Truman Doctrine
President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology
Marshall Plan
A United States program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952)
Long Telegram
The message written by George Kennan in 1946 to Truman advising him to contain Communist expansion.
Containment
American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
Domino Theory
A theory that if one nation comes under Communist control, then neighboring nations will also come under Communist control.
Proxy War
A war instigated by a major power that does not itself participate
Limited War
A war fought to achieve a limited objective, such as containing communism or a war in which the weapons used are limited
Iron Curtain
A political barrier that isolated the peoples of Eastern Europe after WWII, restricting their ability to travel outside the region
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries
Warsaw Pact
An alliance between the Soviet Union and other Eastern European nations. This was in response to the NATO
Levittown
New York suburb where postwar builders pioneered the techniques of mass home construction
Potsdam Conference
July 26, 1945 - Allied leaders Truman, Stalin and Churchill met in Germany to set up zones of control and to inform the Japanese that if they refused to surrender at once, they would face total destruction.
Yalta Conference
FDR, Churchill and Stalin met at Yalta. Russia agreed to declare war on Japan after the surrender of Germany and in return FDR and Churchill promised the USSR concession in Manchuria and the territories that it had lost in the Russo-Japanese War
Berlin Blockade
The blockade was a Soviet attempt to starve out the allies in Berlin in order to gain supremacy. The blockade was a high point in the Cold War, and it led to the Berlin Airlift.
Berlin Airlift
The Allies response to the Soviets blockade of West Berlin
38th Parallel
Dividing line between North and South Korea
Korean War
The conflict between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea. The United Nations (led by the United States) helped South Korea.
Douglas MacArthur
Fired during the Korean War for encouraging the use of Atomic weapons
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ended the Korean War in seven months
United Nations
Provided the United States the ability to send troops to South Korea during the conflict
Red Scare
Intense fear of communism and other politically radical ideas
McCarthyism
The term associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy who led the search for communists in America during the early 1950s through his leadership in the House Un-American Activities Committee.
House UnAmerican Activities Committee
An investigative committee that dealt with "communists or people with ties to communism" in America.
Blacklist
A list of people or products viewed with suspicion or disapproval.
Nixon-Kennedy Debate
First televised debate. Nixon looked bad, lost debate! Kennedy looked fresh, won. Showed importance of apperance.
Mutually Assured Destruction
(MAD) if either US or the USSR was hit with a nuclear weapons they would respond with the same
Space Race
A competition of space exploration between the United States and Soviet Union.
Sputnik
First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.
Apollo 11
1st successful moon mission by the US in 1969
Alan Shepard
First American in space
John Glenn
1st American to orbit Earth - the GOAT
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Kennedy May 1961 Announcement
Put a man on the moon by the end of the decade
Who won the space race?
United States
Enemies from Within
Joseph McCarthy's speech that claimed to know communists in the United States government