Early Cold War and Korean War Flashcards

Berlin Airlift

US and Great Britain airlifted supplies to West Berlin (blockade). Us was able to get supplies to West Berlin without provoking military conflict

Space Race

race to get to space first that occurred between US and USSR. began in 1957 when Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union, Americans feared that they could reach continents with a nuclear payload

Sputnik

Soviet satellite, USSR won many early rounds of space race. First man made satellite, the first animal and man in space.

Marshall Plan

US started giving countries hurt by WWII money to rebuild. Wanted them to be democratic not communist, purpose was to limit expansion of communism, isolate USSR, and rebuild war torn Europe

Korean War

North Korea invaded South Korea. NK wanted to unify the peninsula under communist government. Korean War was an effort by US to contain spread of communism.

GI Bill

government loans to former US soldiers to assist them when returning to civilian life. Ex: discounted rates on home loans, school loans, car loans, etc. Helped fuel economic boom and dramatically increased # of people going to college

Containment

US policy to prevent the spread of communism, US did not want totalitarian governments to spread and threaten the security of the US. After WWII, US wanted to provide economic and military opposition to Soviet aggression

McCarthyism

Political practice of publicizing accusations of disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence.

Executive Order 9981

ended racial segregation in the armed forces, implemented by Harry S. Truman

Domino Theory

Idea that if communism were allowed to spread, it would start in Asian countries like Vietnam and then work its way across the globe

HUAC

House Un-American Activities Committee: investigated Americans for being suspected of communist activities

Hollywood Ten

group of Hollywood actors, writers, and movie producers who were believed to be communists and were suspected of infiltrating the American entertainment industry

Influence of TV on pop culture

National popular culture spread greatly thanks to the TV

Defense program's contributions to new advances in tech

Defense projects increased the demand for new technological innovations

Effect of Cold War on defense spending

Spending on military increased, more money spent on nukes than conventional weapons.

New Look defense doctrine (Eisenhower)

Emphasized nuclear weapons over conventional forces

Flexible Response doctrine (Kennedy)

US built up nuclear AND conventional forces

Which group contributed to the rise of rock and roll?

African American music styles (ex: rhythm and blues)

What could the GI bill be used for?

Funds for college and vocational education, unemployment insurance, housing

Which two countries first received economic and military support as part of the Truman Doctrine?

Greece and Turkey

Two causes of economic prosperity in the 1950s

Mass production (new industry), military spending, housing boom, creation of the Interstate Highway

Two effects of economic prosperity in the 1950s

Boom in US economy, growth of the middle class

Why is the Cold War referred as the Cold War?

USSR and US stockpiled nuclear weapons

Who was McCarthy afraid of?

Communists

What effect did rock and roll have on society in the 1950s?

People were exposed to more diverse music styles

What led to the Korean War?

North Korea invades South Korea (Stalin gives permission). USSR was boycotting UN and UN agreed to intervene in the Korean War