8.1-8.3

Big Three

Refers to the three major Allied leaders during World War II: Winston Churchill (United Kingdom), Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States), and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union).

Tehran Conference

A meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in 1943 where they discussed military strategy and post-war plans.

Potsdam Conference

Held in 1945 with Churchill, Stalin, and Harry Truman, it dealt with the administration of Germany and the peace settlements in Europe post-World War II.

Harry Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, who succeeded Roosevelt and made key decisions at the end of World War II, including the use of atomic bombs on Japan.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies after World War II.

Dwight Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States and a five-star general in World War II.

Self-determination

The principle that nations have the right to choose their own sovereignty and international political status without external influence.

Hydrogen Bomb

A powerful type of nuclear bomb developed during the Cold War.

Military Industrial Complex

A term popularized by Eisenhower referring to the relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it.

United Nations

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

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the division between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the democratic nations of Western Europe.

Satellite Countries

Nations that were aligned with, but also under the influence and pressure of, the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

World Revolution

The belief in a global uprising against capitalism, often associated with communist ideology.

Containment

A United States policy using numerous strategies to prevent the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

A policy set forth by President Truman stating that the U.S. would support countries resisting communism.

Non-Aligned Movement

An international organization of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

A doctrine of military strategy where a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both.

Sputnik

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

Marshall Plan

An American initiative to aid Western Europe economically after World War II.

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)

An economic organization under the leadership of the Soviet Union comprising Eastern Bloc countries and other communist states.

Proxy War

A conflict where two opposing countries support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

Berlin Airlift

An operation in 1948-1949 where Western Allies airlifted supplies to West Berlin amidst a Soviet blockade.

Berlin Wall

A wall built by East Germany in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin, symbolizing the Cold War divide.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall, like dominoes.

Bay of Pigs

A failed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles, supported by the U.S., in 1961.

Cuban Missile Crisis

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

Angola

A country in southern Africa that experienced a civil war heavily influenced by Cold War superpowers.

Contra War

A conflict in Nicaragua where U.S.-backed Contras fought against the Sandinista government.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance of Western countries established in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe organized in 1955 in answer to NATO.

Communist Bloc

The group of communist states under the influence of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization)

A regional defense organization to prevent communism from spreading in Southeast Asia.

CENTO (Central Treaty Organization)

A military alliance among Western-aligned nations in the Middle East to counter Soviet influence.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

A treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT)

An international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Hot Line

A direct communication link between the U.S. and Soviet leaders established in 1963 to reduce the risk of accidental war.

Antinuclear Weapons Movement

Activism and efforts aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons.

Douglas MacArthur

A prominent American general during World War II and the Korean War.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The 36th President of the United States who succeeded John F. Kennedy after his assassination.

John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States, known for his role during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Nikita Khrushchev

The leader of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, known for de-Stalinization.

Land Reform

Redistribution of agricultural land to peasants and the landless to reduce economic inequality.

Commune

A collective farming community, particularly associated with China during the Great Leap Forward.

Theocracy

A form of government in which religious leaders control political power.

Mao Zedong

The leader of the Communist Party of China and founding father of the People's Republic of China.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to rapidly industrialize the country, which resulted in economic disaster.

Cultural Revolution

A socio-political movement in China initiated by Mao Zedong aimed at preserving communist ideology by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements.

Red Guards

Radical youth mobilized by Mao during the Cultural Revolution to enforce communist orthodoxy.

White Revolution

A series of social, economic, and political reforms in Iran initiated by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Muhammad Reza Pahlavi

The last Shah of Iran, overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Mohammad Mossadegh

Prime Minister of Iran who was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by the U.S. and UK.

Haile Selassie

Emperor of Ethiopia who played a key role in modernizing his country.

Mengistu Haile Mariam

Ethiopian politician and army leader who was head of state for a while.