Global II Module 29 Cold War Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Cold War, the rise of communism in China, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and key geopolitical shifts in the Middle East and Latin America.

Cold War

A period of tension between the USA and USSR from $1945$ to $1991ish$ where the two countries fought through others in proxy wars like Vietnam and Afghanistan rather than direct conflict.

Yalta

A meeting between the USA, GB, and USSR to plan for the end of the war, where they agreed to divide Germany into zones and Stalin promised to allow elections in East Europe.

Iron Curtain

A symbolic division between East and West Europe described by Churchill, representing the USSR's domination and the buffer of communist countries in Eastern Europe.

Containment

A policy by President Truman intended to stop the spread of communism and form alliances to remain strong against the USSR.

Domino Theory

The explanation that if one country falls to communism, more will fall, making it important to stop any more countries from falling.

Truman Doctrine

Financial assistance provided to countries struggling against communism.

Marshall Plan

Economic aid given to Europe to recover from WWII, which was refused by the USSR.

Berlin Airlift

A successful mission lasting $11$ months where the US and GB flew planes to keep West Berlin supplied after the USSR cut off road access.

MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)

The concept that neither the USSR nor the USA would dare use a nuke because it would result in a nuclear holocaust where everyone would die.

Sputnik

The first satellite sent into space, launched by the USSR, which marked a Cold War failure for the US and intensified the Space Race.

U-2 Planes

Spy planes sent by the US over the USSR, one of which was shot down.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a team led by the US where each member promised to protect others from attack.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance led by the USSR to protect its members from attack, serving as the counterpart to NATO.

Mao Zedong

The communist leader in China who led a guerrilla war against the Japanese, promoted literacy and agriculture for peasants, and controlled northern China.

Jiang Jieshi

The Nationalist leader who used American aid to fight Japan, though much was lost to corruption, and eventually fled to Taiwan after the Civil War.

Marxist Socialism

A system with no classes, where the state owns the means of production and a dictatorship of the proletariat eventually leads to a world-wide state with no government.

Great Leap Forward

A $1958$ plan by Mao creating large collective farms called communes; it failed by $1961$ due to a lack of incentive and a famine that killed $20$ million people.

Cultural Revolution

A $1966$ movement led by student militias called Red Guards to rekindle the communist revolution, targeting intellectuals and causing state-wide chaos.

$38\text{th}$ Parallel

The dividing line between communist North Korea (supported by USSR) and democratic South Korea (supported by USA) after WWII.

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of the Vietminh League who fought for Vietnamese independence against France and later led North Vietnam.

Vietcong

Communist fighters active within South Vietnam.

Vietnamization

President Nixon's strategy to gradually withdraw US troops from Vietnam while the South Vietnamese took over the conflict.

Khmer Rouge

A group led by Pol Pot that set up a communist dictatorship in Cambodia and killed $2$ million people.

Third World

Developing nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia that were often former colonies and remained nonaligned in the Cold War.

Bay of Pigs

A failed $1961$ invasion of Cuba where US-trained Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A standoff when Khrushchev placed nuclear missiles in Cuba; it ended when Kennedy demanded their removal and promised not to invade Cuba.

Ayatollah Khomeini

The religious leader who led the $1978$ revolution in Iran, turning it into an Islamic state and leading to the US embassy hostage crisis.

Mujahideen

Rebels in Afghanistan who fought against the Soviet invasion with weapons supplied by the US.

De-Stalinization

A policy initiated by Krushchev to admit and reverse Stalin's murderous ways, including removing statues and changing laws.

Détente

A policy of lessening tensions in the Cold War, often associated with Nixon and Realpolitik.

SALT

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty between the USA and USSR aimed at limiting the number of ICBMs being built.

Perestroika

A reduction of power for the Communist Party in the USSR, opening the system up to more freedom and elections.