DQA #3

Cold War

US and USSR were at “war” but nothing really happened no bombs, weapons, never directly fought each other (propaganda, espionage etc)

Truman Doctrine

United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. (against communism)

Marshall Plan

U.S. initiative to provide economic aid to war-torn European countries, aiming to rebuild their economies, prevent the spread of communism, and foster political stability

Containment

foreign policy strategy used by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism

NATO

a military alliance of capitalist countries formed to deter Soviet expansion and ensure collective defense, with the principle that an attack on one member was an attack on all. 

Warsaw Pact

a military alliance formed by USSR and its eastern European allies to counter balance NATO during cold war. aimed to keep soviet influence and communist military and behavior

Iron Curtain

metaphorical and later physical boundary that divided Europe into Western and Eastern during the Cold War, symbolizing the ideological and political divide between democratic, capitalist nations and communist, Soviet-influenced state

Demilitarized Zone

an area where military activity is forbidden, often established as a buffer zone between conflicting parties

Mutually Assured Destruction

both countries could destroy the other country in the case of attack. It wouldn't matter how successful the first strike was, the other side could still retaliate and destroy the country which first attacked

Arms Race

a competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons,

McCarthyism

joseph mccarthy was a senator

to win he stated he had a list of communists working in american government leading to widespread fear and hate among people (false accusations)

President Truman

shaped initial years of cold war. created Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan aimed to contain spread of communism and postwar recovery.

President Eisenhower

reluctant civil rights advocate, signed Civil Rights Act of 1957 first major civil rights legislation since reconstruction.

sent federal troops to little rock Arkansas to to enforce desegregation

President Kennedy

advocating for equal rights and proposing landmark legislation, culminating in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which aimed to end discrimination and segregation. 

Martin Luther King jr

used non violent methods in hopes of changing the minds of all people, opposed all violence of any sort

led the montgomery bus boycott

thrown in jail wrote letters to show the movement be dealt with openly

Malcom X

encouraged blacks to depend on themselves for jobs and protection

at first thought this should be solved with violence but then moved on to softer approaches

argued for “ballets” over “bullets”

Cesar Chavez

help fight for hispanics (primarily mexicans) to advocate for farm workers

Police Chief Bull Connor

used violent tactics against civil rights activists. strongly opposed the civil rights movement of 1960s. (use of police dogs and fire hoses on peaceful protesters)

The Rosenberg’s

americans julius and ethel were accused of be spies and selling secrets to Soviet Union

Bus Boycott

african Americans refused to ride buses until they were desegregated and black bus drivers were hired

lasted over a year

led by MLK JR

Ended when the Supreme court ruled that Alabama laws requiring segregated buses violated the U.S. Constitution

Peaceful Protests

sit ins were an example where people occupied seats at segregated places

these were non violent

Children’s March

MLK sent thousands of children out to march against segregation

March on D.C.

¼ of a million people marched to Washington DC to support civil rights bill president Kennedy was trying to pass in congress

“i have a dream” speech was delivered here

Korean War

korea was given the option to vote if they were communist or democracy

it was half and half and the 38th parallel line was created to divide north and south korea

north attacks south leading to war and us involvement (stayed divided in the end)

Berlin Blockade

the Soviet Union's attempt to cut off land and water access to West Berlin from June 1948 to May 1949, aiming to force the Western Allies out of the city

Berlin Wall

built by the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War to prevent its population from escaping Soviet-controlled East Berlin to West Berlin

Red Scare

form of moral panic provoked by fear of the rise, supposed or real, of leftist ideologies in a society, especially communism and socialism

Space Race

intense competition between US and USSR focusing on achieving technological superiority in space exploration (satellites, humans in space, etc)

Arms Race (event)

competition between US and USSR focusing on advancing nuclear weapons and who’s superior (military superiority)

2nd Red Scare

fear of Communist revolution which gripped America fear of soviet espionage from 1940s-1950s

Cuban Missile Crisis

US and the Soviet Union came close to nuclear war over the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from US shores

appeasement

giving people what they want to prevent them from harming you

annex

to add to territory to form a larger country

Blitzkrieg

fast moving german attack. Luftwaffe goes first to knock out defense then tanks and motor vehicles overwhelm army

Luftwaffe

german air force

island hopping

skipping over heavily forfeited islands to seize lightly defended locations for next advances

Kamikaze

japanese suicide planes

Holocaust

systemic mass killings of European Jews and unwanted people by nazis

genocide

deliberate killings of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with aim of destroying the targeted nation/group

Kristallnacht

“night of broken glass” germans attack synagogues, jewish homes, and businesses

Ghetto

part of city in which members of a minority group are concentrated

axis powers

germany, italy, and japan

allied powers

UK, US, Soviet Union, China

Munich Conference

concluded Sudetenland territory given to Hitler (germany)

