APUSH Vocabulary Period 8

Soviet Union

a communist superpower that rivaled the u.s. after world war ii and led the eastern bloc during the cold war

Security Council

a key united nations body responsible for maintaining international peace, including permanent members with veto power

Satellite States

nations in eastern europe that were politically and economically controlled by a larger communist power after wwii

Iron Curtain

a term describing the ideological and physical division between eastern communist and western democratic europe

George F. Kennan

diplomat who proposed limiting the spread of communism through strategic resistance

Containment Policy

u.s. strategy aimed at preventing further expansion of communist influence globally

Truman Doctrine

policy providing aid to countries resisting communist pressure, especially in greece and turkey

George C. Marshall

u.s. official who proposed economic aid to rebuild european nations after wwii

Marshall Plan

large-scale program providing financial assistance to western europe to prevent economic collapse and communism

Berlin Airlift

effort by western allies to supply a blockaded west berlin through air routes

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

military alliance formed by western nations for mutual defense against aggression

Warsaw Pact

military alliance of communist nations in eastern europe formed in response to nato

National Security Act

law reorganizing the military and creating key defense agencies during the early cold war

Douglas MacArthur (Japan)

military leader who oversaw postwar reconstruction and democratization of japan

Mao Zedong

communist leader who established a new government in china after a civil war

Korean War

conflict between north and south korea involving major cold war powers, ending without clear victory

38th Parallel

dividing line separating north and south korea before and after the war

Stalemate

situation where opposing forces reach a standstill with no decisive winner

Brinkmanship

strategy of pushing dangerous events to the edge of conflict to force concessions

“Spirit of Geneva”

brief period of improved relations between cold war powers in the mid-1950s

Nikita Khrushchev

soviet leader who promoted limited reform and engaged in major cold war confrontations

Sputnik

first artificial satellite launched, intensifying competition in science and technology

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

u.s. agency created to lead space exploration efforts

U-2 Incident

crisis caused by the downing of an american spy plane over soviet territory

Cuba

island nation that became aligned with a communist government close to the united states

Fidel Castro

revolutionary leader who established a communist regime in cuba

military-industrial complex

relationship between defense industries and government that can influence policy decisions

Berlin Wall

barrier constructed to prevent movement between east and west in a divided city

Bay of Pigs

failed invasion attempt to overthrow a nearby communist government

Cuban Missile Crisis

tense confrontation over nuclear weapons placement that nearly led to war

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

agreement limiting nuclear weapons testing to reduce global tensions

John F Kennedy

u.s. president during key cold war events including a major nuclear standoff

Lyndon B. Johnson

president who expanded social programs and increased involvement in vietnam

Non-Proliferation Treaty

agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons

Henry Kissinger

advisor known for shaping foreign policy through negotiation and diplomacy

Détente

period of reduced tensions between major cold war rivals

Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I)

negotiations to limit nuclear weapons between superpowers

Soviet-Afghan War

conflict that strained a major communist nation’s resources and global standing

McCarran Internal Security Act

law requiring communist organizations to register with the government

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

group that investigated suspected disloyalty and subversion

Alger Hiss

government official accused of espionage during heightened anti-communist fears

Julius Rosenberg

individual convicted of passing atomic secrets to a rival nation

Joseph R. McCarthy

senator who made widespread accusations of communist infiltration

McCarthyism

practice of making unproven accusations of disloyalty during the cold war

Second Red Scare

period of intense fear of communism influencing politics and society

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (or GI Bill of Rights)

law providing education and housing benefits to returning veterans

Baby Boom

significant rise in birth rates following world war ii

Levittown

mass-produced suburban community symbolizing postwar housing trends

Sun Belt

region in the southern and western u.s. experiencing population growth after wwii

22nd Amendment

constitutional change limiting presidents to two terms

Fair Deal

domestic program proposing economic and social reforms after wwii

Dwight D. Eisenhower

president who emphasized stability, infrastructure, and containment

Interstate Highway Act

law funding a nationwide network of highways for defense and travel

New Frontier

set of proposals aimed at economic growth and social progress in the early 1960s

Great Society

ambitious set of programs to reduce poverty and expand civil rights

New Federalism

approach shifting some federal power back to states

Richard Nixon

president associated with foreign policy changes and a major political scandal

Stagflation

economic condition combining high inflation and unemployment

Rock and roll

music genre that became a major cultural influence among youth

Beatniks

group that rejected mainstream values through artistic and intellectual expression

Kennedy Assassination

killing of a president that shocked the nation in the early 1960s

Warren Commission

group formed to investigate the circumstances of that assassination

Committee on Civil Rights

group that examined racial inequality and recommended reforms

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

organization advocating for legal equality and civil rights

Jackie Robinson

athlete who broke racial barriers in professional sports

Brown v. Board of Education

court ruling declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional

Thurgood Marshall

lawyer who argued key civil rights cases and later served on the supreme court

Earl Warren

chief justice under whom major civil rights decisions were made

desegregation

process of ending separation based on race in public facilities

Little Rock Nine

group of students who integrated a previously segregated high school

Rosa Parks

activist whose refusal to give up her seat sparked a major protest movement

Montgomery Bus Boycott

organized protest against segregation in public transportation

Emmitt Till

teenager whose murder drew national attention to racial violence

Martin Luther King Jr.

leader who promoted nonviolent protest for civil rights

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

organization that coordinated nonviolent protests in the south

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

group led by young activists organizing direct-action protests

Covert action

secret operations used to influence foreign governments or events

Suez Canal

strategic waterway that became the focus of an international crisis

Eisenhower Doctrine

policy promising aid to nations resisting communism in the middle east

Organization of Petroleum Exporting (OPEC)

group controlling oil production and prices among member countries

Yom Kippur War

conflict in the middle east that triggered global economic consequences

Oil Embargo

restriction on oil exports used to influence political outcomes

Camp David Accords

agreement bringing partial peace between two middle eastern nations

Iran Hostage Crisis

situation where americans were held captive during a revolution abroad

The Peace Corps

program sending volunteers overseas to provide assistance and promote goodwill

Panama Canal

important waterway whose control was transferred through a treaty

Vietnam War

prolonged conflict involving u.s. efforts to prevent communist control in southeast asia

Domino theory

belief that one nation falling to communism would cause others to follow

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

measure giving the president authority to expand military action

Credibility gap

public distrust arising from differences between official statements and reality

Hawks vs Doves

opposing groups favoring aggressive military action versus peaceful solutions

Tet Offensive

large-scale attack that shifted public opinion about the war

Vietnamization

policy of transferring combat roles to local forces while reducing u.s. troops

Kent State Massacre

deadly confrontation between protesters and national guard forces

My Lai Massacre

incident where civilians were killed, increasing opposition to the war

Pentagon Papers

leaked documents revealing government actions during the war

Paris Accords

agreement intended to end u.s. involvement in the conflict

War Powers Act

law limiting the president’s ability to commit troops without approval

Fall of Saigon

event marking the end of the conflict and unification under communist control

Ho Chi Minh

leader of nationalist and communist forces in vietnam