ball tenderizer

George F. Kennan

American diplomat who advocated for the containment policy during the Cold War.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general who led Allied forces in the Pacific during WWII and the Korean War.

Dean Acheson

U.S. Secretary of State under Truman; key figure in developing the Marshall Plan and NATO.

Joseph McCarthy

U.S. senator known for his aggressive anti-Communist campaigns, leading to 'McCarthyism.'

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American couple executed for allegedly spying for the Soviet Union.

Benjamin Spock

Pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care influenced post-WWII parenting.

J. Strom Thurmond

U.S. senator and pro-segregation advocate; ran for president in 1948 as a Dixiecrat.

Henry Wallace

Former Vice President and Progressive Party presidential candidate in 1948.

Adlai Stevenson

Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956; known for his intellectual style.

Richard M. Nixon

U.S. President known for his anti-Communist stance and later involvement in Watergate.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

Egyptian leader who nationalized the Suez Canal, triggering the Suez Crisis.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader during the height of the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis.

Fidel Castro

Communist revolutionary who became the leader of Cuba.

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese nationalist and communist leader.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Anti-communist leader of South Vietnam.

Yalta Conference

WWII meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to plan post-war Europe.

Cold War

Political tension and military rivalry between the U.S. and USSR from 1947 to 1991.

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-WWII trials of Nazi leaders for war crimes.

Iron Curtain

Term coined by Churchill describing the division between Western Europe and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. and British airlift to deliver supplies to West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to provide aid to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program to rebuild Europe after WWII.

National Security Act

1947 law restructuring the U.S. military and intelligence.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)

Investigated suspected Communist activities in the U.S.

McCarran Act

Law requiring Communist organizations to register with the government.

Fair Deal

Truman’s domestic policy for social improvements and civil rights.

NSC-68

A report recommending increased U.S. military spending to counter the Soviet threat.

Taft-Hartley Act

Law restricting the power of labor unions.

Eisenhower Doctrine

U.S. policy to provide military and economic aid to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

National Defense Education Act

U.S. law boosting education in science, math, and technology after Sputnik.

Thirty-eighth Parallel

Dividing line between North and South Korea.

Inchon Landing

A successful amphibious invasion during the Korean War.

Suez Crisis

Conflict triggered by Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Hungarian Revolt

1956 uprising against Soviet control in Hungary.

U-2 Incident

The shooting down of a U.S. spy plane over Soviet airspace in 1960.

“White Flight”

The migration of white populations from cities to suburbs.

“Creeping Socialism”

A term used by conservatives to describe expanding government influence.

Desegregation

The process of ending racial segregation in public facilities.

Military-Industrial Complex

Eisenhower’s warning about the powerful alliance between the military and defense industries.

Modern Republicanism

Eisenhower’s moderate political philosophy balancing conservative economic policies with social progress.

Sunbelt

Region of the U.S. experiencing significant population growth post-WWII.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, sparking the space race.

“Missile Gap”

The belief that the USSR had more powerful missiles than the U.S.