cold war pt 1

Terms

1. The long telegram

   1. Def: A 5,500-word message sent by U.S. diplomat George Kennan from Moscow to Washington, outlining Soviet intentions and advocating for a policy of containment against Soviet expansion.

   2. Sig: It shaped U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War by promoting strategies to counter Soviet influence.

2. George Kennan

   1. Def: An American diplomat and historian known as the "architect of containment" for his role in developing the U.S. strategy against the Soviet Union.

   2. Sig: His ideas led to key Cold War policies, including the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

3. The grand alliance

   1. Def: A military coalition of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom during World War II, united against Nazi Germany. Despite the conflict with the USSR Truman played nice so they would stay in this coalition.

   2. Sig: It was crucial to defeating the Axis powers but fell apart after the war, leading to the Cold War.

4. Allied control council

   1. Def: The governing body of the four victorious Allied powers (U.S., U.K., Soviet Union, France) that controlled occupied Germany after World War II.

   2. Sig: It failed due to tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, leading to the division of Germany.

5. Kommandatura

   1. Def: The governing body of Berlin, similar to the Allied Control Council, but specifically for the four-sector occupation of the city.

   2. Sig: It was a symbol of Allied cooperation that quickly collapsed, leading to the division of Berlin and later the Berlin Blockade.

6. Four sectors

   1. Def: Refers to the division of Germany and Berlin into four zones of occupation controlled by the U.S., U.K., Soviet Union, and France after WWII.

   2. Sig:  This division laid the foundation for the Cold War and the eventual split between East and West Germany.

7. Harry truman

   1. Def: The 33rd U.S. president (1945–1953) who led the U.S. through the end of WWII and the beginning of the Cold War.

   2. Sig: He introduced the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the policy of containment to stop the spread of communism.

8. United nations relief and Rehabilitation administration

   1. Def: An international agency created to provide aid to countries liberated from Axis control during and after WWII.

   2. Sig: It helped millions of refugees but was dissolved as the United Nations took over relief efforts.

9. Lend Lease

   1. Def: A U.S. program that provided military aid and supplies to Allied nations, mainly the U.K., Soviet Union, and China, before the U.S. formally entered WWII.

   2. Sig: It helped defeat Nazi Germany and strengthened U.S. alliances but also increased tensions with the Soviet Union after the war.

10. Containment

    1. Def: A Cold War strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism, inspired by George Kennan's ideas.

    2. Sig: It shaped U.S. foreign policy, leading to the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and the Korean War.

11. Manhattan project

    1. Def: A top-secret U.S. research project that developed the first atomic bombs, which were used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

    2. Sig:  It ended WWII but also started the nuclear arms race of the Cold War.

12. The Baruch plan

    1. Def: A U.S. proposal to place all nuclear weapons under international control through the United Nations, presented by Bernard Baruch.

    2. Sig: The Soviet Union rejected it, leading to the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and USSR.

13. Truman Doctrine

    1. Def: A policy announced by Harry Truman, pledging U.S. support to countries resisting communist expansion, starting with Greece and Turkey.

    2. Sig: It marked the official beginning of the Cold War and led to a long-term U.S. commitment to fighting communism worldwide.

14. Marshall plan (European recovery program)

    1. Def: A U.S. economic aid program providing over $13 billion to rebuild war-torn European economies after WWII.

    2. Sig: Helped Western Europe recover quickly, strengthening democratic governments. Prevented the spread of communism by stabilizing economies. Increased U.S. influence in Europe and worsened tensions with the Soviet Union.

15. Rio pact

    1. Def: A mutual defense agreement (Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance) signed by the U.S. and Latin American countries.

    2. Sig: Established a collective security system in the Americas. Strengthened anti-communist policies in Latin America during the Cold War. Influenced the creation of NATO and later Cold War alliances.

16. NATO

    1. Def: A military alliance of Western nations, including the U.S., Canada, and European countries, formed to counter Soviet aggression.

