Unit Study Guide #11: Later Cold War Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on Unit Study Guide #11 covering the Later Cold War era, including key figures, social trends, and military terms.

Senator Joseph McCarthy

Leader of the Senate committee accusing Americans of being communists, often with very little evidence.

G.I. Bill of Rights

Law in which the federal government spent billions of dollars to give veterans money to spend on businesses, homes and schooling.

suburbs

Communities surrounding cities that are a blend of urban and rural.

Levittown

Suburban town in which mass-produced, identical, and affordable homes were built.

Baby Boom

Major increase in the number of children born in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to the Communists, neighboring countries would follow.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Event that led to more direct military involvement in Vietnam.

Vietcong

South Vietnamese fighters who supported communist North Vietnam.

draft

System of mandatory enlistment in the military.

guerrilla warfare

Style of warfare in which fighters make hit and run attacks on the enemy.

napalm

A jelly-like substance that burst into flames, sticking to people's bodies. Napalm was a chemical weapon that was used against the Vietcong (North Vietnamese Communists).

"Hawks"

Americans who support war.

"Doves"

Americans who oppose war.

détente

Reduction of tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1970s.

S.A.L.T. Agreement (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)

Treaty in which the U.S. and Soviet Union agreed to limit their nuclear warheads and missiles.

Star Wars

Weapons system proposed by President Reagan that would be able to destroy Soviet Missiles from space.