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Cold War & Contemporary Europe
"Hot Wars"
a war with active military hostilities; this is also known as "proxy wars" during the overall Cold War; during the Cold War, examples of these would be the Korean War, Vietnam War and Soviet-Afghan War
"Iron Curtain"
was Winston Churchill's term for the Cold War division between the Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe and the U.S.-dominated Western Europe
"The Troubles"
was a period of ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the 1990s; primarily was a dispute over the sovereignty and independence of Northern Ireland, with Unionists (who were mostly Protestant) supporting Northern Ireland's union with the United Kingdom and Irish Nationalists (who were mostly Catholic) supporting Northern Ireland leaving the UK to be a part of independent Ireland; led to various amounts of violence, which culminated in the 1972 "Bloody Sunday"; ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, in which Northern Ireland remains part of the UK
Basque Separatist Movement
was an armed political conflict from 1959-2011 in which the Basque National Liberation Movement fought with the Spanish government for independence for the Basque people in northern Spain/southwestern France; the movement had the support of the ETA, which had been classified as a terrorist organization who fought for Basque rights; a cease-fire between the ETA and the Spanish government was established in 2011
Bauhaus
A Weimar (German) architectural school created by Walter Gropius which combined the fine arts and functionalism; had an extremely large impact on architectural styles of the 20th century
Brexit
the term for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and European Atomic Energy Community, which was finalized on January 31, 2020; the UK is the first and only country to formally withdraw from the EU; the larger impact of this event on the UK economy has still yet to be seen
Brezhnev Doctrine
statement by Soviet party chairman Brezhnev in 1968 that declared the right of the Soviet Union to interfere in the domestic policies of other communist countries
Cold War (1945-1991)
the ideological and geographical struggle between the U.S. and its allies and the USSR and its allies that began after World War II and lasted until the dissolution of the USSR in 1989.
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)
An economic alliance, founded in 1949, to coordinate the economic affairs of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries; was a response to the U.S.-led Marshall Plan and NATO
Dadaism
an artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s that attacked all accepted standards of art and behavior and delighted in outrageous conduct; was seen as a rejection of earlier, traditional forms of art
Decolonization
the process of European retreat of colonial empires following World War II; led to immense political, economic and social issues in formal colonial territories in Africa and Asia, that is still seen today.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
he was a German Lutheran pastor who was known for his staunch opposition to Nazi rule and was extremely vocal against the events of the Holocaust; he was eventually arrested by the Gestapo and executed by the Nazi government
Edith Cresson (1934 - )
she is a French politician, who was the first and to this day only, female Prime Minister of France from 1991-1992; she eventually received widespread criticism for her various political ideologies and fell from power after corruption charges
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
the group of six European countries formed in 1951 to coordinate iron and steel production to ensure peace among member countries; eventually evolved into the EU
European Economic Community (EEC)
The economic association formed by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in 1957. Also known as the Common Market.
European Union (EU)
the new name given to the EEC in 1993; it included most of the states of Western Europe, and currently has 27 European country members; established a common European currency, the Euro
French National Front
is a far-right populist, nationalistic political party in France that challenges the increasing immigration into Europe through former colonies as well as the European Union; indicates a trend away from unity and decreased satisfaction with the EU, also seen in the Brexit debate; is currently led by Marine le Pen
Glasnost
meaning "openness"; the policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s of permitting open criticism of the policies of the Soviet Communist Party.
Hungarian Revolution (1956)
was a nationwide revolt against the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-led policies; began as a student protest that quickly escalated into a full-scale violent revolution against the government; it was eventually crushed by Soviet forces, who reinstated a harsh Soviet-backed dictatorship in Hungary
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
an institution established in 1944 that provides loans and facilitates international monetary exchange; currently has 190 member countries and is based in Washington D.C.
Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)
she was the Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990; she was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of the UK; an ideological partner to President Ronald Reagan, Thatcher enacted economic liberalization reforms and attempted to check the powers of labor unions in Britain.
Marshall Plan
the U.S. program named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall of providing economic aid to Europe after World War II
Mikhail Gorbachev (1931 - )
is a Russian and former Soviet politician, who served as the final leader of the Soviet Union and oversaw its demise in 1989; he was known for his reform policies in the USSR, including withdrawal from the Soviet-Afghan War and his policies of glasnost and perestroika
Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971)
he was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1953-1964, following Stalin's death; he began the process of de-Stalinization, led early breakthroughs of Soviet space technology, supported Egypt in the Suez Crisis and played a large role in the Cuban Missile Crisis with the U.S.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
an alliance of countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4, 1989; was created as the democratic-led military alliance during the Cold War against communist-led countries
Perestroika
meaning "restructuring", the attempt in the 1980s to reform the Soviet government and economy
Polish Elections of 1989
were the democratically-held elections in Poland following the collapse of the Soviet-backed government; voted in a new Polish legislature and President
Prague Spring (1968)
was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II; began when reformist Alexander Dubcek was elected the First Secretary and instituted a policy of reforms, leading to the USSR invading to suppress the reforms; the Soviet troops were able to subdue the revolutionaries, and Czechoslovakia remained a part of the USSR until 1989
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
was a meeting of the Catholic Church called by Pope John XXIII that fully championed liberal democratic forms of government; it redefined the church's doctrine and practices and started to redefine its relations with other religious communities, opening a dialogue with other various religions
Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)
she was a French writer, feminist and philosopher who is most well-known for her treatise "The Second Sex", in which she gives a detailed analysis of women's oppression and laid a foundation for the modern feminist movement
Surrealism
a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images; was also largely influenced by Dadaism
United Nations (UN)
an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security; is based in New York City and currently has 193 member nations
Warsaw Pact
an alliance of East European socialist states, dominated by the Soviet Union; formed in response to NATO
World Bank
A specialized agency of the United Nations that makes loans to countries for economic development, trade promotion, and debt consolidation. Its formal name is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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