Cold War and Chinese Communist Revolution Vocabulary

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and key concepts related to the Cold War and the Chinese Communist Revolution.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance with 12 countries from North America and Europe.

Potsdam Agreement

A decision made by the Allied powers to determine how to deal with Germany and Europe after WWII.

Yalta Conference

A meeting where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decided to temporarily divide Germany among British, French, American, and Soviet forces.

Iron Curtain

The division separating Eastern Europe from Western Europe during the Cold War.

Eastern Bloc

Communist countries in Eastern and Central Europe aligned with or controlled by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Western Bloc

Capitalist countries during the Cold War that aligned with the U.S. and opposed the Soviet Union.

Arms Race

Competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to build up the most powerful military forces.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts where major powers support different sides without fighting each other directly.

Cultural Revolution

A political and social movement in China launched by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 that lasted about 10 years.

Mao Zedong

The founder of the People's Republic of China and a significant figure in Chinese history.

Great Leap Forward

A major campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1958 aimed at rapidly transforming China into a modern, industrialized communist nation, resulting in disaster.

Five Year Plan

A series of plans aimed at industrializing and increasing agricultural output in China.

Communism

A political ideology advocating for the elimination of private ownership of land, businesses, or capital.

De-Stalinization

The process of reforming the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962 over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.