Literally everything about the Cold War

What were the ideological differences that caused the Cold War?

The US championed liberal democracy and capitalism; the USSR promoted communist single-party rule and state-controlled economies.

What was the Yalta Conference (1945)?

FDR, Churchill, and Stalin agreed on post-war Europe, including free elections in Eastern Europe and Soviet entry into the Pacific war.

What was the Potsdam Conference (1945)?

Truman, Attlee, and Stalin negotiated post-war Germany, with Truman hinting at a new weapon and tensions foreshadowing the Cold War split.

What was the 'Long Telegram' (1946)?

George Kennan's cable arguing the USSR was inherently expansionist and could not be appeased, laying the groundwork for containment.

What was Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech (1946)?

Churchill warned that the Soviet Union had divided Europe with an 'iron curtain,' calling for Western unity against communist expansion.

What was the significance of the atomic bomb in starting the Cold War?

The US monopoly on nuclear weapons alarmed the Soviets and accelerated their bomb program, creating an arms race dynamic.

What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)?

Truman's pledge to support free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures, globalizing containment.

What was the Marshall Plan (1948)?

A US program providing over $13 billion to rebuild Western European economies after WWII to prevent nations from turning to communism.

What was the Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-49)?

The Soviets blockaded West Berlin; the US and allies supplied the city entirely by air for nearly a year.

What was NATO (1949) and why was it significant?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was the first permanent US military alliance in peacetime, countering Soviet power in Europe.

What was NSC-68 (1950)?

A top-secret policy paper calling for a massive quadrupling of US defense spending to counter Soviet power.

What caused the Korean War (1950-53)?

North Korea (Soviet-backed) invaded South Korea, leading Truman to commit US forces under UN authority.

What was the Second Red Scare?

Post-WWII fear of communist infiltration in the US government and society, fueled by Soviet espionage cases.

Who was Joseph McCarthy and what was McCarthyism?

Senator McCarthy exploited Red Scare fears with reckless accusations of communist infiltration in government.

What was HUAC?

The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated alleged communist influence in US institutions, targeting Hollywood.

What were the Rosenberg executions (1953)?

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets, reflecting Cold War anxieties.

What was the impact of Sputnik (1957) domestically?

The Soviet satellite launch shocked Americans, leading to the National Defense Education Act and a push for science education.

What was 'massive retaliation'?

Eisenhower's strategy of threatening overwhelming nuclear response to any Soviet aggression.

What was the CIA's role in early Cold War covert operations?

The CIA orchestrated coups in Iran (1953) and Guatemala (1954) as early examples of covert regime change.

What was the military-industrial complex?

Eisenhower's term for the dangerous alliance between defense contractors and the military establishment.

What was the U-2 Incident (1960)?

An American spy plane was shot down over the USSR, humiliating the US and worsening US-Soviet relations.

What was the Bay of Pigs (1961)?

A failed invasion of Cuba by US-backed Cuban exiles, aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

The US discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, leading to a naval blockade and negotiations that resulted in the Soviets withdrawing missiles.

What was the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

It was the closest the world came to nuclear war and led to the establishment of the Moscow-Washington hotline and the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

What was the domino theory?

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, justifying US intervention in Vietnam.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)?

Congress authorized the president to use military force in Southeast Asia after alleged attacks on US ships, which were later revealed to be exaggerated.

What were the key phases of US involvement in Vietnam?

Truman: aid to French; Eisenhower: military advisors; Kennedy: expanded advisors; LBJ: full-scale war; Nixon: Vietnamization and withdrawal.

What was the Tet Offensive (1968)?

A surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces on South Vietnamese cities that shattered public confidence in the US government's claims of victory.

What was the 'credibility gap'?

The disconnect between the Johnson administration's statements about Vietnam and the reality, eroding public trust in the government.

What was Vietnamization?

Nixon's strategy of gradually withdrawing US troops while training South Vietnamese forces to take over combat.

What were the Pentagon Papers (1971)?

A leaked study revealing that the government misled Congress and the public about Vietnam, deepening distrust of the government.

What was détente?

Nixon and Kissinger's policy of relaxing Cold War tensions through negotiation rather than confrontation.

What was Nixon's opening to China (1972)?

Nixon became the first US president to visit communist China, creating a triangular balance of power.

What was SALT I (1972)?

The first US-Soviet agreement to cap nuclear weapons, freezing intercontinental ballistic missile numbers.

What was the War Powers Act (1973)?

A law requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops abroad.

What was the significance of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979)?

It ended détente and led to US actions such as boycotting the 1980 Olympics and arming Afghan mujahideen.

What was the Reagan Doctrine?

Reagan's policy of actively supporting anti-communist insurgencies worldwide.

What was the Iran-Contra Affair?

A scandal involving Reagan officials selling arms to Iran and funneling profits to Nicaraguan Contras.

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?

Reagan's proposed missile defense shield using space-based technology to intercept Soviet missiles.

Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?

The last Soviet leader known for glasnost (political openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring).

What caused the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)?

A combination of East German protests, Gorbachev's policies, and an accidental announcement about the border opening.

What ended the Cold War (1991)?

The dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991, caused by economic stagnation and failed reforms.