Cold War: Key Terms and Events

• These flashcards cover key terms, people, and events related to the Cold War period.

Organizations and Treaties

• United Nations: An international organization founded to promote peace and security.
• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): A mutual defense alliance formed by democratic nations.
• Warsaw Pact: A military alliance of Eastern European countries under Soviet influence.

Key Concepts of the Cold War

• Satellite Nations: Countries under communist rule but outside the USSR, primarily in Eastern Europe.
• Iron Curtain: The ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into communist and democratic areas.
• Containment: A policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.
• Massive Retaliation: A strategy of threatening to use nuclear weapons in response to aggression.
• Brinkmanship: The practice of pushing dangerous events to the verge of war.

Conferences and Agreements

• Yalta Conference: A meeting of the "Big Three" to plan the post-World War II world.
• Potsdam Conference: A meeting that resulted in the division of Germany and Berlin into four zones.
• Armistice: A cease-fire or agreement to stop fighting, such as the one signed in the Korean War.

Aid Programs and Doctrines

• Truman Doctrine: Provided $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to combat the spread of communism.
• Marshall Plan: An economic aid program to rebuild Europe after World War II.
• Eisenhower Doctrine: A containment strategy focused on the Middle East.

Key Figures

• "Big Three": The United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union.
• George Kennan: U.S. Ambassador to the USSR, known for writing the "Long Telegram" which outlined his views on the Soviets.
• Harry Truman: U.S. President at the beginning of the Cold War, during the Korean War and the Chinese Revolution; he shaped the post-war world.
• George Marshall: U.S. Secretary of State who created the Marshall Plan.
• Mao Zedong: The communist leader of China.
• Chiang Kai-Shek: The nationalist leader of China.
• Douglas MacArthur: A general in the Korean War, later fired by President Truman for insubordination.
• Joseph McCarthy: A Wisconsin Senator known for his anti-communist efforts during the Red Scare.
• Dwight Eisenhower (Ike): A former World War II general elected president in 1952.
• Nikita Khrushchev: The leader of the Soviet Union in the 1950s, succeeding Stalin.
• John Foster Dulles: Secretary of State under President Eisenhower.
• Richard Nixon: Noted for his involvement with HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee).
• Francis Gary Powers: The pilot of the U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union.

Events

• Cold War: A period of high tension between the USA and the Soviet Union from 1945-1990.
• Berlin Airlift: From June 1948 to May 1949, Allies delivered 2 million tons of supplies to West Berlin in response to a Soviet blockade.
• Korean War: North Korea invaded South Korea, leading to U.N. intervention and a division of Korea at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel after an armistice in July 1953.
• U-2 Spy Plane Incident: A U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.

Espionage and Internal Security

• Long Telegram: A message detailing George Kennan's views on the Soviets.
• HUAC (House Committee on Un-American Activities): Investigated "un-American" activities in the U.S.
• Red Scare: A period of intense fear of communism.
• Hollywood 10: Ten screenwriters who were blacklisted in 1947.
• Alger Hiss: A State Department employee accused of being a communist spy in 1948.
• Rosenbergs: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of being communist party members and selling nuclear secrets.
• CIA: A government agency that conducted secret missions to overthrow governments in other countries.
• Sputnik: The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth.

Other Important Terms

• USSR: The Soviet Union.
• Blockade: To obstruct or prevent access.
• Insubordination: Failure to follow instructions.
• Blacklisted: Being cancelled or excluded from employment and social groups.