cold war

Potsdam

The Potsdam Conference (July 1945) was a meeting between Truman (U.S.), Stalin (USSR), and Churchill/Attlee (Britain) after Germany surrendered. They decided how to punish Germany, divide it, and deal with post-WWII Europe. Tensions between the U.S. and USSR were already showing.

Cold War

A long period of tension and rivalry (1945–1991) between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was called “cold” because they never fought each other directly, but they competed through proxy wars, nuclear weapons, and spreading their ideologies (capitalism vs. communism).

Clement Attlee

British Prime Minister who replaced Winston Churchill during the Potsdam Conference after Churchill lost an election.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy (1947) promising to help countries stop the spread of communism. Started by sending aid to Greece and Turkey.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. president during World War I. Proposed the League of Nations, which later inspired the United Nations.

United Nations (UN)

International organization formed in 1945 to keep peace and prevent future wars. Includes most countries in the world.

Containment

U.S. strategy to stop communism from spreading beyond where it already existed.

Bolshoi Theater Speech

Speech by Stalin in 1946 where he said communism and capitalism could not peacefully coexist. This increased Cold War tension.

Cominform

Group created by the USSR in 1947 to control and coordinate communist parties in Europe.

Hot War

A direct military conflict (actual fighting). The Cold War could have turned into this but didn’t between the U.S. and USSR.

George Kennan

American diplomat who created the idea of containment in his “Long Telegram.”

Victorious February

Soviet term for Czechoslovakia’s communist takeover in February 1948, when communists took full control of the government.

Iron Curtain

Term used by Winston Churchill to describe the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

Charter

A written document that creates an organization. The UN Charter is the document that established the United Nations.

Josip Broz (Tito)

Leader of Yugoslavia who was communist but did not fully follow Stalin. Yugoslavia was independent from Soviet control.

Satellite Nations

Countries in Eastern Europe that were controlled by the Soviet Union (Poland, Hungary, East Germany, etc.).

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during most of WWII. Gave the famous Iron Curtain speech warning about Soviet expansion.

General Assembly

Part of the UN where all member countries get one vote.

Harry S. Truman

U.S. president after FDR. Made key Cold War decisions like the Truman Doctrine and containment.

Greece

Country helped by the U.S. under the Truman Doctrine to stop a communist takeover.

Dardanelles

A strategic waterway in Turkey. The USSR wanted influence there; the U.S. helped Turkey resist.

Security Council

Powerful part of the UN responsible for peace and security. Has 5 permanent members: U.S., UK, France, China, USSR/Russia.

Dean Acheson

U.S. Secretary of State under Truman. Helped shape containment policy.

Veto

Power held by the 5 permanent Security Council members to block any UN resolution.

Yalta Conference

Meeting (Feb 1945) between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to plan Europe after WWII. They agreed to divide Germany and allow elections in Eastern Europe (which Stalin later ignored).