Cold war

What was the Cold War?

A period of political tension and ideological conflict between the USA (capitalist) and the USSR (communist) without direct military confrontation.

What caused the Cold War?

Ideological differences (capitalism vs. communism)

Power vacuum after WWII

Mistrust between the US and USSR

Nuclear arms race

Soviet actions in Eastern Europe

What was the Iron Curtain?

A metaphor for the division between Western Europe (democratic) and Eastern Europe (Soviet-controlled), coined by Winston Churchill.

What were the two major Cold War alliances?

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization – Western bloc)

Warsaw Pact (Eastern bloc – Soviet-led)

What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)?

U.S. policy to contain communism by supporting countries resisting it, starting with Greece and Turkey.

What was the Marshall Plan (1948)?

U.S. economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

What was the Berlin Blockade (1948–49)?

Stalin blocked access to West Berlin; the U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift, supplying the city by air.

What was the Korean War (1950–53)?

Conflict between North Korea (communist) and South Korea (capitalist); ended in a stalemate at the 38th parallel.

What was the Vietnam War (1955–75)?

U.S. effort to stop communism in South Vietnam; North Vietnam eventually won. Sparked global protest.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

A 13-day standoff after the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba; nearly caused nuclear war, but ended with mutual concessions.

What was the Space Race?

A technological competition between the US and USSR to achieve space exploration milestones (e.g., Sputnik, Apollo 11 moon landing).

What was detente?

A period of relaxed tensions and arms control talks between the U.S. and USSR during the 1970s (e.g., SALT agreements).

What happened to Germany after WWII?

Divided into West Germany (democratic) and East Germany (communist); Berlin was also split.

What was the Berlin Wall (1961–1989)?

A physical barrier built by East Germany to stop East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin; symbol of Cold War division.

What were proxy wars?

Conflicts in third-party countries where the US and USSR supported opposing sides, e.g., Vietnam, Afghanistan, Angola, Congo.

What was the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989)?

USSR invaded Afghanistan; U.S. supported the Mujahideen; war weakened the USSR and contributed to its collapse.

What role did the Non-Aligned Movement play?

Countries that tried to remain neutral and independent of both superpowers during the Cold War.

What was MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)?

Cold War theory that full-scale nuclear war would destroy both sides, preventing direct conflict.

What was the purpose of the CIA and KGB?

U.S. and Soviet intelligence agencies used for espionage, coups, and information warfare.

What was Nuclear Proliferation?

The spread of nuclear weapons to multiple countries during and after the Cold War.

Who was Joseph Stalin?

Leader of the USSR at the start of the Cold War (until 1953).

Who was John F. Kennedy?

U.S. president during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?

Soviet leader who introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), leading to reforms and the USSR’s collapse.

Who was Ronald Reagan?

U.S. president who increased Cold War tensions early on but later negotiated arms reduction with Gorbachev.

What caused the end of the Cold War?

Economic problems in the USSR

Reforms under Gorbachev

Fall of communism in Eastern Europe

Peaceful revolutions in 1989

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Dissolution of the USSR (1991)

What were the consequences of the Cold War?

U.S. became the sole superpower

Emergence of post-Soviet republics

Ongoing nuclear threat

Legacy of U.S. and Russian geopolitical rivalry