the cold war

cold war

Dumbarton Oakes Conference

A 1944 conference in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the formation of the United Nations, responsible for international peace.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting where Stalin convinced FDR and Churchill to allow USSR control over Poland and Germany was split into four zones.

Potsdam Conference

A 1945 conference where Allies and USSR disagreed on reparations for Germany and the USA hinted at having atomic bombs.

Mary McLeod Bethune

Founder of Bethune-Cookman College and participant in the founding of the United Nations.

Cold War

An era of confrontation and competition between the U.S. and USSR (Soviet Union) characterized by the threat of nuclear war created constant world tension.

Arms Race

Competition between countries to acquire nuclear weapons.

Space Race

Competition to achieve space exploration milestones, notably the race to reach the moon (e.g., after Sputnik).

Espionage Act

Legislation related to spying, particularly involving the CIA and KGB.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the blockade that cut off West Berlin from the rest of the world.

Containment

U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism globally through diplomatic, economic, and military actions.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. operation to fly food and supplies to West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 to protect Western Europe from Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of Eastern Europe, formed as a response to NATO.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Revolution, who took control from Chang Kai-shek.

38th Parallel

The line dividing North Korea (controlled by Soviets) and South Korea (established as a democracy by the U.S.).

Alger Hiss

Former aide to FDR and an organizer of the United Nations. He was accused of being a Soviet spy by HUAC. Evidence linked secret documents to his typewriter, and he hid them in a hollow pumpkin, leading to the "Pumpkin Papers" scandal. Hiss was convicted of perjury for lying under oath.

Richard Nixon

California State Representative who urged investigation into Alger Hiss's espionage accusations.

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Members of the Communist Party accused of passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. They were convicted of espionage and sentenced to death. Despite controversy over the evidence, they were executed in June 1953.

Joe McCarthy

U.S. senator who, in 1952, began holding Senate hearings accusing Americans of having Communist ties. His investigations, based on rumors and weak evidence, led to a wave of fear and ruined reputations. This practice became known as McCarthyism, a term for baseless accusations and reckless anti-communist hysteria.

H-Bomb

More powerful hydrogen bomb tested by the Soviets in 1953, shocking America.

Dynamic Conservatism

Eisenhower's domestic policy combining economic conservatism with some activism.

Federal Highways Act

Legislation for the construction of 40,000 miles of interstate highways post WWII (the largest Public works project in American History).

Strategic Air Command (SAC)

U.S. military command focusing on the development of super bombers and nuclear weapons.

Massive Retaliation

President Eisenhower's Cold War policy of deterring Soviet aggression by threatening to use nuclear weapons. It was closely tied to Brinkmanship, the strategy of pushing conflicts to the brink of war to force opponents to back down.

Brinkmanship

The strategy of pushing conflicts to the brink of war to force opponents to back down.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Eisenhower used this to fight communism through covert operations in foreign countries. Established in 1947, it acted as the U.S. spy network, secretly influencing events to counter Soviet influence.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Authorization for military force to assist Middle East nations against Communist aggression.

Sputnik

The first satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union in 1957, beating the U.S. in the space race. In response, the U.S. created NASA to advance space technology and passed the National Defense Education Act to improve education in science, math, and foreign languages.

Military-Industrial Complex

In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warned about this, the close relationship between the military and the defense industry, which could promote excessive military spending and influence government policy. He cautioned that this could threaten democracy if left unchecked.

Taft-Hartley Bill

Restricted labor unions by outlawing closed shops (requiring workers to be union members) and allowing the government to stop strikes that endangered public health. It limited workers' ability to take action against employers.

Levittown

The first modern suburb in New York that emerged post-WWII.

Baby Boom

The post-WWII explosion in birthrate leading to more than 65 million children born from 1945-1961.

Jonas Salk

Developer of the vaccine that prevented polio.

Rock 'n Roll

A musical genre that emerged in the 1950s, marking a cultural shift in music.

Generation Gap

Cultural separation between children and their parents during the 1950s.

Beat Generation

1950s cultural movement where young people rejected traditional societal norms in favor of new ways of thinking. Its members, called "Beatniks," challenged mainstream values and set the stage for the 1960s counterculture and hippie movement.

White Flight

The mass migration of middle-class white Americans from cities to suburbs in the 1950s.

Juvenile Delinquency

The increase in teenage rebellion in the 1950s attributed to cultural influences like movies and books.

Declaration of Liberated Europe

Promise at Yalta for free elections in post-WWII Europe.

Big Three

The leaders of the USA, UK, and USSR (FDR, Churchill, Stalin) who met at the Yalta Conference.

Nuclear Weapons

Explosive devices whose destructive power comes from nuclear reactions, central to Cold War tensions.

McCarthyism

Mass hysteria during the 1950s where individuals were accused of being communists with little evidence.

Suburbia

Residential areas surrounding major cities, particularly prominent in the post-WWII era.

Civil Rights Bill

Proposed legislation to make lynching a federal crime and to end segregation.

Fair Deal

Truman's domestic agenda aimed at improving standards of living and expanding social programs. It raised minimum wage, expanded social security benefits and create system of national insurance.

Loyalty Review Board

Group formed to screen federal employees for Communist ties during the Red Scare.

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee that investigated individuals suspected of subversive activities.

The Hollywood Ten

Group of film industry professionals blacklisted for refusing to provide information to HUAC.

Pumpkin Papers

Documents found linked to Alger Hiss, which led to his conviction for perjury.

Soviet Nuclear Capability

Refers to the development and testing of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union.

Dixicrats

Southern Democrats supported racial segregation and limited the voting rights of African Americans during the mid-20th century.

Fair Employment Practices Commission

Agency created to ensure fair hiring practices, particularly for African Americans.

Economic Prosperity

The period post-WWII marked by significant growth in the U.S. economy and improvements in living standards.

Social Security Benefits

Government programs providing financial assistance to retirees and the unemployed.

Universal Health Care

Proposal for a system ensuring medical care for all citizens.

Americanization of immigrants

Efforts to assimilate immigrants into American culture and values.

Nuclear Arms Control

Efforts to regulate and limit the development of nuclear weapons globally.

Three Post-WWII War Conferences

Dumbarton Oakes, Washington DC & Yalta Conference & Potsdam Conference

Teenage Rebellion Movies

Movies like "Rebel Without a Cause" portrayed teenage angst and defiance, influencing the rise of juvenile delinquency. These films, along with books like "The Catcher in the Rye," encouraged teenage rebellion against societal norms and authority.

Cold War Associated

The Arms Race, Space Race, and the Espionage Act.