The End of the Cold War and the ‘New World Order’, 1980–2000

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the end of the Cold War and the emerging ‘new world order’ from 1980 to 2000.

Third World

A collective term for states that are neither part of the developed capitalist world nor the communist bloc, including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South-East Asia.

Warsaw Pact

An alliance created in 1955 among communist states under a mutual defense treaty; equivalent to NATO for the Soviet bloc, dissolved in 1991.

Détente

A policy aimed at easing tensions between states, particularly between the US and the Soviet Union, especially during the Nixon administration until 1980.

Perestroika

The policy of restructuring the Soviet economy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 to transform it into a market-oriented economy.

Glasnost

A policy initiated by Gorbachev promoting openness and transparency in government institutions and activities in the Soviet Union.

Solidarity Movement

A Polish independent trade union formed in 1980 led by Lech Walesa, which challenged the communist government and contributed to its eventual collapse.

Genocide

Acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

Collective Security

The principle of maintaining peace and preventing aggression through shared commitments among states.

Ethnic Cleansing

A process in which one ethnic group systematically removes or murders members of other ethnic groups to establish control over a territory.

New World Order

A term describing the geopolitical landscape following the Cold War, highlighting a unipolar moment with the US as the dominant power.

Humanitarian Intervention

The threat or use of force by states against another to protect human life or restore human rights.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance established in 1949 among Western countries for mutual defense against aggression.

START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks)

Negotiations aimed at reducing the nuclear arsenal of the US and the USSR, resulting in treaties to limit nuclear weapons.

Yugoslav Wars

Ethnic conflicts that arose in the 1990s following the disintegration of Yugoslavia, characterized by violent territorial disputes.

Belfast Agreement

A 1998 agreement aimed at establishing peace in Northern Ireland, emphasizing a power-sharing government.

Unipolar Moment

A term used to describe the period in international relations during which the US was the sole superpower following the Cold War.