APW Unit 8 Study Guide: Cold War and Decolonization Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to Cold War and Decolonization.

Tehran Conference

1943 meeting of Allied leaders to plan final strategy against Nazi Germany; set stage for Cold War tensions.

Yalta Conference

1945 meeting dividing Germany and planning postwar Europe; disagreements over Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

Potsdam Conference

1945 meeting finalizing WWII terms; tensions between U.S. and USSR increased.

Harry Truman

U.S. President who attended the Potsdam Conference and initiated the containment policy.

Cold War

State of tension and hostility among nations with no armed conflict between major rivals.

Hydrogen bomb

Extremely powerful nuclear weapon developed during the arms race.

Military-Industrial Complex

Relationship between military, government, and defense industries; a concern for democracy.

Self-determination

Right of people to choose their own government.

Iron Curtain

Symbolic division between Western Europe and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe.

NATO

Western military alliance led by the U.S. for protection against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-led military alliance responding to NATO; used for USSR domination.

Containment

U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. aid to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

Economic aid to rebuild Western Europe post-WWII.

Space Race

Competition in space exploration between the U.S. and USSR.

Sputnik

First satellite to go into orbit, launched by USSR.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

Both sides would be destroyed in nuclear war, acting as a deterrent.

Non-Aligned Movement

Countries avoiding alignment with U.S. or USSR.

Bandung Conference

1955 meeting of non-aligned nations; coined term 'Third World'.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 nuclear standoff between U.S. and USSR that was a close call to nuclear war.

Detente

Thawing of the Cold War and relaxation of strained relations during the 1970s.

Gamel Abdel Nasser

Egyptian leader who promoted Arab nationalism.

Proxy wars

Conflicts where superpowers support opposing sides.

Berlin Airlift

Supply mission to West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

Korean War

Proxy War between communist North and U.S.-backed South.

Vietnam War

Proxy War; U.S. involvement from 1955-1975.

Decolonization

Colonies gaining independence after WWII due to European weaknesses.

Partition of India and Pakistan

Division leading to mass migration and violence at independence.

Kashmir Conflict

Ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over territory.

Pan-Arabism

Nationalist movement emphasizing unity among Arab nations.

Apartheid

Policy of racial segregation in South Africa.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader whose reforms ended the Cold War.

Perestroika

Economic restructuring under Gorbachev's reforms.

Glastnost

Openness and political reform in Gorbachev’s USSR.

Proxy wars

Conflicts where superpowers support opposing sides.