APUSH Ch. 25

Cold War

Conflict between US and USSR from 1945 to 1991.

Yalta Conference

1945 meeting to discuss postwar Europe division.

Big Three

US, UK, USSR leaders during WWII negotiations.

Containment Strategy

US policy to limit Soviet influence globally.

Iron Curtain

Metaphor for division between Eastern and Western Europe.

Potsdam Conference

1945 meeting to finalize postwar arrangements.

Self-determination

Right of nations to govern themselves independently.

General Assembly

UN body where all member nations are represented.

Security Council

UN body with power to veto decisions.

Permanent Members

Five nations with veto power in UN: US, UK, France, China, USSR.

Eastern Europe

Region under Soviet influence post-WWII.

USSR's Goals

Establish Communist governments and expand territory.

Truman Doctrine

US policy to support nations resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

US initiative to aid European economic recovery.

Stalin's Influence

Soviet leader's control over Eastern European governments.

Nazi Reparations

USSR demanded industrial goods from Germany post-war.

Civil War in Greece

Conflict between communist and monarchist factions.

USSR's Expansion

Soviet attempts to gain influence in Iran and Turkey.

FDR's Focus

Promoted unity among Allies and self-determination.

Harry Truman

US President who succeeded FDR during Cold War.

USSR's Blame

Stalin attributed future wars to capitalist nations.

Churchill's Speech

Highlighted division in Europe as 'iron curtain'.

Kennan's View

USSR used communism to justify actions.

Truman Doctrine

US responsibility to aid free peoples against oppression.

Marshall Plan

US economic aid to rebuild Europe post-WWII.

Stalin's Perception

Saw US as imperialist rival to communism.

Berlin Airlift

Supplies flown into West Berlin during blockade.

NATO Formation

Peacetime military alliance established in April 1949.

Marshall Plan Opposition

Initial resistance until Stalin's actions in Czechoslovakia.

West Berlin Symbolism

Represented resistance to communism during Cold War.

COMECON

Economic organization for Eastern Bloc countries.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of Eastern Bloc nations formed in 1955.

USSR's Blockade

Stalin blocked access to West Berlin in June 1948.

Federal Republic of Germany

Established in May 1949 as West Germany.

East Germany

Formed as a response to West Germany's establishment.

Nuclear Developments

Key focus for US during early Cold War.

European Economic Chaos

Post-WWII conditions prompting Marshall Plan.

Truman's Concerns

Feared European depression could spread communism.

Berlin Blockade Duration

Lasted from June 1948 to May 1949.

NATO's Collective Defense

An attack on one is an attack on all.

Crisis in Berlin

Encouraged formation of Western security alliances.

Stalin's Expectations

Thought US would abandon West Berlin or democracy.

USSR's Weaknesses

Stalin believed US had vulnerabilities to exploit.

Economic Assistance Goals

Aim to reduce appeal of communism in Europe.

NSC-68

Report outlining US strategy against USSR.

Containment

US policy to prevent the spread of communism.

Mao Zedong

Leader of Chinese Communists during civil war.

Jiang Jieshi

Leader of Nationalists in Chinese civil war.

People's Republic of China

Established by Mao on October 1, 1949.

Taiwan

Refuge for Jiang's Nationalist forces post-civil war.

Korean War

Conflict between North and South Korea, 1950-1953.

38th parallel

Division line between North and South Korea.

Kim Il Sung

Communist leader of North Korea.

Syngman Rhee

Leader of South Korea backed by the US.

Inchon

Location of US surprise attack in Korean War.

General Douglas MacArthur

US commander during the Korean War.

Ceasefire

Agreement to stop fighting, established in Korea.

UN Security Council

International body that authorized US troops in Korea.

Containment in Asia

US strategy to restore Japan and counter communism.

USSR nuclear test

First detonation in September 1949, escalating tensions.

Civil War in China

Conflict between Communists and Nationalists from 1930s.

US military aid

$2 billion spent to support Jiang's forces.

Eisenhower's presidency

Pushed for ceasefire in Korean War.

Truman's unpopular decision

Fired MacArthur to avoid prolonged conflict.

Mutual defense treaty

Agreement between US and South Korea post-war.

Approval

Increased likelihood of future undeclared wars.

Atomic Bomb Ground Rules

Guidelines preventing atomic bomb use in Cold War.

Military Budget Increase

Truman raised budget from $13B (1950) to $50B (1953).

Global Militarization

American foreign policy became more militarized globally.

Munich Analogy

Fear of appeasement influenced Cold War policies.

Appeasement Memory

Historical fear of appeasement after Munich Conference.

Support for Right-Wing Regimes

US supported regimes to counter Stalin's influence.

Cold War Liberalism

Combination of New Deal preservation and anti-Communism.

Truman as Cold Warrior

Truman positioned himself as FDR's ideological successor.

Union Strength Post-WWII

14 million Americans were union members in 1945.

Taft-Hartley Act

1947 law that weakened workers' rights.

Democratic Party Split (1948)

Divided between Progressives and Southern Democrats.

Progressive Party

Left-wing faction formed by discontented Democrats.

Dixiecrats

Southern Democrats supporting segregation and states' rights.

1948 Election Results

Truman: 49.6%, Dewey: 45.1%, Thurmond: 2.5%.

The Fair Deal

Truman's proposal to expand New Deal programs.

Fair Deal Achievements

Improved Social Security and minimum wage.

Postwar Red Scare

Fear of Communism led to civil liberties erosion.

Loyalty-Security Program

Truman's program to investigate federal employees.

Executive Order 9835

Issued March 21, 1947, for loyalty investigations.

Civil Rights Platform

Northern Democrats pushed for civil rights in 1948.

Truman's Cross-Country Tour

Campaign against Republicans and Soviet opposition.

Red Scare

Period of intense anti-communist sentiment in America.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee investigating alleged communists.

Alger Hiss

Accused of communism, convicted of lying to Congress.

McCarthyism

Campaign against alleged communists led by Joseph McCarthy.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator known for anti-communist accusations and hysteria.

Rosenbergs

Executed for passing atomic secrets to the USSR.

Smith Act

1940 law prohibiting advocacy of government overthrow.

Censure

Formal reprimand, as done to McCarthy in 1954.

McCarthy's List

Claimed to have 205 communists in the State Department.

Political Repression

Suppression of dissenting political views during McCarthyism.

Cold War Liberalism

Political ideology combining liberalism with anti-communism.

Eisenhower's Presidency

Moderated New Deal policies, embraced Cold War liberalism.

Fulton Lewis Jr.

Critic of Graham, involved in HUAC investigations.