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Mao Zedong
The founding father of the People's Republic of China (1949) and leader of the Chinese Communist Party. He led major policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, significantly shaping China's modern history.
Deng Xiaoping
A Chinese leader who succeeded Mao Zedong and implemented economic reforms starting in the late 1970s. He introduced market-oriented policies, leading to China’s rapid economic growth while maintaining the Communist Party’s control.
Mikhail Gorbachev
The last leader of the Soviet Union (1985–1991), known for his reforms, glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring). His policies contributed to the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Syrian Civil War
An ongoing conflict that began in 2011 after protests against President Bashar al-Assad's government escalated into a multi-sided war involving rebel groups, ISIS, and foreign powers like Russia and the U.S.
Iranian Revolution
A 1979 revolution that overthrew the monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and established an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini, significantly altering the political and religious landscape.
Truman Doctrine
A U.S. foreign policy announced in 1947 by President Harry Truman, pledging support to countries threatened by communism, particularly Greece and Turkey. It marked the start of the U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War.
Iron Curtain
A term popularized by Winston Churchill to describe the political and ideological barrier between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and Western Europe during the Cold War.
Prague Spring
A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968 under leader Alexander Dubček. It aimed to reform communism but was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion of Warsaw Pact troops.
Proxy War
A conflict in which major powers support opposing sides without directly engaging in combat, such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Soviet-Afghan War during the Cold War.
Jomo Kenyatta
The first Prime Minister (1963) and later President (1964–1978) of independent Kenya. He was a key leader in Kenya’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule.
Marshall Plan
A U.S. economic aid program (1948–1952) that provided over $13 billion to help rebuild Western European economies after World War II, aiming to prevent the spread of communism by promoting economic stability.
Great Leap Forward
A campaign launched by Mao Zedong in China (1958–1962) to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a socialist society through collectivization and industrialization. It led to widespread famine and millions of deaths.
Cultural Revolution
A sociopolitical movement in China (1966–1976) initiated by Mao Zedong to enforce communist ideology, remove capitalist elements, and consolidate his power. It led to widespread persecution, violence, and the disruption of Chinese society.
Cold War
A geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union (1947–1991), characterized by ideological conflict, an arms race, proxy wars, espionage, and political rivalry without direct military confrontation between the two superpowers.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
A military alliance founded in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
Warsaw Pact
A military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states as a response to NATO, aiming to strengthen communist military cooperation.
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13-day confrontation (October 1962) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles. It brought the world to the brink of nuclear war before a negotiated settlement led to the removal of the missiles.
Decolonization
The process by which colonies gained independence from European imperial powers, primarily after World War II, leading to the creation of new nations in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Indian National Congress (INC)
A political party founded in 1885 that played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence from British rule and later became one of the major political parties in independent India.
Mohandas Gandhi
Also known as Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), he was a leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) and civil disobedience.
Muslim League
A political organization founded in 1906 in British India to protect the interests of Muslims. It played a key role in the creation of Pakistan in 1947 under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
