APUSH Unit 7 WW2 & Cold War

Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini

Italian dictator who led the National Fascist Party and ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, forming an alliance with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Adolf Hitler

German dictator and leader of the Nazi Party, who rose to power in the 1930s and initiated World War II, known for his fascist ideology and atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

Neutrality Act of 1935

Legislation passed by the United States Congress aimed at keeping the country out of foreign conflicts by imposing an embargo on the shipment of arms to belligerent nations.

Neutrality Act of 1936

Extension of the 1935 Act, which added restrictions on loans to belligerent nations.

Neutrality Act of 1937

Further extension of the Neutrality Acts, adding provisions to prohibit American citizens from traveling on ships of belligerent nations and restricting the sale of arms to such nations.

Quarantine Speech of FDR

Speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937, proposing strong measures against aggressive nations to contain their actions, a departure from the U.S. policy of neutrality.

Blitzkrieg

A military tactic employed by the German armed forces during World War II, characterized by a swift and coordinated attack using overwhelming force and speed to quickly break through enemy defenses.

"Cash and carry"

Policy adopted by the United States in 1939, allowing warring nations to purchase non-military goods from the U.S. as long as they paid in cash and transported the goods on their own ships.

Arsenal of Democracy

Term used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the United States' role in supplying Allied nations with military equipment and resources during World War II.

Lend-Lease Act

Legislation passed by the United States in 1941, allowing the country to provide military aid to Allied nations without immediate payment, thereby circumventing the Neutrality Acts.

Atlantic Charter

Agreement between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 outlining their vision for a post-World War II world based on principles of self-determination and international cooperation.

Pearl Harbor

Surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, prompting the U.S. entry into World War II.

War Production Board

Federal agency established during World War II to coordinate the production of war materials and allocate scarce resources to support the war effort.

Office of Price Administration

U.S. government agency established during World War II to control inflation and regulate prices by implementing price controls and rationing.

Office of War Information

U.S. government agency responsible for coordinating wartime propaganda efforts and disseminating information to the public during World War II.

Manhattan Project

Top-secret research and development project during World War II that produced the first atomic bombs, leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

"Double V" for African Americans

Slogan during World War II advocating for victory over fascism abroad (the first "V") and victory over racism at home (the second "V"), symbolizing the fight for civil rights.

Korematsu vs. US (1944)

Landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of Japanese internment during World War II, ruling that the need to protect against espionage outweighed individual rights.

Rosie the Riveter

Symbolic figure representing the American women who worked in factories and other industrial jobs during World War II, contributing significantly to the war effort.

Strategic bombing

Military strategy involving the systematic bombing of enemy cities, industries, and infrastructure to weaken the enemy's ability to wage war and break their morale.

Island hopping

Military strategy employed by Allied forces in the Pacific Theater during World War II, involving the capture of key islands to establish forward bases and bypass heavily fortified enemy positions.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japanese cities where atomic bombs were dropped by the United States in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

Big Three

Term referring to the leaders of the Allied powers during World War II

Yalta Conference

Meeting in February 1945 between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss the postwar reorganization of Europe and the establishment of the United Nations.

United Nations

Intergovernmental organization established in 1945 with the aim of promoting international cooperation and peacekeeping, replacing the failed League of Nations.

Iron Curtain

Term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the ideological and physical division between Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc controlled by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Cold War

Period of geopolitical tension and ideological conflict between the Western Bloc (led by the United States) and the Eastern Bloc (led by the Soviet Union) from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.

Satellite nations/Soviet bloc

Eastern European countries under the influence and control of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, forming a buffer zone between the USSR and Western Europe.

Containment

U.S. foreign policy strategy during the Cold War aimed at preventing the spread of communism and Soviet influence, often through diplomatic, economic, and military means.

