The Cold War to the 21st Century Lecture Notes

Practice flashcards covering the major political, social, and economic events from the Cold War through the early 21st century based on lecture notes.

Who was Karl Marks according to the lecture?

A 1900s philosopher who believed a working revolution of "platerians" would be created by capitalism's restrictions.

Who was Flaterman Lanen?

A figure in Russia who believed in socialism and economic equality.

What was Joseph Stalin's primary goal in the 1920-1930s?

To create communism and industrialization in Russia no matter what, even at the cost of resistant peasants' lives.

How many people died to achieve Russia's number one industrialization status by the end of the 1930s?

$15\,mil$ people.

What was George Kennan's Policy of Containment?

A policy developed for the US to maintain a wall against communism to prevent its spread.

What is Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)?

A strategic doctrine associated with John Foster Dulles concerning the destructive power of nearly $17,000$ American and $10,000$ Soviet bombs.

What was the "Long Telegram"?

A telegram written by George Kennan to the State Department denouncing the Soviet Union.

What did Winston Churchill declare during his 1946 Iron Curtain Speech?

That Europe had been cut in half by an "iron curtain."

What was the Truman Doctrine of 1947?

A policy providing $400\,mil$ to Greece and Turkey to resist communism and protect freedom-loving people.

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan (1948-1952)?

To provide $13\,billion$ to rebuild Western Europe; it was rejected by the Soviets, who created the Molotov Plan.

How did the US respond to the Berlin Blockade (1948-49)?

With the Berlin Airlift, sending planes with food, water, and essentials into Berlin due to closed roads.

What were the two German states created following the Berlin Blockade?

The FRG (West Germany) and the GDR (East Germany).

What are NATO and the Warsaw Pact?

Military alliances: NATO (1949) was an American-launched mutual defense pact, and the Warsaw Pact (1955) was the Soviet Union's defensive agreement.

What did NSC-68 (1950) call for?

A massive military buildup, framing the USSR as expansionist and ideologically aggressive.

What event in 1949 was seen as a major geopolitical defeat for the US in Asia?

The communist victory in China under Mao Zedong.

How was the Korean War (1950-1953) resolved?

The war ended in a stalemate with Korea remaining divided.

Who was Yuri Gagarin?

The first human launched into space by the USSR in 1961.

What was the purpose of the McCarran Act (1950)?

It required communist organizations to register and expanded government surveillance powers.

What did John Kenneth Galbraith argue in "The Affluent Society" (1958)?

That the U.S. was wealthy but morally and structurally flawed, prioritizing consumption over public welfare.

What was the HOLC (Home Owners Loan Corporation)?

A program that refinanced mortgages and introduced long-term amortized loans over $15\,yrs$ instead of the standard $5\,yr$ mortgage.

How did suburban population change between 1940 and 1960?

It exploded from $19.5\%$ to $30.7\%Initial$.

What was Levittown (1946)?

A model for mass-produced, affordable suburban housing built by William Levitt that only allowed whites to purchase homes.

What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

A unanimous $9-0$ vote declaring that racial segregation in schools violated the 14th amendment and that "separate education facilities are inherently unequal."

What was the significance of the Emmett Till murder (1955)?

It created national outrage when two white men kidnapped and killed the Black man for whistling at a white woman.

Who founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957?

Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and Fred Shuttlesworth.

What happened during the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961?

A CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by Anti-Castro exiles failed, strengthening Fidel Castro's regime and embarrassing the U.S.

How was the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) resolved?

The USSR removed missiles from Cuba, and the U.S. secretly removed missiles from Turkey.

Who took over as president after JFK was assassinated in 1963?

Lyndon Baisen Johnson.

What was the goal of the SNCC formed in 1960?

To promote grassroots, confrontational, youth-driven student activism.

What were the central components of LBJ's Great Society?

Ending poverty and racial injustice through the Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965), and programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

A resolution that gave Johnson broad war powers after a questionable attack in 1964.

Who refused military induction in 1966 and was subsequently stripped of his world champion title?

Muhumad Ali.

What was the "Nixon Doctrine"?

A policy where the U.S. promised allies money, weapons, and training, but required allies to be responsible for fighting their own wars.

What was revealed by the Pentagon Papers?

That the government had been secretly funding the war since 1940-50 and lying about American soldier deaths and injuries for three decades.

Who were the "Plumbers" during the Nixon administration?

A group of former CIA agents tasked with stopping leaks and spying on the Democratic National Committee.

What led to Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974?

The Watergate scandal and the subsequent White House cover-up of Evidence found in recording devices.

Which 1985 scheme involved illegally selling weapons to Iran to fund the Contras?

The scheme created by Oliver North.

What was "Reaganomics" or supply-side economics?

An economic philosophy focused on "trickle-down" effects through tax cuts, such as reducing the top rate from $70\%$ to $50\%Initial$.

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative?

A Reagan-era plan to use lasers in space to shoot down missiles coming towards the US.

What was NAFTA (1994)?

A free trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada signed during the Clinton Era.

Why was Bill Clinton impeached?

For obstruction of justice and perjury (lying under oath) regarding an affair with Monica Lewinsky.

What was the U.S. Patriot Act of 2001?

A law giving federal groups the ability to spy on American citizens without a warrant.

What defined the Bush Doctrine during the War on Terror?

The belief that the U.S. can act preemptively against perceived threats.

What was the 2008 financial crisis cause?

The bursting of the housing bubble, subprime mortgages, and deregulated financial markets.

What was the primary goal of the Affordable Care Act (2010)?

To expand health insurance coverage during the Obama administration.