The Cold War and Decolonization

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the Cold War and decolonization.

Cold War

A state of hostility between two states ideologically, primarily the US and Soviet Union.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gained independence from colonial powers after WWII.

Non-Aligned Movement

A group of states that decided not to align with either the USA or USSR during the Cold War.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where two opposing countries support combatants that serve their interests, but do not engage in direct conflict.

Arms Race

A competition between superpowers to accumulate the largest arsenal of weapons.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the USA and USSR over Soviet missiles placed in Cuba.

Collectivization

The process of consolidating individual landholdings into collective farms, practiced in the USSR and China.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign by the Chinese Communist Party aimed at rapidly industrializing China, leading to widespread famine.

Amritsar Massacre

A tragic event in 1919 where British troops killed hundreds of unarmed Indian civilians, leading to increased demands for independence.

Salt March

A nonviolent protest led by Gandhi in 1930 against the British salt monopoly in India.

Partition of India

The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, based on religious lines.

SALT 1

A strategic arms limitation treaty that was meant to limit the manufacture of nuclear weapons between the US and USSR.

Indira Gandhi

The first and only female Prime Minister of India, known for her centralizing policies and the Green Revolution.

Gorbachev's Policies

Reforms introduced in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to economic restructuring and reduced government control.

Militarization of Eastern Europe

The process through which Soviet influence expanded into Eastern European nations post-WWII through military presence and alliances.