AP World History - Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (copy)

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States from 1945 to the early 1990s.

Berlin Blockade

The Soviet Union's obstruction of access to West Berlin from 1948 to 1949, leading to the Berlin Airlift.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism.

Iron Curtain

The political and ideological barrier that divided Europe into two separate areas during the Cold War.

Great Leap Forward

Mao Zedong's campaign from 1958 to 1962 aimed at rapidly transforming China into a socialist society, leading to widespread famine.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China and a pivotal figure in the Chinese Communist Party.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

The violent suppression of pro-democracy protesters by the Chinese government in Beijing in 1989.

Berlin Wall

A barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, symbolizing the Cold War division.

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa until the early 1990s.

Gandhi's Philosophy

The principle of nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) promoted by Mohandas Gandhi during India's struggle for independence.

Cuban Missile Crisis

The 1962 confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of missile sites in Cuba.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975 between communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam, involving U.S. forces.

Khmer Rouge

The Cambodian communist regime led by Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979, responsible for the genocide of nearly 2 million people.

Solidarity Movement

A social movement in Poland that emerged in the 1980s, leading to significant political change and the eventual fall of communism.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union whose policies of Glasnost and Perestroika contributed to the end of the Cold War.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, established to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among its member countries.

Indian National Congress

A political party in India that played a crucial role in the struggle for Indian independence from British rule.

Ayatollah Khomeini

The leader of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 who established the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bandung Conference

A 1955 meeting of Asian and African states that aimed to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and oppose colonialism.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe formed in 1955 in response to NATO.

Genocide in Cambodia

The mass killing of the Cambodian population by the Khmer Rouge regime, targeting intellectuals and minority groups.

Deng Xiaoping

The Chinese leader who initiated economic reforms and opened China to foreign investment post-Mao era.

Eastern Bloc

The group of socialist states in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, under the influence of the Soviet Union.

Non-Aligned Movement

A group of states that chose not to formally align with or against any major power bloc during the Cold War.

Islamic Republic of Iran

The political system established in Iran after the 1979 revolution, characterized by a theocratic government.

North Korea

A communist state established in 1948 in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, known for its isolationist policies.

Berlin Airlift

The operation by the Allied forces to transport supplies to West Berliners during the Soviet blockade from 1948 to 1949.