Unit 4: Cold War & A Great Society

OnRamps US History 1865 & Forward. Unit 4 Flashcards for Cold War & A Great Society

Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill)

Provided benefits to WWII veterans, including education, housing, and loans, fueling postwar economic growth.

The Cold War

A geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and Soviet Union marked by ideological, military, and economic competition.

Containment

U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism, leading to involvement in Korea and Vietnam.

Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, justifying U.S. interventions.

Truman Doctrine

A policy pledging U.S. support to nations resisting communism, beginning with Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. initiative providing $13 billion to rebuild European economies after WWII.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet attempt to cut off Western access to Berlin, countered by the U.S. Berlin Airlift.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance between Western nations to counter Soviet expansion.

Executive Order 9835

Established loyalty reviews for federal employees, intensifying Cold War fears of communism.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Investigated suspected communist activity in the U.S., leading to blacklisting in Hollywood.

Military-Industrial Complex

President Eisenhower warned against the growing power of the defense industry in U.S. policy.

Sputnik

The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union, spurring U.S. investment in science and technology education.

Accelerated Suburban Growth

Expansion of suburban housing, including Levittown, fueled by the GI Bill and economic prosperity.

The Great Society

President Johnson's domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty, improving education, and advancing civil rights.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 & 1968

Outlawed discrimination in public spaces and housing, strengthening civil rights protections.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment & 'Bloody Sunday'

Abolished poll taxes; violent police attacks on Selma marchers highlighted voting rights struggles.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and other barriers to African American voting rights.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave President Johnson broad authority to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Tet Offensive

A major North Vietnamese attack that shifted U.S. public opinion against the Vietnam War.

Counterculture

A movement rejecting mainstream values, advocating for peace, free love, and alternative lifestyles.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam and shifting responsibility to South Vietnamese forces.

Antiwar Movement

Widespread protests against the Vietnam War, including demonstrations at Kent State and Jackson State.

Pentagon Papers

Leaked documents revealing U.S. government deception about the Vietnam War, increasing public distrust.

End of U.S. Engagement in Vietnam

The Paris Peace Accords led to U.S. withdrawal, but North Vietnam eventually won in 1975.