Exam 2 Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering Cold War policies, civil-rights milestones, espionage cases, Progressive Era reforms, Great Depression economics, and key events of World War I and World War II.

Cold War

Period of political tension after WWII between Western democracies and the Soviet Union.

Communism

Political system that spread through Eastern Europe under Soviet influence after WWII.

Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill’s term for the symbolic division between communist East and democratic West Europe.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

President Truman’s pledge to support nations resisting communist pressure.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program to rebuild Western Europe and deter communist influence.

Berlin Airlift

Year-long U.S.-led operation flying supplies into blockaded West Berlin (1948-1949).

Desegregation

Ending racial separation, exemplified by Truman’s order to integrate the military.

Red Scare

Widespread fear of communist infiltration in the United States after WWII.

Espionage

The act of spying to obtain political or military information.

Alger Hiss

State Department official accused of Soviet espionage by Whittaker Chambers.

Whittaker Chambers

Former communist who testified that Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy.

Richard Nixon

Congressman who gained prominence investigating the Hiss case.

“Trial of the Century” (Hiss Case)

High-profile spy trial that heightened U.S. paranoia about communism.

Theodore Roosevelt (TR)

Youngest U.S. president (age 42) known for progressive reforms and activist leadership.

Square Deal

TR’s domestic program for fairness, corporate regulation, and conservation.

Trust-busting

TR’s policy of breaking up monopolistic corporations.

Conservationism

TR’s creation of wildlife preserves and protection of natural resources.

Bully Pulpit

TR’s view of the presidency as a platform to advocate reform.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick”

TR’s foreign policy motto emphasizing diplomacy backed by force.

Assembly Line

Mass-production method that increased efficiency; used by Ford in car manufacturing.

Model T

Affordable automobile produced on Ford’s assembly line, transforming U.S. life.

Speculation

High-risk investment practice contributing to the 1929 stock crash.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Financial collapse that triggered the Great Depression.

Great Depression

Severe worldwide economic downturn beginning in 1929.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

Hoover-era agency that loaned money to banks and businesses during the depression.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

German WWI tactic that attacked ships without warning, drawing U.S. into war.

Zimmermann Telegram

German message urging Mexico to ally against the U.S., helping prompt U.S. entry into WWI.

Selective Service Act

WWI law instituting the draft for U.S. military service.

Alvin York

American WWI hero noted for battlefield bravery.

Eddie Rickenbacker

Leading U.S. fighter ace during WWI.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941 that brought the U.S. into WWII.

Axis Powers

WWII alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

D-Day

June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy, turning point in Europe during WWII.

Japanese-American Internment

WWII relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans to camps inside the U.S.

Manhattan Project

Secret U.S. program that developed the atomic bomb during WWII.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japanese cities where U.S. atomic bombs were dropped, ending WWII.

“The Greatest Generation”

Tom Brokaw’s term for Americans who grew up during the Depression and fought in WWII.