Cold War and Decolonization

This flashcard set covers key definitions and concepts related to the Cold War and decolonization in the 20th century.

Decolonization

The process of undoing colonialism and imperialism, where colonies declare independence and establish their own nations.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Proxy War

A conflict where two opposing countries support combatants that serve their interests instead of waging war directly.

Non-Aligned Movement

An alliance of countries that decided to remain neutral during the Cold War, formed during the Bandung Conference in 1955.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization; a military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S. and other Western powers.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance established in 1955 between the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist nations.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A doctrine that assumes if one nuclear power launches an attack, the other will retaliate, leading to total annihilation.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide support to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative to provide economic aid to Western Europe after WWII to rebuild economies and prevent communism.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR over Soviet missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing the world close to nuclear war.

Irish and Korean Declarations of Independence

Early examples of nationalist movements seeking independence from imperial powers after WWI.

1.5 million

The estimated number of people killed during the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge.

Ho Chi Minh

A Vietnamese revolutionary leader who played a crucial role in establishing communism in Vietnam.

Berlin Wall

A barrier constructed in 1961 separating East and West Berlin, symbolizing the division during the Cold War.

Mau Mau Movement

A violent uprising in Kenya against British colonial rule, seeking independence.

Kwame Nkrumah

Leader of the independence movement in Ghana who advocated for peaceful protests and was educated in the West.

Shining Path

A violent communist group in Peru that used terror tactics to achieve its goals.