Chapter 9 Flashcards
Birth of the Cold War Era
Term first used by Winston Churchill that became the common term used to refer to the dividing line between communist eastern and democratic western Europe
Iron Curtain
Policy adopted by the US early in the Cold War which accepted that eastern Europe was firmly in Soviet hands and could not be saved. Therefore, the US and the West should focus on not allowing communism to go beyond those countries in which it already existed
Containment
Policy put forth by President Truman which states that the United States would not hesitate to intervene and aid nations overseas to resist communism
Truman Doctrine
Financial plan to build up Europe and worked out by former Army Chief of Staff and current Secretary of State, George Marshall. It provided nations in war-torn Europe with much needed financial support from the United States, served to spark economic revival and prosperity in these countries, alleviated the suffering of many people, and eased the threat of communism spreading in Europe
Marshall Plan
Truman’s response to Stalin’s blockade of Berlin in which US and British planes delivered needed supplies to West Berlin over a 15 month period, eventually causing Stalin to relent
Berlin Aircraft
Term which referred to the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that dominated both nations’ foreign policies and which many feared would lead to actual war
Cold War
Became a communist nation in 1949. They helped North Korea during the Korean War
China
Military conflict that broke out when communist forces crossed the 38th parallel and invaded the democratic part of the country. It ultimately ended in a truce that left the peninsula divided at almost the same point as before the conflict
Korean War
Independent Jewish state established in Palestine in 1948 which became an ally of the US and ignited resentment among other, predominately Muslim, Middle East nations
Israel
Doctrine put forth by the President which stated that the United States would not hesitate to aid any country in the Middle East that asked for help resisting communist aggression
Eisenhower Doctrine
Leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Stalin in 1953. He was the Soviet leader at the time of the U-2 incident, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and during construction of the Berlin Wall
Nikita Khrushchev
The incident which involved a US spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union. At first, the US government denied conducting any such spy missions. However, when the Soviets produced evidence, Eisenhower had to acknowledge the Soviet report as accurate. The president accepted responsibility, but refused to apologize for spying on the USSR, thereby infuriating Khrushchev further
U-2 Incident
Communist leader of Cuba
Fidel Castro
US president who was in office at the time of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis
John F. Kennedy
Wall constructed by the East German and Soviet governments to separate communist part of the city from the free section
Berlin Wall
Standoff that resulted after the US discovered that the Soviet Union had secretly placed missiles in country just 90 miles from Florida. It took the two nations right to the brink of nuclear war before finally being settled by diplomacy
Cuban Missile Crisis
International organization founded after WWII that was intended to provide a place where countries could negotiate rather than go to war
United Nations
Alliance between the US and various European nations that was intended to provide collective security against the spread of communism in Europe
NATO
Communist alliance between the Soviet Union and the communist countries of eastern Europe
Warsaw Pact
Another name for the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, it provided military veterans with benefits such as job priority, money for furthering their education, training, and loans for purchasing homes and property following WWII
GI Bill of Rights
Term refers to the large increase in the US birthrate in the years following WWII
Baby Boom
Allowed people to view events and shows in their own homes
Television
Fear of communist influence that swept the United States following World War II
Second Red Scare
The committee which was responsible for rooting out communists in government and US society
HUAC
US Senator who was convinced that communists had infiltrated high levels of government and even the US military. After a series of televised hearings, most US citizens viewed the senator as paranoid at best and downright crazy at worst
Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyism)
Transportation system constructed from the National Highway Act of 1956 which improved mobility for citizens and was also used for military purposes
Interstate Highway System
