Cold War: Key Events, Policies, and Decolonization (1945-1991)

What was the Cold War?

A 50-year struggle between the US and the USSR from 1945 to 1991, characterized by political tension without direct military conflict.

Why is it called a 'cold' war?

Because the US and USSR never directly fought each other.

What did the USSR do after World War II?

The USSR took over small nations in Eastern Europe and turned them into communist satellites.

What is the 'Iron Curtain'?

A term used by Winston Churchill to describe the imaginary line dividing democratic Western Europe from communist Eastern Europe.

What was the policy of containment?

A US policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A policy where the US provided $400 million in economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey to help defeat communist groups.

What was the Marshall Plan?

A US initiative that provided $13 billion to help rebuild Western European countries after World War II.

How was Germany divided after World War II?

Germany was split into West Germany, a democratic nation, and East Germany, a communist nation controlled by the Soviet Union.

What was the Berlin Wall?

A concrete wall built by the Communists to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany.

What was the Berlin Airlift?

An event where the US, Britain, and France supplied West Berlin after Stalin set up a blockade.

What was NATO?

A military alliance between democratic nations of Europe, the US, and Canada, agreeing that an attack on one is an attack on all.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

A military alliance between the Soviet Union and other communist nations of Eastern Europe.

What is decolonization?

The period after World War II when nations in Africa and Asia gained independence from European colonial powers.

What was the partition of India?

The division of British India into separate nations for Muslims and Hindus.

What was created in the Holy Land after World War II?

The Jewish nation of Israel was established in part of the Holy Land.

What is the significance of the Zionist Movement?

A movement advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

What was the British role in Palestine before World War II?

The British controlled the land and allowed Jewish settlements, which led to tensions with Arab populations.