Exam 2: WWII to New Millennium Flashcards

1
Q

United Nations (UN)

A
  • formed June 26th, 1945 with the coalition of 46 nations
  • formulated to promote world peace and strengthen international relations
  • still a dominant force in international politics today
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2
Q

UN Security Council

A
  • one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, an executive branch, and is charged with:
    > ensuring international peace and security
    > recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly
    > approving any changes to the UN Charter
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3
Q

Marshall Plan

A
  • plan to provide economic relief to post-WWII Europe, which was also intended to curb the spread of communism
  • also known as the Economic Recovery Act of 1948
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4
Q

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A
  • formed April 4th, 1949 and committed 30 North American and European countries to safeguard allies’ mutual freedom and security
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5
Q

Soviet Union

A
  • the other global superpower (aside from the United States) that emerged post-WWII, and would be America’s biggest rival in the Cold War
  • they were involved in other international troubles including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis
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6
Q

Warsaw Pact

A
  • military alliance formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and seven (7) other Eastern European countries as a response to the establishment of NATO by Western countries in 1949
  • required countries to provide mutual defenses against potential attacks and helped influence communist ideologies over these regions
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7
Q

Truman Doctrine

A
  • Truman proclaimed on March 12, 1947 that “it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures”
  • announced in response to the growing threat of Soviet expansionism and aimed to contain Soviet influences and aggression worldwide
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8
Q

Interservice Roles and Missions Conflict of 1947

A
  • a dispute between the Army and Air Force over their respective roles and responsibilities in the post-WWII era
  • this conflict helped establish the framework for the modern military organization and established the Air Force as a key player in national defense
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9
Q

Women’s Armed Services Integration Act

A
  • allowed women to have options for a full military career
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10
Q

Executive Order 9981

A
  • the racial integration of the armed forces ordered by President Truman
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11
Q

Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)

A
  • essentially a separate judicial branch for cases of military officers who break civilian laws (murder, theft, assault, etc) or military laws (insubordination, desertion, fraternization, etc)
  • laws and regulations that govern the behavior of ALL members of the U.S. military (consistency)
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12
Q

National Security Council Memorandum 68 (NSC-68)

A
  • outlined the strategies of the U.S. government in dealing with the USSR during the Cold War
  • called for massive increases in military spending and the establishment of a global network of alliances
  • emphasized the importance of propaganda and psychological warfare
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13
Q

The Korean War

A
  • military conflict that involved communist North Korea (and its supporters) invading South Korea (and its supporters); the war ended in a bloody stalemate, and the two Koreas remain divided to this day
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14
Q

Douglas MacArthur

A
  • appointed by President Truman to lead the United Nations Command during the Korean War
  • known for his aggressive approach to military strategy
  • launched a surprise amphibious attack in Inchon in 1950, which led to the recapturing of Seoul
  • controversially relieved from his duties after openly criticizing the president
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15
Q

Ho Chi Minh

A
  • revolutionary and political leader who played a key role in Vietnam’s struggle for independence from France and (later) the United States
  • while “Uncle Ho” was fighting for Vietnamese independence, he did so with the partnership of communists, which threatened American values
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16
Q

Dien Bien Phu

A
  • a valley in northwest Vietnam that was the site of a significant battle during the First Indochina War between French colonial forces and communists
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17
Q

Ngo Dinh Diem

A
  • south Vietnamese politician who served as the first president of South Vietnam
  • was Prime Minister prior
  • stood against the communist rule of its northern neighbors
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18
Q

Dwight D Eisenhower

A
  • after successful leadership roles during WWII, became president during the escalation of the Cold War
  • emphasized the importance of a strong military and the importance of allies (creation of NATO and joining of the UN)
19
Q

Robert McNamara

A
  • Secretary of Defense under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
  • known for his expertise in management and his focus on using data and analysis to inform decision-making
  • oversaw the massive buildup of U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War and advocated for a strategy of “graduated response” to the conflict
20
Q

flexible response

A
  • military strategy developed during the Cold War under President John F. Kennedy
  • a departure from the previous doctrine of “military retaliation”, which called for a nuclear response to any act of Soviet aggression
21
Q