George Kennan argument

Diplomat and political analyst George Kennan's advocacy for containment in his famous "Long Telegram" and subsequent article published in Foreign Affairs in 1947.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. foreign policy announced by President Harry S. Truman in 1947, pledging to support nations threatened by communism and laying the foundation for the policy of containment.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program launched in 1948 to assist Western European countries in rebuilding their economies after World War II and to prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin blockade

Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948-1949 in an attempt to force the Western Allies to abandon the city, leading to the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Airlift

Massive airlift operation by the United States and its allies to supply West Berlin with food and other necessities during the Soviet blockade from 1948 to 1949.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 by Western European and North American countries to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance established in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states as a response to NATO.

Arms race

Competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop and stockpile nuclear weapons and other military technologies during the Cold War.

National Security Act 1947

U.S. legislation that reorganized the country's military and intelligence agencies, leading to the establishment of the Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and National Security Council.

Korean War

Conflict fought between South Korea and North Korea

38th parallel

Line of latitude that divided North and South Korea before and during the Korean War, serving as the demarcation line between the two countries.

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. foreign policy articulated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957, pledging U.S. military and economic assistance to Middle Eastern countries threatened by communist aggression.

Military-Industrial Complex

Term coined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address in 1961, warning against the influence of the combined interests of the military establishment and defense contractors on government policy.

Dulles's brinkmanship

Foreign policy approach associated with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles during the Cold War, advocating for the willingness to go to the brink of war to force the Soviet Union to back down.

MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction)

Nuclear deterrence strategy during the Cold War based on the concept that both the United States and the Soviet Union possessed enough nuclear weapons to annihilate each other, thereby preventing either side from launching a first strike.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the beginning of the space age and sparking the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aerospace research.

Fidel Castro

Revolutionary leader who led the Cuban Revolution, overthrowing the government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and establishing a communist regime in Cuba.

Bay of Pigs

Failed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles supported by the CIA in 1961, aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro's government but resulting in embarrassment for the United States.

Berlin Wall

Barrier constructed by the East German government in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin, becoming a symbol of the division between East and West during the Cold War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

13-day confrontation in 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba, bringing the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 1963

Agreement between the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom to ban nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space.

Red Scare

Period of intense anti-communist sentiment and fear of communist infiltration in the United States during the Cold War, particularly in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The Smith Act (1940)

U.S. legislation criminalizing the advocacy of violent overthrow of the government and requiring the registration of Communist Party members.

McCarran Internal Security Act 1950

U.S. law that authorized the detention of suspected subversives during a national emergency and required Communist organizations to register with the government.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Congressional committee established in 1938 to investigate disloyalty and subversive activities, particularly those suspected of having communist ties.

Rosenberg Case

Trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1953 for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, heightening Cold War tensions and fueling anti-communist sentiment in the United States.

McCarthyism

Term referring to the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy who led a campaign of anticommunist witch hunts in the 1950s.

Employment Act of 1946

U.S. legislation that committed the federal government to pursue policies aimed at achieving maximum employment, production, and purchasing power.

GI Bill

Legislation passed in 1944 providing a range of benefits to World War II veterans, including education, housing, and unemployment assistance, to help them reintegrate into civilian life.

Baby Boom

Significant increase in birth rates in the United States and other Western countries following World War II, lasting from the mid-1940s to the early 1960s.

Levittown

Suburban housing development built by William Levitt and his company after World War II, symbolizing the postwar suburban boom and mass homeownership in the United States.

Sun Belt

Region in the southern and southwestern United States experiencing rapid population and economic growth after World War II, fueled by factors such as climate, industry, and migration.

22nd Amendment (1951)

U.S. constitutional amendment limiting the president to two terms in office, ratified in response to Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms as president.

Taft-Hartley Act

U.S. legislation passed in 1947 that amended the Wagner Act and imposed restrictions on labor unions, including prohibiting closed shops and restricting union activities.

Fair Deal

Domestic policy agenda proposed by President Harry S. Truman in the aftermath of World War II, aiming to extend the New Deal programs and address issues such as healthcare, civil rights, and education.

Modern Republicanism

Political philosophy associated with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, advocating for a conservative approach to government while also supporting some New Deal programs and a balanced budget.

Interstate Highway Act (1956)

U.S. legislation authorizing the construction of a nationwide network of highways, facilitating interstate commerce and suburbanization while also impacting urban development and travel patterns.