George F. Kennan: American diplomat who advocated for the containment policy during the Cold War.
• Douglas MacArthur: U.S. general who led Allied forces in the Pacific during WWII and the Korean War.
• Dean Acheson: U.S. Secretary of State under Truman; key figure in developing the Marshall Plan and NATO.
• Joseph McCarthy: U.S. senator known for his aggressive anti-Communist campaigns, leading to “McCarthyism.”
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: American couple executed for allegedly spying for the Soviet Union.
• Benjamin Spock: Pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care influenced post-WWII parenting.
• J. Strom Thurmond: U.S. senator and pro-segregation advocate; ran for president in 1948 as a Dixiecrat.
• Henry Wallace: Former Vice President and Progressive Party presidential candidate in 1948.
• Adlai Stevenson: Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956; known for his intellectual style.
• Richard M. Nixon: U.S. President known for his anti-Communist stance and later involvement in Watergate.
• Gamal Abdel Nasser: Egyptian leader who nationalized the Suez Canal, triggering the Suez Crisis.
• Nikita Khrushchev: Soviet leader during the height of the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis.
• Fidel Castro: Communist revolutionary who became the leader of Cuba.
• Ho Chi Minh: Vietnamese nationalist and communist leader.
• Ngo Dinh Diem: Anti-communist leader of South Vietnam.
Key Events/Concepts
• Yalta Conference: WWII meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to plan post-war Europe.
• Cold War: Political tension and military rivalry between the U.S. and USSR from 1947 to 1991.
• United Nations: International organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation.
• Nuremberg Trials: Post-WWII trials of Nazi leaders for war crimes.
• Iron Curtain: Term coined by Churchill describing the division between Western Europe and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe.
• Berlin Airlift: U.S. and British airlift to deliver supplies to West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.
• Containment: U.S. policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism.
Policies and Legislation
• Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to provide aid to countries resisting communism.
• Marshall Plan: U.S. economic aid program to rebuild Europe after WWII.
• National Security Act: 1947 law restructuring the U.S. military and intelligence.
• HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee): Investigated suspected Communist activities in the U.S.
• McCarran Act: Law requiring Communist organizations to register with the government.
• Fair Deal: Truman’s domestic policy for social improvements and civil rights.
• NSC-68: A report recommending increased U.S. military spending to counter the Soviet threat.
• Taft-Hartley Act: Law restricting the power of labor unions.
• Eisenhower Doctrine: U.S. policy to provide military and economic aid to Middle Eastern countries resisting communism.
• National Defense Education Act: U.S. law boosting education in science, math, and technology after Sputnik.
Cold War Conflicts & Developments
• Thirty-eighth Parallel: Dividing line between North and South Korea.
• Inchon Landing: A successful amphibious invasion during the Korean War.
• Suez Crisis: Conflict triggered by Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal.
• Hungarian Revolt: 1956 uprising against Soviet control in Hungary.
• U-2 Incident: The shooting down of a U.S. spy plane over Soviet airspace in 1960.
Cultural and Social Changes
• “White Flight”: The migration of white populations from cities to suburbs.
• “Creeping Socialism”: A term used by conservatives to describe expanding government influence.
• Desegregation: The process of ending racial segregation in public facilities.
• Military-Industrial Complex: Eisenhower’s warning about the powerful alliance between the military and defense industries.
• Modern Republicanism: Eisenhower’s moderate political philosophy balancing conservative economic policies with social progress.
Key Terms
• Sunbelt: Region of the U.S. experiencing significant population growth post-WWII.
• Sputnik: The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, sparking the space race.
• “Missile Gap”: The belief that the USSR had more powerful missiles than the U.S.