    2. Sig: Marked the first peacetime military alliance for the U.S. Strengthened Western defense against the Soviet Union. Led to the Soviet response of forming the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

17. NSC-68

    1. Def: A secret U.S. government document recommending a massive increase in military spending to counter Soviet expansion.

    2. Sig: Shifted U.S. policy toward a more aggressive containment strategy. Led to higher defense budgets and military interventions, including the Korean War. Helped shape Cold War policies for decades.

18. Point Four

    1. Def: A U.S. foreign aid program launched by Harry Truman to provide technical assistance and economic aid to developing nations.

    2. Sig: Aimed to combat poverty and communism in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Strengthened U.S. influence in the Third World. Served as an early form of U.S. foreign aid policy that later evolved into USAID.

19. The Korean war

    1. Def: A conflict between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (backed by the U.S. and UN forces).

    2. Sig: The first major military conflict of the Cold War. Ended in a stalemate with Korea remaining divided at the 38th parallel. Led to a permanent U.S. military presence in South Korea. Intensified Cold War tensions and global militarization.

20. Berlin airlift

    1. Def: A U.S. and British operation to supply West Berlin by air after the Soviet Union blockaded land access.

    2. Sig: Prevented West Berlin from falling into Soviet control. Demonstrated U.S. commitment to containing communism. Increased U.S.-Soviet tensions, leading to the formal division of Germany into East and West.

21. Economic cooperation Administration (ECA)

    1. Def: A U.S. government agency that administered Marshall Plan funds to European nations.

    2. Sig: Ensured effective distribution of economic aid. Helped revive European economies after WWII. Strengthened political ties between the U.S. and Western Europe.

22. Communist information bureau (cominform)

    1. Def: A Soviet-led organization that coordinated communist parties across Europe.

    2. Sig: Served as Moscow’s tool for controlling communist movements. Marked Stalin’s effort to enforce ideological unity. Led to the Soviet-Yugoslav split when Tito rejected Soviet influence.

23. Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

    1. Def: The Soviet Union’s economic organization for communist states, countering the Marshall Plan.

    2. Sig: Helped integrate Eastern European economies under Soviet control. Strengthened economic dependence on the USSR. Weakened Eastern European economies compared to the West.

24. CIA

    1. Def: A U.S. intelligence agency responsible for gathering foreign intelligence and conducting covert operations.

    2. Sig: Played a key role in Cold War espionage against the Soviet Union. Involved in coups, assassinations, and covert missions (e.g., Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954). Helped counter communist expansion through intelligence and propaganda.

25. Berlin Blockade 

    1. Def: The Soviet Union blocked all land and rail access to West Berlin to force the Allies out of the city.

    2. Sig: Led to the Berlin Airlift, where the U.S. and U.K. supplied West Berlin by air. Marked the first major Cold War crisis. Led to the formal division of Germany into East and West Germany.

26. Federal republic of Germany

    1. Def: The official name of West Germany, established in 1949 under democratic governance.

    2. Sig: Became a key Western ally and a member of NATO. Symbolized the division between capitalist West and communist East. Eventually reunified with East Germany in 1990.

27. Percentages agreement

    1. Def: A secret deal between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to divide Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.

    2. Sig: Gave the Soviet Union control over Eastern Europe. Excluded the U.S. from direct negotiations, leading to later tensions. Showed how the Cold War divisions started before WWII even ended.

28. People's republic of china

    1. Def: The communist government of China, established by Mao Zedong after defeating the nationalist forces.

    2. Sig: Made China a major communist power allied with the Soviet Union. Led to the U.S. refusing to recognize China for decades. Played a key role in the Korean War and Cold War politics.

29. Stockholm appeal 

    1. Def: A Soviet-backed petition calling for a ban on nuclear weapons worldwide.

    2. Sig: Used as Cold War propaganda to promote Soviet peace efforts. Rejected by the U.S. and Western countries as communist influence. Increased tensions between pro- and anti-communist groups.

30. FBI

    1. Def: A U.S. agency responsible for domestic intelligence and law enforcement, led by J. Edgar Hoover during the Cold War.

    2. Sig: Played a key role in hunting communists in the U.S. (Red Scare). Conducted anti-communist investigations under McCarthyism. Used surveillance on activists, civil rights leaders, and suspected spies.

31. Commision on employee loyalty

    1. Def: A U.S. government agency that investigated federal employees for communist ties.

    2. Sig: Part of Truman’s loyalty program to counter fears of communist infiltration. Led to thousands of government workers being investigated or fired. Contributed to the paranoia of McCarthyism.

32. Internal security act

    1. Def: A U.S. law requiring communist organizations to register with the government and allowing the detention of suspected subversives.

    2. Sig: A major anti-communist law during the Second Red Scare. Gave the government power to detain "dangerous" individuals in emergencies. Criticized for violating civil liberties.

33. Senator Joseph Mcarthy

    1. Def: A U.S. senator who led the anti-communist witch hunts of the early 1950s.

    2. Sig: Accused many government officials and citizens of being communists. Created mass hysteria (McCarthyism), leading to blacklists and ruined careers. Lost credibility after the Army-McCarthy hearings (1954).

34. Socialist unity party

    1. Def: The ruling communist party of East Germany.

    2. Sig: Controlled East Germany under a Soviet-style dictatorship. Suppressed dissent through the Stasi (secret police). Fell from power during the collapse of communism in 1989.

35. German parliamentary council

    1. Def:  A group of German politicians who drafted the Basic Law (constitution) for West Germany.

    2. Sig: Created the foundation for West Germany’s democracy. Ensured a strong federal system to prevent another dictatorship. Helped establish West Germany’s independence from Allied occupation.

36. People's republic of germany

    1. Def: Refers to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), a communist state that existed from 1949 to 1990, under Soviet influence, after Germany was divided following World War II.

    2. Sig: Represented the division of Germany during the Cold War. Was a satellite state of the Soviet Union, with strict government control over all aspects of life. Its collapse led to German reunification in 1990.

37. Reunification

    1. Def: The process by which East and West Germany were united into a single country after decades of division, occurring in 1990.

    2. Sig: Marked the end of the Cold War in Europe and symbolized the collapse of Soviet influence.

    3. Led to economic challenges as the eastern part had to transition from a socialist to a capitalist system. Strengthened Germany's role in the European Union and NATO.

38. Red army 

    1. Def: The military forces of the Soviet Union, established after the Russian Revolution and played a key role in World War II.

    2. Sig: Defeated Nazi Germany, contributing to the victory in WWII. Occupied Eastern Europe after the war, solidifying Soviet control. Involved in interventions in countries like Hungary and Czechoslovakia to suppress anti-Soviet uprisings.

39. Popular fronts 

    1. Def: Political alliances formed between left-wing parties, including communists, socialists, and other progressive groups, to fight against fascism and authoritarianism, particularly in the 1930s and during the Spanish Civil War.

    2. Sig: Played a role in resisting fascist movements in Europe before WWII. Used by the Soviet Union to establish communist influence in countries post-WWII. Often led to the establishment of one-party communist states in Eastern Europe.

40. Provisional government 

    1. Def: A temporary government established after the fall of a regime, tasked with overseeing a political transition. Examples include Russia’s Provisional Government after the Tsar’s abdication in 1917.

    2. Sig: Often faced challenges in maintaining power, as it could be overthrown or replaced by a more radical faction (e.g., the Bolsheviks in Russia). Played a role in democratic transitions, but also in setting the stage for communist rule in some regions.

41. Sovietization

    1. Def: The process of imposing Soviet-style socialism in a country, including centralized control, collectivization, and state surveillance of its population.

    2. Sig: Led to the creation of communist regimes in Eastern Europe after WWII. The imposition of Soviet control led to resistance and uprisings, such as in Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968). Contributed to the Cold War divide between the Eastern Bloc and the West.

42. Biological warfare

    1. Def: The use of biological agents (such as viruses or bacteria) to cause harm to enemy populations or military forces.

    2. Sig:Raised ethical concerns regarding the use of disease and toxins as weapons. Despite international bans, research into biological weapons continued in secret during the Cold War.

