Section I: Cold War Beginnings and Mao’s China

Cold War

A period of political, military, and ideological tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II (1947–1991). It was called “cold” because the two superpowers never fought each other directly in a full-scale war.

Denazification

The process after World War II of removing Nazi influence from Germany’s government, education, economy, and society, and punishing former Nazi officials.

Truman Doctrine

A 1947 U.S. policy promising economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism, especially Greece and Turkey. It aimed to stop the spread of Soviet influence.

Iron Curtain

A term used to describe the political and ideological division between Western Europe and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program that gave billions of dollars in aid to rebuild Western Europe after World War II and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift

In 1948–1949, the United States and its allies flew food, fuel, and supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked all land routes into the city.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and Western European countries for mutual defense against the Soviet Union.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance created in 1955 between the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist countries in response to NATO.

United Nations

An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, cooperation, and security among nations after World War II.

Mao Zedong

The communist leader of China who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and ruled until 1976.

Great Leap Forward

Mao’s economic campaign (1958–1962) to rapidly industrialize China and increase agricultural production. It failed badly and caused widespread famine and millions of deaths.

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

A movement launched by Mao in 1966 to remove capitalist and traditional influences from China. It caused chaos, violence, and persecution, especially by the Red Guards.

Little Red Book

A collection of quotations and ideas from Mao Zedong that became a symbol of loyalty during the Cultural Revolution.