Cold War America 1945-1963 Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Cold War era as noted in the lecture.

Yalta Conference

Meeting in 1945 between Allied leaders to decide how to rebuild Europe after WWII.

United Nations

International organization formed in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation.

Potsdam Conference

1945 meeting where Allied leaders finalized plans for Germany after WWII.

Containment

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

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. program that gave money to rebuild Europe after WWII.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Military alliance of Western countries formed to defend against communism.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance of communist countries led by the Soviet Union.

NSC-68

U.S. policy calling for increased military spending to fight communism.

Cold War liberalism

Belief in government action at home and fighting communism abroad.

Taft-Hartley Act

Law that limited the power of labor unions.

Fair Deal

Truman’s program to improve social and economic conditions.

Loyalty-Security Program

Program to investigate government employees for communist ties.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Group that investigated suspected communists in the U.S.

New Look

Eisenhower’s policy focusing on nuclear weapons instead of large armies.

Domino theory

Idea that if one country falls to communism, others will follow.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Policy to give aid to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.

Bay of Pigs

Failed U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba in 1961.

Cuban missile crisis

1962 standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Peace Corps

Program that sends Americans to help developing countries.

Joseph Stalin

Leader of the Soviet Union during WWII and early Cold War.

George F. Kennan

U.S. diplomat who created the containment policy.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led anti-communist investigations.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader during the Cold War after Stalin.

John F. Kennedy

U.S. president during the early 1960s Cold War.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam.