII when the American economy significantly increased, controlling 50% of the world’s wealth.

Yalta Conference

A meeting in Feb. 1945 between Churchill, FDR, and Stalin to discuss the reorganization of post-war Europe.

Soviet Satellite Nations

Countries that fell under Soviet influence and spread Communist dictatorship after WWII.

Containment

U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism by building alliances with threatened nations.

Truman Doctrine

Policy to provide military and economic assistance to countries resisting communism, notably Turkey and Greece.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program providing $13 billion to rebuild European nations after WWII in order to prevent communism.

Berlin Airlift

Operation in which cargo planes delivered supplies to West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also fall.

Iron Curtain

Symbolic division between Western democratic nations and Eastern communist countries in Europe.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea from 1950-1953, involving U.N. and U.S. forces.

General MacArthur

U.S. General who led troops during the Korean War and was later fired for insubordination.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 among Western nations.

Potsdam Conference

Meeting in 1945 where Allied leaders finalized plans for post-war Germany.

Chinese Civil War

Conflict between the Communist government led by Mao Zedong and the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-Shek.

Atomic Bomb Test

The Soviet Union's successful test of an atomic bomb in August 1949, changing the balance of power.

38th Parallel

The latitude line that divided North and South Korea.

Post-War Reconstruction

Efforts made to rebuild and stabilize war-torn countries after WWII.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States after WWII.

Nuclear Arms Race

Competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to develop more powerful nuclear weapons.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper evidence, especially during the early Cold War.

Space Race

The competition between the U.S. and the USSR for supremacy in space exploration.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation in 1962 over Soviet missiles in Cuba, bringing the U.S. and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A 1964 resolution passed by Congress granting President Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement and communist government, known for his resistance against French colonial rule.

Détente

A period of relaxed tensions and improved relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the 1970s.

Berlin Wall

A barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 until its fall in 1989, symbolizing the Cold War division.