Questions and Answers
What were the satellite nations during the Cold War?
What does the term 'Iron Curtain' refer to?
the notional barrier separating the former Soviet bloc and the West
What is the definition of the Cold War?
a state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats and propaganda
What does 'containment' mean in a historical context?
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What was the Truman Doctrine?
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What was the Marshall Plan?
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What was the Berlin Airlift?
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What does NATO stand for?
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What is collective security?
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Which countries were part of the Warsaw Pact?
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What was the purpose of the House Un-American Activities Committee?
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Who were the Hollywood Ten?
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What does 'blacklist' mean?
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What is the McCarran-Walter Act?
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What is the significance of the 38th parallel?
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What was the Korean War?
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What is the military-industrial complex?
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What is McCarthyism?
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What is an arms race?
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What is deterrence?
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What does brinkmanship mean?
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What is an ICBM?
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What was Sputnik?
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What was the U-2 incident?
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Study Notes
Cold War Concepts
- Satellite Nation: Nations aligned with the Soviet Union, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany, during the Cold War.
- Iron Curtain: A metaphorical barrier that divided the Soviet bloc from the West before the fall of communism in 1989.
- Cold War: Political hostility between the Soviet bloc and Western powers from 1945 to 1990, marked by threats and propaganda rather than direct military conflict.
U.S. Policies and Actions
- Containment: Strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism by controlling its influence.
- Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy initiated in 1947 providing support to countries threatened by communism, first applied to Greece and Turkey.
- Marshall Plan: U.S. initiative (over $12 billion aid) to help rebuild Western European economies post-World War II, known officially as the European Recovery Program.
Significant Events and Organizations
- Berlin Airlift: Military operation in late 1940s to supply West Berlin by air after East Germany closed supply routes.
- NATO: Intergovernmental military alliance formed on April 4, 1949, aimed at collective defense against communism.
- Warsaw Pact: Military alliance of communist nations created in 1955 in response to NATO, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.
Domestic U.S. Reactions
- House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC): Investigated disloyalty and subversive activities in the U.S. from 1938 to 1975, particularly targeting suspected communists.
- Hollywood Ten: A group of ten filmmakers who refused to testify before HUAC about their alleged communist ties and were subsequently imprisoned.
- Blacklist: A list of individuals viewed with suspicion, often preventing them from obtaining employment, particularly in the entertainment industry.
Legislative Measures
- McCarran-Walter Act: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 that restricted immigration to the U.S., codified under Title 8 of the U.S. Code.
International Tensions
- 38th Parallel: Latitude line that acted as the border between North and South Korea before the Korean War.
- Korean War: Conflict from 1950 to 1953 between UN forces (supported by the US) and North Korea, initiated by North Korea's invasion of South Korea.
Military and Political Strategies
- Military-Industrial Complex: Collaboration between a nation's military and industries producing arms, influencing government policy.
- McCarthyism: Practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of subversion or treason, associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy.
- Arms Race: Competition, primarily between the U.S. and Soviet Union, to develop and accumulate superior weaponry during the Cold War.
- Deterrence: Strategy to prevent actions by instilling fear of consequences, particularly regarding nuclear weapons.
- Brinkmanship: Tactic of pushing dangerous policies to the edge of safety, often used during Cold War negotiations.
Technological Developments
- ICBM: Intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of over 5,500 kilometers, designed primarily for delivering nuclear warheads.
- Sputnik: The first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, marking a significant achievement in the space race.
- U-2 Incident: The 1960 event in which a U.S. U-2 spy plane was shot down in Soviet airspace, escalating tensions during the Cold War.
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Description
Test your knowledge of key terms related to the Cold War with these flashcards. Learn about important concepts such as satellite nations and the iron curtain. Perfect for students of history or anyone interested in this pivotal period.
