1960's History Study Guide

1960's Study Guide

• Cuban Missile Crisis: Fidel Castro was the communist leader of Cuba during this crisis.
• U-2 Incident: A U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, leading to embarrassment for the US and a demand for apology.
• Bay of Pigs Invasion: A failed CIA attempt to invade Cuba, sending Cuban refugees to assassinate Fidel Castro.
• Naval Blockade: The goal of the naval blockade put on Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis was to prevent the Soviet Union from sending more weapons to Cuba.
• Primary Issue: The primary issue for the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis was the presence of nuclear weapons 90 miles from the US.
• Crisis Resolution: The Soviet Union removed missiles and weapons from Cuba, and the US promised not to invade Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey and Italy.
• Berlin Blockade: The Berlin blockade blocked all entrances (roadways, canals, train tracks, etc.) to prevent people from moving from East to West Berlin.
• Berlin Wall: The Berlin Wall was constructed to prevent people from fleeing East Berlin to West Berlin.

Cold War Events

• Berlin Airlift: The delivery of food and supplies to West Berlin during the Berlin blockade.
• Ho Chi Minh: The North Vietnamese communist leader who used guerilla tactics and won independence from France.
• Ngo Dinh Diem: A corrupt South Vietnamese leader who persecuted Buddhists and was assassinated by the communist group, the Vietcong.
• Vietcong: A communist rebel group that attacked anti-communist forces and was supported by North Vietnam.
• US Goal in Vietnam: The US goal in Vietnam was to prevent the spread of communism.
• Gulf of Tonkin Incident: Allegedly a US ship was attacked by North Vietnam at the Gulf of Tonkin, giving the US a reason to get involved in the Vietnam War.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Gave President Johnson the power to prevent further aggression in Southeast Asia without formally declaring war.
• Guerrilla Tactics: Tactics involving hit and run attacks, traps, tunnels, and more were used during the Vietnam War.
• Tet Offensive: A surprise attack during the Vietnamese New Year, highlighting the difficulty the US faced in winning the war.
• My Lai Massacre: A brutal slaughter of innocent civilians by US troops and greatly influenced American opinion about the war.
• Vietnamization: President Nixon's strategy of slowly withdrawing troops and giving more responsibility to the South Vietnamese.
• Fall of Saigon: The event that marked the end of the Vietnam war and the spread of communism in Vietnam.
• JFK Assassination: JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Lee Harvey Oswald was the known assassin.
• Warren Commission: The group that investigated the JFK assassination.
• Zapruder Film: The only known recording of the JFK assassination.
• One Bullet Theory: A theoretical explanation of the wounds sustained by JFK and others during the assassination.
• Greensboro Sit-in: A protest/sit-in at a segregated lunch counter to protest segregation.
• Freedom Riders: Civil rights activists riding buses across the South to challenge interstate bus segregation.
• Civil Disobedience/Birmingham Jail Letter: MLK's letter explaining the importance of civil disobedience and his beliefs about unjust laws.
• March on Washington: A large protest rally seeking civil rights and the passage of the Civil Rights Act
• Civil Rights Act: Ended discrimination, segregation, and anything preventing the right to vote.
• Voting Rights Act of 1965: Helped to register black voters; it was highly successful.
• Bloody Sunday: A march from Selma to Montgomery that was met with police violence.
• Nation of Islam: A religious movement led by Elijah Muhammad.
• Malcolm X: A prominent leader of the Nation of Islam with differing views than MLK; who was assassinated.
• Long Hot Summer of 1967: Violent race riots across the US occured.
• Cuban Missile Crisis Leader: Nikita Khrushchev was the Soviet Union's leader during the Crisis.
• JFK Burial: Arlington National Cemetery.
• Presidential Security: Increased security measures for presidents after JFK's assassination, including armored vehicles.
• Cold War Peak: The Cuban Missile Crisis is considered the peak of the Cold War.