Unit 3: Ideologies in Conflict and the Imposition of Liberalism

Alignment

A situation in which countries share a similar ideology and foreign policy; often guided by a dominant nation

Alliance

An agreement between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes

Arms race

Competition among nuclear countries to determine which country would possess the most nuclear weapons

Balance of power

The distribution of power so that no country will dominate or be stronger than another

Brinkmanship

The practice, especially in international politics, of seeking advantage by creating the impression that one is willing and able to push a highly dangerous situation to the limit rather than concede

Coalition

An alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties that forms a government or of states

Cold War

A rivalry, after World War II, between democratic countries and the Soviet Union and its satellites

Collective security

An organization of countries that agree to protect one another if any of the member countries are attacked

Containment

An American policy to limit communist expansion in Europe and Asia

Détente

A period of lessening tensions

Deterrence

A foreign policy to discourage a country from taking military action

Dissuasion

The French policy of maintaining a nuclear arsenal for national defense

Domino effect

In politics, the theory that if one country was taken over by an expansionist country, then nearby countries would also be taken over, one after the other

Espionage

Spying

Ethnocentric

A perspective that holds that one's own culture is superior

Expansionism

The policy of expanding a nation's territory or sphere of influence

Extremist

A person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action

Glasnost

An official policy of the former Soviet Union that emphasized a more open government and wider distribution of information

Humanitarianism

A doctrine that promotes improvement to the standard of living or quality of life of others, often through outside intervention

Iron Curtain

An ideological line drawn between the communist countries and the democratic countries in Europe

Isolationism

A policy to limit involvement in international matters

Jihad

A holy war

Marshall Plan

A policy of providing economic aid to countries affected by World War II

McCarthyism

The term given to the movement to root out and expose potential communists within American society during the mid-1950s

Mutual deterrence

Occurs when two or more countries use all possible means to prevent one another from taking military action

Mutually assured destruction (MAD)

Fear that if one country used a nuclear bomb to attack another country, there would be a nuclear war that would destroy the world

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance

Naval blockade

Occurs when ships from one country stop the passage of ships from another country

Perestroika

A policy of the former Soviet Union that emphasized restructuring the economy

Propaganda

The use of media, such as newspapers, radio, and television, to distribute information intended to influence the public. Propaganda is not always truthful.

Qur'an

The sacred text of Muslims

Regime

A system of government

Satellite state

A previously independent nation that has fallen under the control or ideological influence of a larger, more powerful state

Self-interest

Consideration of one's position, often without regard for the welfare of others

Sphere of influence

A territorial area over which one nation has the main political or economic influence

Superpower

A very powerful and influential nation. The term was used to refer to the United States and the former Soviet Union when they were seen as the two most powerful nations in the world

Taliban

A political party

Theocracy

A government run by religious leaders and guided by religious doctrine

Truman Doctrine

A policy to provide economic assistance to war-torn countries that needed to rebuild and to countries threatened by or attracted to communism

War on terror

A term used to describe actions taken to combat global terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States