43. Eisenhower doctrine

    1. Def: A U.S. policy, announced in 1957, that pledged to provide economic or military aid to countries in the Middle East facing communist threats.

    2. Sig: Designed to contain Soviet influence in the Middle East and limit the spread of communism. Led to U.S. intervention in Lebanon (1958). Contributed to the Cold War geopolitical strategy in the region.

44. The red scare

    1. Def: A period of intense fear of communism in the U.S., especially during the 1920s and 1950s, marked by anti-communist hysteria, investigations, and purges.

    2. Sig: Led to widespread violations of civil liberties, including loyalty tests and blacklists. McCarthyism became a symbol of the era, with accusations of communist infiltration in government, entertainment, and other sectors. Increased Cold War paranoia and tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

45. Berlin conference

    1. Def: A meeting between European powers that divided Africa into colonies. This was part of the Scramble for Africa, where European countries established their spheres of influence on the continent.

    2. Sig:Led to the colonization of Africa, with long-lasting consequences for African nations, including artificial borders and exploitation of resources. Set the stage for conflicts and resistance movements in Africa in the 20th century.

46. Nuclear weapons program

    1. Def:  The research and development of atomic bombs and other nuclear weapons by various nations, beginning with the Manhattan Project during World War II.

    2. Sig: Changed the nature of warfare, making it possible to cause massive destruction with a single weapon. Led to a nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Prompted efforts like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

47. Geneva conference

    1. Def: A meeting of representatives from several countries, including the United States, Soviet Union, China, France, and Vietnam, aimed at resolving issues related to the First Indochina War and the Korean War. The most notable outcome was the agreement to temporarily divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with elections planned for unification.

    2. Sig: Temporarily divided Vietnam into North and South, setting the stage for the Vietnam War. Marked a significant moment in Cold War diplomacy, as it involved major powers in an effort to resolve regional conflicts. Created tension over North Vietnam’s communist government, supported by the Soviet Union and China, while the South was supported by the U.S..

48. Baghdad pact

    1. Def: A regional security alliance formed by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, aiming to prevent Soviet expansion into the Middle East during the Cold War. It later became the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) after Iraq withdrew in 1959.

    2. Sig: Aimed to create a military alliance in the Middle East to counter Soviet influence. Largely ineffective due to regional instability and the withdrawal of member states. Contributed to the U.S. containment strategy in the Middle East during the Cold War.

49. Sputnik

    1. Def: The first artificial satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. It marked the beginning of the Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

    2. Sig: Launched the Space Race, causing shock in the U.S. and prompting the creation of NASA. Led to advancements in space technology and the eventual landing of a man on the Moon. Demonstrated Soviet scientific and technological achievements, contributing to Cold War rivalry.

50. Berlin crisis

    1. Def: A stand-off between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the future of Berlin. The crisis culminated in the construction of the Berlin Wall, which physically and ideologically divided East and West Berlin.

    2. Sig: The Berlin Wall became a symbol of Cold War divisions between the communist East and capitalist West. Marked a significant moment of tension between superpowers, nearly bringing the world to nuclear war. Represented the struggle for control over Germany and Europe during the Cold War.

51. Paris summit

    1. Def: A meeting between leaders of the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France that was canceled after the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet territory.

    2. Sig: The U-2 incident severely damaged U.S.-Soviet relations made the Paris Summit impossible. Marked the beginning of a new wave of tensions during the Cold War, particularly in intelligence and espionage. Increased distrust between the superpowers, leading to further confrontations like the Berlin Crisis.

52. Fidel Castro

    1. Def: The leader of the Cuban Revolution, who became the Prime Minister and later the President of Cuba. He aligned with the Soviet Union and established a communist government on the island in 1959.

    2. Sig: Transformed Cuba into a communist state, becoming a symbol of revolutionary socialism in Latin America. His alliance with the Soviet Union led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the brink of war in 1962. Castro’s leadership impacted the U.S.-Cuba relations for decades, with a long-standing embargo against Cuba and tensions during the Cold War.