The origins of the Cold War key terms

Berlin Airlift

Allied response to the Blockade: supplies flown to Berlin along the three air corridors. Enabled West Berlin to be kept going.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to force Western Allies out of their Sectors of Berlin by closing all overland routes to the city 1948-49.

Bizonia

Name given to US & British zones in Germany when they joined for economic purposes in 1947. The first step towards creating West Germany

Capitalism

Economic system in which most businesses are privately owned and run for personal profit.

COMECON

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. The Soviet-led Eastern European response to the OEEC and the Marshall Plan, created 1949.

COMINFORM

Communist Information Bureau. Replacement for the pre-war Comintern, it was used to spread communist ideas and ensure Soviet control of other socialist parties.

Containment

US policy after 1947 of preventing the further spread of communism beyond Eastern Europe: basis of Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan.

Dictatorship

System of government where single Party (and usually a single leader) holds all political power, in contrast to multi-party 'democracy'.

Expansionism

The desire to expand a country's area of control, largely for its own sake, generally applied to the 'other side', e.g. to USSR & Eastern Europe.

FRG

Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland). West Germany; created May 1949 from Western zones of Germany

GDR

German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik). East Germany, created October 1949 from Soviet zone of Germany.

Imperialism

Soviet-favoured expression for US/British attempts to spread/retain their influence over other parts of the world.

Iron Curtain

Name given to the division of Europe between Soviet and Western spheres, first used by Churchill in March 1946

Marshall Plan

American aid package to Europe, offered in 1947. Designed to enable Western Europe to recover from the war and withstand communism

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Western military alliance created in 1949, linking Western Europe and USA/Canada

Self-Determination

Principle of allowing a people to decide their own political future, free from outside interference.

Communism

Political/economic system in which private property is replaced by state ownership of industry etc,

Truman Doctrine

Policy declaration by President Truman when US replaced Britain in supporting Greek monarchists in 1947. Promised help to those resisting communism.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-led military alliance created in 1955 after rearmament of West Germany. Counterpart of NATO.