World War II and Its Aftermath: The Yalta Conference and the Cold War

These flashcards cover key events, terms, and concepts related to World War II, the Yalta Conference, and the Cold War, providing a study aid for understanding the historical context and implications.

Yalta Conference

A significant conference held in February 1945 to discuss the postwar reorganization of Europe, mainly focusing on Germany and Poland.

Big Three leaders

The three major leaders at the Yalta Conference: Winston Churchill (UK), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union).

Free and fair elections

Though promised to Poland by Stalin at Yalta, it was unlikely Stalin would allow this in practice.

Occupation Zones

After WWII, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union.

Berlin Blockade

A Soviet attempt in 1948 to cut off all ground access to West Berlin, leading to the Allied Berlin Airlift.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 among Western nations to defend against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance formed in response to NATO by the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative passed in 1948 for foreign aid to Western Europe to help rebuild economies post-WWII.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism influencing the US, peaking during the late 1940s to mid-1950s.

McCarthyism

The practice of making unfounded accusations of communism, associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Executed for espionage in 1953, they were accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.

Cold War

An ideological conflict and standoff primarily between the US and Soviet Union, marked by political tension and military buildup without direct warfare.