World His and Gov Final - Vocabulary

democracy

a government where citizens vote and have political freedoms

capitalism

an economic system where businesses are privately owned and poeple compete for proft.

communism

a system where the govenrment controls property and businesses and aims for equal wealth distribution

Cold War

a period of tension and compeition between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy of helping countries resist communism

containment

the strategy of stopping ocmmunism from spreading to new countries

Marshall Plan

U.S. Porgram that gave economic aid to rebuild Europe after World War II

satellite nation

a country controlled or heavily influenced by another more powerful country.

Eastern Bloc

Communist countries in Eastern Europe controlled by the Soviet Union

Iron curtain

the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

NATO

Millitary alliance of the US, Canada, and western European countries/

Warsaw Pact

military alliance of the Soviet Union and communist Eastern European countries.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off West Berlic from supplies in 1948-1949

Berlin Wall

Wall built by East Germany to separate East and West Berlin and stop escapes

United Nations

International organization formed to propmote peace and cooperation between nations.

arms race

Compeititon between nations to build more powerful weapons

space race

Competition between the U.S. and USSR to achieve advances in space exploration.

deterrence

Preventing attacks by threatening strong retaliation.

Mutually-assured destruction (MAD)

The idea that nuclear war would destroy both sides completely.

ICBMs

Intercontinental Balistic Missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons long distances.

Sputnik

First artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Sun Yat-sen

Chinese revolutionary leader who helped overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

Communist Party (CCP)

Chinese political party led by communists under Mao Zedong.

Nationalist Party (KMT)

Chinese political party led by Chiang Kai-Shek that fought the communists.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who founded the People’s Republic of China

Chiang Kai-Shek

Leader of the Chinese Nationalists who fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war.

Taiwan

Island where the Chinese Nationalists established their government after 1949.

domino theory

Belief that if one coutnry became communist nearby contries would follow.

proxy war

Conflict where major powers support opposing sides without directly fighting each other

North Korea

Communist country norht of the 38th parallel supported by China and the USSR.

South Korea

Non-communist country south of the 38th Parallel supported by the United States.

38th Parallel

Line dividing North and South Korea

DMZ

Demilitarized Zone separating North and OSuth Korea after the Korean War

Kim Il-Sung

Communist leader of North Korea during the Korean War.

North Vietnam

Communist government in northern Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh.

South Vietnam

Non-communist in southern Vietnam supported by the United States.

Viet Minh

Communnist independence movement in Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh

Viet Cong

Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader who fought for Vietnam’s independence and reunification.

Bay of Pigs

Failed U.S. - supported invasion of Cuba in 1961.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 confrontation between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet Missiles in Cuba.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba after the Cuban Revolution.

Soviet-Afghan Conflict

War in Afghanistan where the Soviet Union fought Afghan resistance fighters in the 1980s.

glasnost

Soviet policy of openness and freedom of informaiton under Gorbachev.

perestroika

Soviet policy of economic and political restructuring under Gorbachev.

religion

a system of beliefs and practices related to sprituality or worship.

monotheistic

Believing in one god.

polytheistic

Believing in many gods.

Abrahamic religions

Religions tracing their origins to Abraham, including Judaism, Christiantiy, and Islam.

tenet

a basic belief or principle of a religion.

rite

A religious ceremony or practice

sect

A smaller group within a relgiion with different beliefs or practices.

doctrine

Official beliefs or teachings fo a religion or organization.

prophet

A person believed to deliver messages from God.

deity

A god or a divine being.

Great Leap Forward

Mao’s plan to rapidly industrialize and collectivize China in the late 1950s.

commune

Large farming communitry where people share land and resources.

Chinese Cultural Revolution

Movement led by Mao to remove capitalist influences and strengthen communism in China.

Four Olds

Old customs, cultrue, habits, and ideas targeted during the Cultrual Revolution.

British East India Company

British company that controlled so much of India before direct British rule.

British Raj

Period of direct British rule over India from 1858 to 1947.

Indian National Congress

Political party that pushed for Indian independence.

Muslim League

Political organization that advocated for a separate Muslim nation, Pakistan.

Mahatma

Meaning “great soul,” title given to Ghandi.

Homespun Movement

Gandhi’s campaign encourgaing Indians to make and wear local cloth instead of British goods.

Salt March

Gandhi’s protest against the British salt tax in 1930.

Quit India Movement

Movement demanding an end to British rule in India during World War II.

Arab

a person from a culture or nation where Arabic is commonly spoken.

Pan-Arabism

Movement promoting unity among Arab countries and peoples.

Zionism

movement supporting the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Balfour Declaration

British statement supporting a Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1917.

Palestine

Region in the Middle East claimedby both Israelis and Palestinians.

UN Partition Plan of 1948

United Nations proposal to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

Arab-Israeli War

1948 war between Israel and neighboring Arab nations after Israel’s creation.

Six-Day War

1967 war where Israel quickly defeated several Arab countries and gained territory.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by the United States in 1978.

Palestinian Libertaion Organization (PLO)

Organization representing Palestinian nationalism and independence efforts.

first Intifada

Palestinian uprising against Israeli control beginning in 1987

Oslo Accords

Agreements between Israel and the PLO aimed at achieving peace in the 1990s.

second Intifada

Violent Palestinian uprising against Israel beginning in 2000

Afrikaners

White SOuth Africans of Dutch descent

apartheid

South African system of racial segregation and discrimination.

Bantustan

Territory set aside by apartheid South Africa for Black Africans.

African National Congress (ANC)

South African political organization that fought against apartheid.