Key Terms from the Cold War Era and Related Events

These flashcards encompass key terms and definitions related to the Cold War era and significant historical events.

Cold War

A geopolitical tension between the US and Soviet Union lasting from 1945 to the early 1990s.

Power Struggles

Conflict between the US promoting capitalism and democracy against the USSR's support for communism and totalitarianism.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting where Allied leaders discussed post-war Europe and divided parts of Eastern Europe.

Potsdam Conference

A 1945 conference that further discussed Germany's post-war reconstruction and European territorial adjustments.

Berlin Blockade

Soviet cut-off of access to West Berlin in 1948, which led to the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Airlift

The US and British operation to supply West Berlin with resources after the blockade.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed by Western nations in 1949.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of Eastern bloc countries formed in response to NATO in 1955.

Bandung Conference

A 1955 meeting of Asian and African nations promoting nonalignment during the Cold War.

Chinese Revolution of 1911

Revolution led by Sun Yat-sen aimed at westernizing China.

Mao Zedong

Communist leader who initiated the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution in China.

Korean War

Conflict between communist North Korea and democratic South Korea from 1950 to 1953.

Vietnam War

Conflict involving North Vietnam (communist) and South Vietnam (democratic), supported by the US.

Cuban Revolution

The 1959 overthrow of the Batista regime by Fidel Castro, leading to a communist dictatorship.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over missiles placed in Cuba.

Solidarity Movement

A labor movement in Poland that contributed to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

German Reunification

The process of reunifying East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Soviet Union Collapse

The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 leading to the independence of former Soviet states.

Nelson Mandela

Leader of the ANC who fought against apartheid in South Africa, becoming the first black president in 1994.