History Final

Yalta Conference

Meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in 1945 that discussed postwar Europe and helped set the stage for the Cold War.

Potsdam Conference

1945 meeting that revealed growing tensions between the United States and Soviet Union.

United Nations

International organization created in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation.

Cold War

Political and ideological conflict between the United States and Soviet Union after WWII.

Containment

U.S. policy of preventing the spread of communism.

Long Telegram

George Kennan's message arguing that the U.S. should contain Soviet expansion.

Iron Curtain

Term describing the division between communist Eastern Europe and democratic Western Europe.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy of providing aid to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program that helped rebuild Europe after WWII.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off access to West Berlin.

Berlin Airlift

U.S.-led effort to fly supplies into West Berlin.

NATO

Military alliance formed by the United States and Western European nations.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance formed by the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist nations.

SEATO

Southeast Asian alliance designed to contain communism.

NSC-68

Report calling for a major military buildup to fight communism.

National Security Act

1947 law creating the Department of Defense, CIA, and National Security Council.

CIA

Central Intelligence Agency responsible for intelligence gathering and covert operations.

Brinkmanship

Policy of pushing conflicts to the edge of war.

Nuclear Deterrence

Preventing attack through the threat of retaliation.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Idea that nuclear war would destroy both sides.

Hydrogen Bomb

Powerful nuclear weapon developed during the arms race.

Military-Industrial Complex

Close relationship between military leaders and defense industries.

Communism

Economic and political system where the government controls production.

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership and free markets.

Domino Theory

Belief that if one nation became communist, nearby nations would follow.

Proxy War

Conflict where superpowers support opposing sides without directly fighting.

38th Parallel

Boundary separating North and South Korea.

Korean War

War between North and South Korea from 1950-1953.

Inchon Landing

Successful surprise attack led by MacArthur during the Korean War.

Pusan Perimeter

Last defensive position held by UN forces in Korea.

Chinese Intervention

Entry of Chinese troops into the Korean War.

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. general removed by Truman for challenging civilian control.

Civilian Control of the Military

Principle that elected leaders control the military.

Matthew Ridgway

U.S. general who stabilized UN forces in Korea.

GI Bill

Law providing education and housing benefits to veterans.

Baby Boom

Rapid increase in births after WWII.

Suburbanization

Movement of people from cities to suburbs.

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing development.

Consumerism

Emphasis on purchasing goods and services.

Federal Housing Administration

Government agency supporting homeownership.

Interstate Highway System

National network of highways built in the 1950s.

Federal-Aid Highway Act

1956 law funding interstate highways.

White-Collar Jobs

Professional and office-based jobs.

Sputnik

First artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union.

Space Race

Competition between the U.S. and USSR for space exploration.

National Defense Education Act

Law increasing funding for science and math education.

Transistor

Electronic device that revolutionized technology.

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court case ending school segregation.

Little Rock Nine

First African American students to integrate Central High School.

Eisenhower

U.S. president from 1953-1961.

McCarthyism

Accusing people of communism without evidence.

Red Scare

Fear of communist influence in the United States.

French Indochina

French colony including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam.

Viet Minh

Communist nationalist group that fought France.

Japanese Occupation of Vietnam

Japanese control of Vietnam during WWII.

OSS

U.S. intelligence agency that cooperated with the Viet Minh during WWII.

Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

1945 declaration by Ho Chi Minh.

First Indochina War

War between France and the Viet Minh.

Dien Bien Phu

Battle that ended French rule in Vietnam.

Geneva Accords

1954 agreement temporarily dividing Vietnam.

17th Parallel

Boundary separating North and South Vietnam.

North Vietnam

Communist government led by Ho Chi Minh.

South Vietnam

Anti-communist government supported by the U.S.

Ngo Dinh Diem

Leader of South Vietnam.

ARVN

Army of South Vietnam.

Viet Cong

Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.

National Liberation Front (NLF)

Organization directing the Viet Cong.

Strategic Hamlet Program

Plan to relocate villagers to protect them from communists.

John F. Kennedy

U.S. president who increased advisors in Vietnam.

Camelot

Idealized image of Kennedy's presidency.

Flexible Response

Cold War strategy using different military options.

Military Advisors

U.S. personnel sent to train South Vietnamese troops.

Diem Coup

Overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem.

Buddhist Crisis

Protests against Diem's government.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Reported attack on U.S. ships used to justify escalation.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Law giving Johnson broad military powers.

Lyndon B. Johnson

President who greatly expanded the Vietnam War.

Escalation

Increasing military involvement.

Operation Rolling Thunder

U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

Search and Destroy

U.S. military tactic to locate and eliminate enemy forces.

Guerrilla Warfare

Hit-and-run tactics used by communist forces.

War of Attrition

Strategy of wearing down an enemy through casualties.

Body Count

Measurement of enemy deaths.

Agent Orange

Chemical used to destroy jungle cover.

Napalm

Incendiary weapon used during Vietnam.

Tet Offensive

Major communist attack in 1968.

Credibility Gap

Difference between government statements and reality.

Teach-Ins

College discussions opposing the Vietnam War.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Major antiwar student group.

Hawks

People who supported the Vietnam War.

Doves

People who opposed the Vietnam War.

Draft

Required military service.

Kent State Shootings

Killing of student protesters by the National Guard.

Pentagon Papers

Leaked documents exposing government deception.

Living-Room War

Nickname for Vietnam due to television coverage.

Richard Nixon

President who pursued Vietnamization.

Vietnamization

Policy of turning combat duties over to South Vietnam.