Neutrality Acts

passed in response to German invasion of Poland

Lend Lease Acts

US lends war supplies to UK, Soviet Union, France etc

Hitlers acts of aggression (territories taken)

Czechoslovakia forced to surrender Sudetenland

Start of WWII

german invasion of poland (September 1 1939)

Pearl Harbor

surprise military strike by japanese navy air upon US in Hawaii at their naval base (bombs were dropped)

Soviet-Nazi Non-Aggression Pact

signed by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union they would not attack each other for the next 10 years

Battle of England

first all arial (sky/plane) battle in WWII

Battle of Stalingrad

Germany lost- soviet union won (turning point in war weakened german military)

battle plan for north africa (why did we fight there)

to get experience try to enter europe through italy

battle plan for italy (why did we fight there)

hoped invasion would knock italy out of conflict

Total warfare

allies start attacking germany cities/industrial centers massive bombing raids destroy cities/military

D-day

June 6 1944, brought together land, air, and sea force of allied armies largest invasion of france in military history

Battle of the Bulge

hitler launches last effort surprise attack uses all final resources (he knew he was cornered)

Yalta and Potsdam Conference

1.yalta presses for heavy post war reparations of germany 2.potsdam questions how to handle germany

Japanese Internment

japanese americans took from their homes into camps separated from their families because they were thought to be spies (lost houses, businesses, etc)

Manhattan Project

code name for atomic bomb project

battan death march

prisoners of war forced to march though tropical conditions (heat, rain) without medical treatment

battle of midway

turning point in war in pacific

battle of iwo jima

major battle US marine corps/navy captured island from imperial Japanese army

battle of okinawa

last stop before invading mainland europe (major casualties of civilians)

atomic bombs

US dropped 2 atomic bombs over japanese cities 1.Hiroshima, 2.Nagasaki (fat man and little boy)

nuremberg trials

nazis and generals put on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity

concentration camps

where nazi imprisoned jewish people without trial -later were killed

jewish question/ final solution

genocide of European jews nazi puts them in ghettos

atlantic charter

summer 1941 (before America enters war)

FDR and Churchill meet to discuss post war Europe

Describes aims for war and after

post world war, self determination, economic cooperation, and and freedom from fear

franklin delano roosevelt

was the president at first during ww2 but died worked closely with other national leaders allies against axis power

winston churchill

british leader helped lead allied armies to victory over adolf hitler/ axis powers

joseph stalin

soviet union leader signed non-aggression pact with germany

harry truman

was vice president became president after frank d roosevelt died. made the decision to use the atomic bombs

adolf hitler

leader of nazi party rose to become dictator of germany. led the genocide of jewish people

benito mussolini

italian fascist takeover inspired hitler (fought alongside germany/hitler)

general tojo

prime minister of japan during WWII led military in japan

doctor josef mengele

doctor of Auschwitz declared fate of many European Jews

Which battle stopped Germany from taking Soviet oil & turned the tide against them in the east?

Stalingrad

who was the communist leader of north vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

Who was the leader of south vietnam

Bao Dai (anti-communist) then Ngo Dinh Diem

geneva accords

peace conference, divides vietnam along 17th parallel

what was the domino theory

Eisenhower’s belief that if one country falls to communism, many will follow

SEATO

US and seven other countries created to stop spread of communism

problems with Diem in South Vietnam

discrimination against Buddhist, anti-communist, us supported him(seen as puppet), not for the people

vietcong

communist group in south vietnam organized to overthrow Diem (Ho Chi Minh supported this)

JFK and Vietnam

sent 16,000 military “advisors” to S. Viet. train troops for s viet

military coup

overthrows Diem assassinates him (us supports)

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ)

us involvement in vietnam intensified under lbj

gulf of tonkin incident

2 american destroyers fired upon by N Viet

Gulf of tonkin resolution

allowed pres to use all means necessary to combat aggressive communism in Asia

operation rolling thunder

massive bombing of N Viet

Ho Chi Minh Trail

supply line from north to south difficult terrain through cambodia and Laos

Vietcong (communist) strategy used

hit and run tactics, land mines, guerrilla warfare, ho chi minh trail, underground tunnels

us/south vietnam

bombings over north viet, napalm- gasoline destroy jungle, agent orange- leaf killing chemical sprayed, search and destroy mission

credibility gap

no longer believed lbj was telling truth about war events. lost trust in government

tet offensive

surprise offensive attack on vietcong k. vietnamese new years eve. Americans lost hope we could defeat vietcong

vietnamization

south vietnamese play more combative role in war

nixon in office

bombing north viet, orders secret invasion of Laos and Cambodia (adds to credibility gap)

My Lai Massacre

us platoon william calley killed 500 innocent civilians searching for VC