Untitled Flashcards Set

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies.

Soviet Union

A socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991, comprising Russia and several other republics.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until 1953, known for his totalitarian rule and widespread purges.

United Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded in 1945 to promote international cooperation and maintain peace.

Security Council

A UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consisting of 15 members.

World Bank

International financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.

Satellites

Countries or regions that are politically or economically dominated or influenced by a more powerful country.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during World War II and the early Cold War period, known for his speeches and leadership.

Containment policy

A foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

George Marshall

U.S. Secretary of State who proposed the Marshall Plan to aid Western Europe's economic recovery after WWII.

Dean Acheson

U.S. Secretary of State during the Truman administration, key architect of the containment policy.

George F. Kennan

American diplomat and historian who is credited with first articulating the concept of containment.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe after WWII to help rebuild economies.

Berlin Airlift

A response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, where Allied powers supplied the city via air.

West Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany established in 1949, aligned with the West during the Cold War.

East Germany

The German Democratic Republic established in 1949, aligned with the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance formed in 1949 for mutual defense among its member countries.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of communist nations in response to NATO, established in 1955.

National Security Council

A U.S. government body that advises the president on national security and foreign policy.

Arms race

A competition between nations to achieve weapons superiority.

NSC-68

A key report that outlined U.S. strategy to resist Soviet expansion during the Cold War.

Douglas MacArthur

A U.S. General who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during WWII and the Korean War.

U.S.-Japanese security treaties

Agreements that established a military alliance between the U.S. and Japan.

Chiang Kai-shek

Chinese Nationalist leader who fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Communist Party of China and the founding father of the People's Republic of China.

Taiwan

An island that became the refuge of Chiang Kai-shek's government after the Chinese Civil War.

People’s Republic of China

The state established by the Communist Party of China in 1949.

38th parallel

The dividing line between North and South Korea.

Kim Il Sung

The first Supreme Leader of North Korea, from its establishment until his death in 1994.

Syngman Rhee

The first President of South Korea, holding office from 1948 to 1960.

Korean War

A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea and South Korea, involving U.N. forces.

John Foster Dulles

U.S. Secretary of State under Eisenhower, known for his aggressive stance against communism.

Brinkmanship

The practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping.

Massive retaliation

A military doctrine asserting that any attack would be met with overwhelming force.

Korean armistice

An agreement to cease hostilities in the Korean War, signed in 1953.

Atoms for peace

A program initiated by Eisenhower in 1953 to promote peaceful nuclear energy.

Open-skies policy

Proposed agreement for mutual aerial reconnaissance to ensure transparency in military forces.

Spirit of Geneva

A term for the easing of tensions between the East and West during the 1955 Geneva Summit.

Nikita Khrushchev

Leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin, known for de-Stalinization and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Peaceful coexistence

A strategy for living in peace with opposing ideological and political systems.

Hungarian revolt

A nationwide revolt against the Soviet-imposed policies in Hungary in 1956.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program.

U-2 Incident

The shooting down of an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet airspace in 1960.

Cuba

An island nation that became a focal point in U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War.

Fidel Castro

Cuban revolutionary leader who established a Marxist-Leninist state in Cuba.

military-industrial complex

The relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it.

Bay of Pigs

A failed CIA-sponsored invasion of Cuba in 1961 to overthrow Castro.

Berlin Wall

A barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 until 1989.

Cuban missile crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

An agreement to prohibit all nuclear test explosions for military purposes, signed in 1963.

Flexible-response policy

A defense strategy to develop a range of military options.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

An international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. Secretary of State known for his role in U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy.

Detente

The easing of hostility or strained relations between countries, particularly the U.S. and USSR.

Anti Ballistic missiles (ABMs)

Missiles designed to counter and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)

Negotiations between the U.S. and USSR on curbing the arms race.

Loyalty Review Board

A U.S. government committee established to investigate the loyalty of federal employees.

Dennis et al. v. United States

A Supreme Court case that upheld the Smith Act's constitutionality.

Smith Act (1940)

A U.S. law that made it a criminal offense to advocate or teach the violent overthrow of the government.

McCarran Internal Security Act (1950)

A law that restricted the activities of communists in the U.S.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated allegations of communist activity.

Whittaker Chambers

A former communist who accused Alger Hiss of espionage.

Alger Hiss

A former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

American citizens who were executed for espionage, accused of transmitting atomic secrets to the USSR.

Joseph McCarthy

U.S. Senator known for his anti-communist investigations during the Red Scare.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

Harry S. Truman

The 33rd President of the United States, known for leading the country through the final stages of WWII.

Employment Act of 1946

A U.S. law aimed at promoting full employment.

Council of Economic Advisors

A group of economists advising the U.S. President on economic policy.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights or GI Bill)

A law providing various benefits to returning World War II veterans.

Baby boom

A significant increase in the birth rate following WWII.

Levittown

A suburb of New York City that became a symbol of postwar suburban development.

Sun Belt

A region in the U.S. that saw significant population growth and economic expansion post-WWII.

22nd Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that limits the president to two terms.

Taft-Hartley Act

A federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions.

Fair Deal

A set of proposals put forward by President Truman to promote welfare and civil rights.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th President of the United States, known for his leadership during the Cold War.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW)

A U.S. government department established to address the needs of health, education, and welfare.

Soil-bank program

An initiative aimed at reducing surplus crops and preserving agricultural land.

Modern Republicanism

Eisenhower's approach to government, balancing conservative and liberal policies.

Highway Act

A law that funded the construction of the Interstate Highway System.

Interstate highways

A network of controlled-access highways that form part of the National Highway System.

New Frontier

Kennedy's domestic and foreign policy agenda aimed at advancing social change.

Trade Expansion Act

A U.S. law aimed at promoting international trade.

New Federalism

The transfer of certain powers from the federal government back to the states.

Revenue sharing

Distribution of a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments.

stagflation

Economic condition characterized by slow economic growth and high unemployment.

Television

A medium for transmitting moving images and sound, which became popular in the post-war era.

Credit cards

Cards issued by financial institutions allowing users to borrow funds for purchases.

Fast food

Quick-service restaurants that sell pre-prepared foods.

Paperback novels

Books that are bound in flexible paper, making them cheaper and more portable.

Rock and roll

A genre of popular music that originated in the U.S. in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Conglomerates

Large corporations that own a diverse range of businesses.

The Lonely Crowd

A book by David Reisman analyzing social behavior in America.

The Affluent Society

A book by John Kenneth Galbraith criticizing post-World War II consumerism.

The Catcher in the Rye

A novel by J.D. Salinger centered around the experiences of a disenchanted teenager.

Catch-22

A novel by Joseph Heller that satirizes the absurdities of war.

Beatniks

Members of a social and literary movement emerging in the 1950s that rejected mainstream culture.