US Foreign Policy and Conflict History Lecture Notes

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major US foreign policy events, doctrines, and figures from the founding era through the post-9/11 conflicts.

Articles of Confederation

The original governing document of the United States which was replaced by the Constitution to address issues of central government weakness.

Article 1, Section 8

The section of the United States Constitution that outlines the specific powers granted to Congress.

Article 2, Section 2

The section of the United States Constitution that identifies the President as the Commander in Chief and outlines executive treaty and appointment powers.

Commander in Chief

The constitutional role of the President as the supreme commander of the nation's military forces.

George Washington’s Farewell Address

A valedictory letter where President Washington advised the nation to avoid permanent foreign alliances and political parties.

Realism

A foreign policy approach based on national interest and practical power considerations rather than moral or ethical ideals.

Idealism

A foreign policy approach that emphasizes the promotion of moral values and democratic principles abroad.

The Monroe Doctrine

A 19th-century US policy that opposed European colonialism in the Americas and stated that any intervention in the Western Hemisphere would be seen as a hostile act.

Reconcentration Camps

Facilities used by Spanish authorities in Cuba to relocate civilians, the reports of which influenced American public opinion toward war.

USS Maine

An American battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, serving as a major catalyst for the decision to go to war with Spain.

Yellow Journalism

A style of sensationalist reporting used by the press to influence public opinion and push the US toward war in the late 19th century.

Anti Imperialist League

An organization established in the late 19th century to oppose the United States' annexation of the Philippines and other expansionist policies.

Neutrality Acts

A series of laws passed in the 1930s designed to keep the United States out of foreign conflicts by limiting trade and travel with nations at war.

Liberal International Order

A set of global, rule-based structured relationships and institutions established after World War II to promote peace and stability.

World Bank

An international financial institution created post-World War II to provide loans and financial assistance for reconstruction and economic development.

United Nations

An international organization formed after World War II to promote international cooperation and maintain peace and security.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a collective security alliance formed to counter Soviet influence in Europe.

The Berlin Airlift

A US-led operation that flew food and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked all land routes into the city.

The Truman Doctrine

A US policy stating the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.

Pax Americana

A term describing the period of relative peace in the Western world overseen by the United States as the dominant global power following World War II.

The Geneva Accords

A 1954 agreement that temporarily split Vietnam into two countries at the 17th parallel.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country in a region fell to communism, the surrounding countries would also inevitably fall like a row of dominoes.

Viet Cong

A communist guerrilla force in South Vietnam that fought against the South Vietnamese government and the United States.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

An alleged naval confrontation involving the USS Maddox and North Vietnamese torpedo boats that led to increased American military involvement.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A 1964 congressional action that granted President Lyndon Johnson the authority to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against US forces in Vietnam.

The Tet Offensive

A massive 1968 surprise attack by communist forces that was a military failure for the Viet Cong but a political defeat for the US as it turned public opinion against the war.

The Pentagon Papers

A series of leaked top-secret Department of Defense documents that revealed the US government had lied to the public about the scale and progress of the Vietnam War.

Vietnamization

President Nixon’s policy of withdrawing US troops and transferring the responsibility and direction of the war effort to the government of South Vietnam.

Paris Peace Accords

The 1973 peace treaty intended to establish peace in Vietnam and end direct US military involvement.

Fall of Saigon

The 1975 capture of the capital of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese army, marking the definitive end of the Vietnam War.

Walter Cronkite

A prominent news anchor whose skepticism about the Vietnam War after the Tet Offensive significantly influenced American public opinion.

Al Qaeda

The transnational militant Islamist organization founded by Osama Bin Laden that executed the 9/11 attacks.

The Taliban

The fundamentalist Islamic group that ruled Afghanistan and provided a safe haven for Al Qaeda leaders prior to the 2001 US invasion.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

The location of a United States military prison established to hold suspected terrorists and enemy combatants.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

The primary justification cited by the Bush administration for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, referring to nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

Abu Ghraib Prison

A detention facility in Iraq where US military personnel were involved in a scandal regarding the abuse and torture of prisoners.