Cold War Beginnings and Mao’s China

Cold War

A period of tension (1947–1991) between the United States and the Soviet Union marked by political conflict, military rivalry, and ideological competition without direct large-scale war.

Denazification

A post–World War II process led by the Allies to remove Nazi influence from Germany’s government, society, and institutions and hold former Nazis accountable.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 U.S. policy that promised military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, aiming to contain its spread.

Iron Curtain

A term popularized by Winston Churchill describing the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe during the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program (1948) that provided billions of dollars in aid to rebuild Western European economies and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift (Berlin Crisis)

A 1948–1949 operation in which the U.S. and its allies flew supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked land access.

NATO

A military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A 1955 military alliance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist countries created in response to NATO.

 United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries after World War II.

 Mao Zedong

A Chinese communist leader who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and led the country under a strict communist system.

 Great Leap Forward

A campaign (1958–1962) led by Mao to rapidly industrialize China, which resulted in economic failure and widespread famine.

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

A movement (1966–1976) launched by Mao to reinforce communist ideology by removing capitalist and traditional elements, causing major social and political chaos.

 Little Red Book

A collection of quotes from Mao Zedong that became a symbol of loyalty and was widely distributed during the Cultural Revolution.