cold war/korean war key terms

Executive Order 9981

Banned segregation in the Armed Forces signed by President Truman in 1948.

Security Requirements for Government Employees/EO 10450

Established criteria to protect the government from opposing ideologies like communism, resulting in the purging of homosexuals.

Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956

Established the interstate highway system including evacuation routes, improving military mobilization.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Investigated alleged communist activities in the US, particularly during the Red Scare.

Great Strike Wave of ‘45-’46

A series of strikes protesting unfair wages and conditions, involving over 5 million workers.

Taft-Hartley Act

1947 act restricting union power, banning closed shops, and requiring non-communist affidavits from union officers.

Levittown

A suburban community in New York established in 1947, known for its exclusionary housing policies.

Loyalty Act of 1947

Truman's initiative to root out communist influence in government, investigating over 3 million employees.

McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950

Required registration of communist organizations and barred members from federal employment.

Mattachine Society/Daughters of Bilitis

Homophile organizations advocating for gay and lesbian civil rights.

National Congress of American Indians

Advocacy organization for native rights and sovereignty, opposing assimilation policies.

NDEA (National Defence Education Act of 1958)

Provided federal funds to improve education in response to the Soviet Sputnik launch.

New Look Policy

Eisenhower's strategy prioritizing nuclear weapons over large armies during the Cold War.

NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

US and Canada defense organization providing aerospace warning and control.

Redlining

Discriminatory practice denying financial services to minority neighborhoods, enforcing segregation.

GI Bill

Law providing education and housing benefits to WWII veterans, often denied to minorities.

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

Civil rights organization led by MLK Jr, focused on nonviolent protests and civil rights legislation.

Bodo League Massacre

Mass executions targeting suspected communists in South Korea during the Korean War.

USAMGIK

United States Army Military Government in Korea, post-WWII authority managing South Korea.

People’s Committees (postwar Korea)

Local self-rule bodies reflecting popular movements that were dissolved by the US.

Jeju Uprising

Conflict on Jeju Island opposing UN-mandated elections, leading to violent crackdowns.

Domino theory

Belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

NSC-68

Top secret US policy document advocating military buildup to counter the Soviet threat.

Inchon Landing (Pusan Perimeter)

Surprise attack in 1950 that turned the tide of the Korean War, recapturing Seoul.

Korean Independence Movement

Struggle against Japanese rule from 1910-1945 involving diverse resistance methods.

March 1st Movement

Peaceful protests in 1919 against Japanese colonial rule, leading to severe repression.

Military Industrial Complex

Relationship between a country's military and defense industry influencing public policy.

Moscow Conference (1945)

Conference leading to a provisional government for Korea, inciting protests and tensions.

No Gun Ri massacre

Mass killing of South Korean refugees by US military during the Korean War.

Perimeter Speech

Speech by Dean Acheson that possibly signaled lack of US commitment to South Korea.

SEATO

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization aimed at preventing communist expansion.

White Paper on Chinese Civil War

Document signaling US non-intervention policy in China's civil war, influencing Korea.