Cold War and Decolonization Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the Cold War and decolonization, designed for review and exam preparation.

Cold War

A state of sustained tension between two powers involving political, economic, and ideological conflict without direct military combat.

Democratic capitalism

The US is characterized by this, emphasizing individual freedoms and market-driven economies.

Authoritarian communism

Characterized by centralized control and state ownership, this system was practiced by the Soviet Union.

Non-Aligned Movement

An international organization started in 1955 by Indonesian President Akhmatsu Karno of African Asian heads of state representing new states that were formerly colonies who resisted alignment with either the US or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A defensive alliance formed by the United States and Western European countries during the Cold War.

Warsaw Pact

The Soviet Union's response to NATO, creating a military alliance with its satellite states in Eastern and Central Europe.

Proxy War

Conflicts where major powers support opposing sides without directly engaging each other, exemplified by the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Mao Zedong

The name given to Mao Zedong's communist forces that defeated the Nationalist Party, and China officially became a communist state.

Collectivization of Agriculture in China

A policy enacted under Mao Zedong that involved the reorganization of farms into large, collective units to increase food production and rural development which was relatively peaceful, and relatively bloodless, because there was widespread support for that for the communist party in China, among the peasants.

Great Leap Forward

An economic plan initiated by Mao Zedong aimed to rapidly industrialize China through small-scale industries and agricultural collectivization.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

An Egyptian leader who proclaimed independence for Egypt and nationalized the Suez Canal in 1952.

Negotiated Independence

Achieving independence through diplomatic negotiations rather than armed conflict, as seen with India's independence from British rule.

Armed Resistance (Decolonization)

Achieving independence through military struggle and resistance, illustrated by Algeria's fight against French colonial rule.

Zionism

A nationalistic ideology promoting a Jewish state in Palestine.

Perestroika

Implemented this in the Soviet Union to restructure the Soviet economy by reducing the level of central planning from the Soviet government.

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy of openness, increasing freedom of speech and tolerance for criticism of the government in the Soviet Union.