AP US History AMSCO Vocab Time Period: 8

Cold War

A state of political hostility between the Soviet Union and the United States characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare.

Soviet Union

A socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991, comprised of Russia and several other republics.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, known for his totalitarian regime.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among countries.

satellites

Nations that are politically or economically dominated by a more powerful nation.

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, known for his leadership and speeches.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between the Soviet-controlled East and the West during the Cold War.

containment policy

The U.S. strategy during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism.

George Marshall

U.S. Secretary of State who proposed the Marshall Plan for European recovery after World War II.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide political, military, and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe to help rebuild after World War II.

Berlin airlift

A military operation in 1948-1949 to supply West Berlin with food and fuel during a Soviet blockade.

West Germany

A democratic nation formed in 1949, officially the Federal Republic of Germany.

East Germany

A socialist state formed in 1949, officially the German Democratic Republic.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance established in 1949 between North American and European countries to counter Soviet expansion.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe established in 1955 as a response to NATO.

National Security Act

A 1947 act that created the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the CIA.

arms race

A competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons.

Douglas MacArthur

An American general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Mao Zedong

The founding father of the People's Republic of China and its leader from 1949 until his death in 1976.

People’s Republic of China

The official name of China, established in 1949, under communist rule.

38th parallel

The line that divided North and South Korea before and during the Korean War.

Korean War

A conflict that lasted from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea (with support from China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with support from the United Nations).

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State who advocated for the policy of containment and a strong anti-communist stance.

brinkmanship

A strategy in international relations that involves pushing dangerous events to the brink of active conflict.

massive retaliation

A military doctrine associated with the Cold War strategy of response to nuclear attacks.

Korean armistice

An agreement that ended hostilities in the Korean War in 1953.

Nikita Khrushchev

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 known for denouncing Stalin and for his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the space age.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

U-2 incident

In 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet airspace, increasing tensions during the Cold War.

Fidel Castro

Cuban leader who established a communist state in Cuba and was a prominent figure during the Cold War.

military-industrial complex

The relationship between a country's military and the defense industries that supply it.

Bay of Pigs

A failed invasion of Cuba in 1961 by a CIA-sponsored paramilitary group composed of Cuban exiles.

Berlin Wall

A concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, symbolizing the Cold War.

Cuban missile crisis

A 13-day confrontation in 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

An agreement among nations to prohibit all nuclear test explosions.

flexible-response policy

A defense strategy that involved a range of military options to deter different threats.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

An international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor who played a significant role in U.S. foreign policy during the 1970s.

detente

A period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1970s.

anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs)

Missiles designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)

Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union aimed at curtailing the manufacture of strategic missiles.

Loyalty Review Board

A board established by the U.S. government during the Cold War to investigate the loyalty of federal employees.

Dennis et al. v. United States

A significant Supreme Court case regarding the limits of free speech and subversion.

Smith Act (1940)

A federal statute that made it a criminal offense to advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

McCarran Internal Security Act

A 1950 law designed to control the activities of communist organizations in the U.S.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated allegations of subversive activities.

Alger Hiss

A former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy and convicted of perjury.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American couple executed for conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union.

McCarthyism

A campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. during the early 1950s led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Harry S. Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, known for his role in post-war recovery and the Cold War.

Employment Act of 1946

Legislation aimed at promoting maximum employment, production, and purchasing power.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights)

A law that provided various benefits to returning World War II veterans.

baby boom

A significant increase in the birth rate following World War II.

Levittown

Affordable suburban housing developments built after World War II that symbolized post-war prosperity.

22nd Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution limiting the president to two terms.

Taft-Hartley Act

A law that restricted the activities and power of labor unions.

Fair Deal

President Truman's proposal for widespread social reforms after World War II.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States, known for his leadership during the Cold War and the creation of the Interstate Highway System.

modern Republicanism

An approach to governance embraced by Eisenhower that aimed to balance conservative economic policies with social welfare.

Highway Act

A law passed in 1956 to fund the construction of the Interstate Highway System.

New Frontier

President John F. Kennedy's domestic program aimed at improving education, healthcare, and civil rights.

beatniks

Members of a 1950s subculture that rejected the conventional norms of society.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American to play in Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier in 1947.

Committee on Civil Rights

A committee established by President Truman in 1946 to recommend measures to ensure civil rights.

Thurgood Marshall

The first African American Supreme Court Justice, known for his civil rights advocacy.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

The 1954 Supreme Court case that declared public school segregation unconstitutional.

Southern Manifesto

A document written in 1956 that opposed desegregation in the South and advocated for states' rights.

desegregation

The process of ending the separation of two groups, particularly in reference to races.

Little Rock

A notable incident in 1957 involving the desegregation of Central High School in Arkansas.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A leader in the civil rights movement, known for his nonviolent protests and the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Montgomery bus boycott

A protest against racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, initiated by Rosa Parks.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

An organization founded in 1957 that focused on nonviolent civil rights activism.

sit-in movement

A form of protest where participants occupy a place and refuse to leave to promote civil rights.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

A civil rights organization formed in 1960 that played a key role in the sit-in movement.

covert action

Secret operations aimed at influencing political outcomes in other countries.

Suez crisis

A diplomatic crisis in 1956 when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to military intervention.

Eisenhower Doctrine

A U.S. policy that pledged American military and economic assistance to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

A group of oil-producing countries that coordinated and unified petroleum policies.

Yom Kippur (October) War

A war fought by Israel against a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria in 1973.

oil embargo

A restriction on the export of oil, used as a political tool.

Camp David Accords

A peace treaty between Israel and Egypt brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Peace Corps

A U.S. government program that sends American volunteers to work on development projects in countries abroad.

Alliance for Progress

A program initiated by President Kennedy to support economic development in Latin America.

Ngo Dinh Diem

The leader of South Vietnam whose regime was supported by the United States but faced opposition.

domino theory

The idea that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also fall.

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)

A regional defense organization formed in 1954 to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

A resolution passed by Congress in 1964 giving the President authority to use military force in Vietnam.

General William Westmoreland

Commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam during the height of the Vietnam War.

Tet Offensive

A series of surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War in 1968.

Robert F. Kennedy

U.S. Senator and presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968.

Richard Nixon

The 37th President of the United States, known for ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Democratic Convention in Chicago

The 1968 convention marked by protests and a controversial nomination process.

Hubert Humphrey

Democratic presidential candidate in 1968, who succeeded Lyndon Johnson as Vice President.

Henry Kissinger

A diplomat and political scientist who served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Nixon.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy aimed at transferring the responsibility of war efforts from U.S. forces to South Vietnamese troops.

Nixon Doctrine

A foreign policy that stated the U.S. would support allies with military and economic aid, but not with U.S. ground troops.

Kent State

A university where four students were killed by National Guardsmen during a protest against the Vietnam War in 1970.