Unit 8 keyterms

Big Three: The main Allied leaders during WWII — Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR).

Tehran Conference (1943): First meeting of the Big Three to plan the final strategy for defeating Nazi Germany; agreed on opening a second front in Europe.

Yalta Conference (1945): Big Three discussed post-war Europe; agreed to divide Germany into zones and hold free elections in Eastern Europe (though this didn’t really happen).

Potsdam Conference (1945): Final WWII meeting between the Big Three (Truman replaced Roosevelt); growing tension between the US and USSR over Eastern Europe led to early Cold War hostility.

Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension (1947–1991) between the US and the USSR without direct warfare, characterized by proxy wars, nuclear arms race, and ideological conflict.

United Nations: International organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations.

Iron Curtain: Term used by Churchill to describe the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries.

Satellite countries: Nations in Eastern Europe controlled politically and economically by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Containment: US policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine (1947): US policy to support countries resisting communism, first applied in Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan (1948): US economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

Space Race: Competition between the US and USSR to achieve significant milestones in space exploration, symbolizing technological and ideological superiority.Berlin Airlift (1948–1949): Western Allies flew supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet Union blockaded the city.

Berlin Wall (1961–1989): Physical barrier dividing East and West Berlin; symbolized the Cold War division between communist and capitalist blocs.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Military alliance of Western countries formed in 1949 to defend against Soviet aggression.

Warsaw Pact (1955): Military alliance of communist countries in response to NATO, led by the Soviet Union.

Korean War (1950–1953): Conflict between communist North Korea (with Chinese/Soviet support) and capitalist South Korea (backed by the US/UN); ended in stalemate at the 38th parallel.

Vietnam War (1955–1975): Conflict between communist North Vietnam (and Vietcong in the South) vs. South Vietnam (backed by the US); ended with a communist victory.

Domino Theory: Belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring ones would follow.

Mao Zedong: Communist leader of China who founded the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Great Leap Forward (1958–1962): Mao’s plan to rapidly industrialize China and collectivize agriculture; led to widespread famine and millions of deaths.

Vietcong: Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who supported North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Indira Gandhi: Prime Minister of India (1966–1984); strengthened central government and declared emergency rule; not related to Mohandas Gandhi.

Mohandas Gandhi: Leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule; used nonviolent civil disobedience.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: American civil rights leader who advocated for racial equality through nonviolent protest.

Nelson Mandela: Anti-apartheid leader in South Africa; imprisoned for 27 years, later became the country’s first Black president in 1994.

Mikhail Gorbachev: Final leader of the USSR; introduced reforms like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring); contributed to the end of the Cold War.

SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks): Negotiations between the US and USSR to limit nuclear weapons; helped ease Cold War tensions.