Cold War and Decolonization

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the Cold War and decolonization, including major events, definitions, and significant figures.

What two countries emerged as superpowers after World War II?

The United States and the Soviet Union.

What is a cold war?

A state of hostility between two countries that does not result in open warfare.

What economic system characterized the United States during the Cold War?

Capitalism, marked by private ownership of capital goods.

What economic system characterized the Soviet Union during the Cold War?

Communism, defined by government ownership of capital goods.

What type of government did the United States have during the Cold War?

A democracy with free elections.

What type of government did the Soviet Union have during the Cold War?

An authoritarian government dominated by a single political party.

What was the primary ideological conflict at the heart of the Cold War?

The desire of capitalism and communism to spread and remake the world in their image.

What was the Marshall Plan?

A U.S. initiative that provided billions of dollars in aid to Western European nations to prevent them from falling to communism.

What was the purpose of the U.S. containment policy?

To keep communism from spreading beyond where it already existed.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A policy that promised military aid to any country threatened by the spread of communism.

What significant global competition occurred between the U.S. and the Soviets during the Cold War?

An arms race and a space race.

What was the significance of the Soviets launching Sputnik?

It marked the first time a satellite was sent into space, heightening competition in the space race.

What was the outcome of the U.S. and Soviet arms race regarding nuclear weapons?

Both countries developed increasingly destructive weapons but never used them against each other due to mutual assured destruction.

What was the Non-Aligned Movement?

A group of countries that wanted to stay out of the Cold War conflict between the superpowers.

Who was Kwame Nkrumah?

The first president of Ghana, who advocated for African unity and established the Organization of African Unity.

What was the Bandung Conference?

A meeting organized by Sukarno of Indonesia in 1955 that contributed to the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement.