Cold War

Cold War notecards

Cold War

A period of political tension and rivalry (1947–1991) between the USA and the Soviet Union without direct war

Denazification

The process of removing Nazi influence from Germany after World War II

Truman Doctorine

A US policy (1947) to stop the spread of communism by supporting countries resisting it

Iron Curtain

A term describing the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe

Marshall Plan

A US program that gave economic aid to rebuild Western Europe after World War II

Berlin Airlift (Berlin Crisis)

A 1948–49 operation where the USA and allies flew supplies into West Berlin during a Soviet blockade

NATO

A military alliance (1949) of Western countries for mutual defense against threats

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance (1955) of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist countries

United Nations (UN)

An international organization (founded 1945) that promotes peace, security, and cooperation

Mao Zedong

The communist leader of China who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949

Great Leap Forward

Mao’s campaign (1958–1962) to rapidly industrialize China, which led to famine and economic failure

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (GPCR)

A movement (1966–1976) led by Mao to enforce communist ideas, causing social chaos

Little Red Book

A collection of sayings by Mao Zedong used to spread communist ideology in China