Cold War and Decolonization

Pan-Africanism

ideology and movement that emphasizes the shared history, culture, and destiny of people of African descent

Patrice Lumumba

first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leader in the independence movement, advocating for pan-Africanism, inspiring nationalistic sentiment, and his stance against colonial powers

Mobutu Sese Seko

president of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), considered one of the most corrupt and authoritarian African leaders of the Cold War era, brutal dictatorship, immense personal wealth acquired through corruption, and the exploitation of his country's resources

Kwame Nkrumah

Pan-Africanist and Ghanaian leader, pivotal role in Ghana's independence from British rule, first Prime Minister and then President of Ghana, laid the foundation for Ghana's development, focused on industrializing

Jomo Kenyatta

enyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister, helped free Kenya

The Mau-mau Rebellion

Kenyan uprising against British colonial rule, primarily fueled by disputes over land and political rights, led by the Mau-mau, British responded with brutal force, deploying military resources and declaring a state of emergency

Apartheid

Segregation in South Africa

African National Congress (ANC)

political party in South Africa, liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, elected Nelson Mandela as Pres

Nelson Mandela

spent 27 years in prison for terrorism, South African anti-apartheid activist, South Africa’s first non-white pres, apart of the ANC

Steven Biko

founder of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

Desmond Tutu

South African Anglican bishop, anti-apartheid and human rights activist, friends with Nelson Mandela

Boycott, sanctions, and divestment

not buying from somewhere, restrictions limiting the freedom of a state, selling business interests

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

expected quick victory but got stuck in long conflict, invaded to keep them communist, increased tensions with US and Soviet Union

Taliban

terrorist org in Afghanistan

Mujahideen

people who fight for Islam, came before Taliban

Osama bin Laden

founder and leader of al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization responsible for the September 11th attacks and other terrorist acts worldwide.

Six-Day War

Arab-Israeli War, Israel's decisive victory

Palestine Liberation Organization

political org, goal of creating a secular democratic state for Jews, Christians and Muslims in all of former Palestine

Yasir Arafat

Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Yom Kippur War

Israeli units drove back Syrian forces from the Golan Heights, took control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and drove Jordanian forces from the West Bank. Importantly, the Israelis were left in sole control of Jerusalem.

Anwar Sadat

pivotal figure in Egyptian history and Middle Eastern politics, controversial peace initiatives with Israel, initiated the Camp David Accords

Camp David Accords

landmark agreement between Israel and Egypt aimed at establishing peace in the Middle East.

Intifada

"uprising" or "shaking off". In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it refers to two major Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation

Oslo Accords

a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), goal was to achieve peace

Mikhail Gorbachev

last leader of the Soviet Union, known for his reforms

Glasnost

openness and transparency

Perestroika

policy or practice of restructuring or reforming the economic and political system.

Democratization

process of transitioning a government from an authoritarian system to a more democratic one

Boris Yeltsin

Russia's first president, transition to a market economy, a period of economic hardship, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, started ‘shock therapy’

Ping-pong diplomacy

United States and China, despite decades of hostility, began to thaw their relationship, largely due to a series of table tennis matches between players from the two countries

Deng Xiaoping

"Reform and Opening Up", transforming its economy from a centrally planned socialist system into a socialist market economy.

The Four Modernizations

agriculture, industry, science and technology, and national defense, Premier Zhou Enlai, China

Tiananmen Square

big public square in China, on June 4th after very long protest by students the “Tiananmen crackdown” happened were troops were sent in to shoot at the people many were killed

Tank man

unidentified Chinese man who stood in front of a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, after the government had cleared the square of protesting students.

Hong Kong (1997)

british took it back