21-40 Flashcards
- Banana Republics
• Definition: Politically unstable countries in Latin America whose economies were dependent on a single export crop (like bananas), often controlled by foreign companies.
• Significance: Illustrates U.S. economic imperialism and the exploitation of Latin America, particularly by companies like the United Fruit Company.
- CIA
• Definition: U.S. agency responsible for foreign intelligence and covert operations.
• Significance: Played a major role in Cold War interventions, including coups and spying to stop the spread of communism (e.g., Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954).
- Mutually Assured Destruction
• Definition: Doctrine where both the U.S. and
USSR had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other in retaliation.
• Significance: Prevented direct nuclear war; shaped Cold War diplomacy and arms races.
- Plausible Deniability
• Definition: Strategy allowing U.S. officials to deny involvement in covert or controversial operations.
• Significance: Used to justify CIA interventions and avoid political fallout (e.g., coups in Latin America).
- New Look Policy
• Definition: Eisenhower’s Cold War military strategy focusing on nuclear deterrence and reducing conventional forces.
• Significance: Shifted U.S. defense policy to emphasize cheaper, more destructive nuclear weapons.
- Domino Theory
• Definition: Belief that if one country fell to communism, neighbors would too.
• Significance: Justified U.S. intervention in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
- Import Substitution Industrialization
• Definition: Economic strategy to reduce foreign dependency by producing goods domestically.
• Significance: Adopted by Latin American nations to counter U.S. dominance, but often failed to achieve growth.
- United Fruit Company
• Definition: U.S. corporation that controlled banana trade and land in Latin America.
• Significance: Symbol of American economic control; involved in lobbying for coups like Guatemala 1954.
- Fulgencio Batista
• Definition: Cuban dictator overthrown by Fidel Castro in 1959.
• Significance: U.S.-backed leader whose regime’s corruption helped fuel the Cuban Revolution.
- Ho Chi Minh
• Definition: Communist leader of North Vietnam and founder of the Viet Minh.
• Significance: Key figure in Vietnamese independence and the fight against U.S.-backed South Vietnam.
- Geneva Accords (1954)
• Definition: Peace agreement that temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel after French withdrawal.
• Significance: Set the stage for future conflict between North and South Vietnam.
- Viet Cong
• Definition: Communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam allied with North Vietnam.
• Significance: Played a major role in challenging U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the war.
- Ngo Dinh Diem
• Definition: U.S.-backed president of South Vietnam, anti-communist and Catholic.
• Significance: His repressive regime lost popular support and was overthrown in a 1963 coup.
- ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)
• Definition: South Vietnam’s military force.
• Significance: Allied with the U.S. during the Vietnam War, struggled with morale and corruption.
- Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)
• Definition: Alleged attack on U.S. ships by North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• Significance: Used by President Johnson to justify escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
- Great Society
Definition: Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic reform programs to fight poverty and racial injustice.
• Significance: Undermined by the Vietnam War, which diverted funds + focus.
- Operation Rolling Thunder (1965- 1968)
• Definition: Sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam.
• Significance: Aimed to weaken North Vietnam’s support, but hardened their resolve and increased anti-war sentiment.
- Tet Offensive (1968)
• Definition: Surprise coordinated attacks by Viet Cong during the Vietnamese New Year.
• Significance: Military failure for communists, but shocked U.S. public and turned opinion against the war.
- Vietnamization
• Definition: Nixon’s policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and transferring war responsibility to South Vietnam.
• Significance: Intended to reduce U.S. involvement but failed to prevent South Vietnam’s collapse.
- Kent State Massacre (1970)
• Definition: National Guard troops shot and killed four students during anti-war protests at Kent State University.
• Significance: Symbol of domestic opposition to the Vietnam War and deepened national divisions.