U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam

A
  • a joint-service command of the United States Armed Forces that was established in 1962 to oversee military operations in the Vietnam War
  • was responsible for coordinating U.S. military activities in Vietnam, including ground, air, and naval operations
22
Q

Strategic Hamlet Program

A
  • a strategy during the Vietnam War to stop the spread of communism by isolating rural villages and towns and moving them into fortified hamlets
  • the failure of this program contributed to the growing disdain of the war by the American people
23
Q

Lyndon B. Johnson

A
  • responsible for escalating American involvement in the Vietnam War while significantly increasing military spending
  • signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, prohibiting discrimination based on sex, color, religion, or national origin
24
Q

Gulf of Tonkin (incident and resolution)

A
  • resolution passed in 1964 authorizing the President to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against U.S. forces
  • in response to a series of events that occurred in which American destroyers claimed they were being attacked (torpedoed)
25
Q

Ho Chi Minh trail

A
  • network of roads and trails that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the war, and was used by North to transport troops, supplies, and weapons to the South and to support their military operations against the U.S. / South forces
  • vital supply route for North forces and was a major target of U.S. bombing and ground operations during the war
26
Q

Operation: ROLLING THUNDER

A
  • a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam with a goal of damaging infrastructure and disrupting supply lines
  • the failure of the operation to achieve its goal is as a contributing factor to the eventual U.S. defeat in the Vietnam War
27
Q

William Westmoreland

A
  • West Point graduate and Army General who served in the Vietnam War
  • responsible for overseeing the buildup of American troops
  • strong advocate of the attrition strategy (wearing down the opponent with continuous, vicious barrages of attacks)
28
Q

Project 100,000

A
  • a controversial program launched by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1966 during the Vietnam War, with a goal of increasing military numbers without compromising quality by specifically recruiting and training (targeting and grooming) those who would score in the bottom 30% of military aptitude tests
29
Q

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)

A
  • a regional defense alliance in Southeast Asia created in 1954 to provide a collective security against communist aggression
  • largely ineffective and dissolved in 1977
30
Q

Operation: MARKET TIMES / Operation: SEALORD

A
  • naval and air surveillance operation conducted by the United States and South Vietnam to interdict communist arms and supplies shipments, as well to prevent the infiltration of North troops and supplies to the South by sea / Delta waterways
31
Q

Hamlet Evacuation System (HES)

A
  • controversial program implemented by South Vietnam aimed to relocate rural civilians from “vulnerable” hamlets and villages to more secure and fortified locations
32
Q

Tet Offensive

A
  • a coordinated series of surprise attacks launched by North Vietnam against the South / U.S. forces, lasting several weeks in early 1968
  • while considered a military failure for the communist forces, it had a profound psychological impact on the American public and policymakers
  • largely regarded as a major turning point in the Vietnam War
33
Q

Siege of Khe Sanh

A
  • pivotal and bloody battle in the Vietnam War that had a significant impact on the American public’s perception of the U.S. government and their strategies/tactics in Vietnam
34
Q

Battle of Hue City

A
  • a response attack during the Tet Offensive when South troops responded heavily with a massive counteroffensive in the city of Hue
35
Q

Richard M. Nixon

A
  • President during the Vietnam War
  • most infamous for his secret bombing campaign in Cambodia
  • began the process of removing troops from Vietnam in a process called Vietnamization
36
Q

Vietnamization

A
  • policy introduced by President Nixon to shift the burden of fighting the Vietnam War from U.S. troops to South Vietnamese troop, intending to end America’s involvement in the war
  • two main components:
    > increase the size and capability of the South Vietnamese army
    > gradual withdrawal of troops
37
Q

Paris Peace Accords

A
  • a series of agreements signed between the United States, North and South Vietnam, and Frane, and formally ended the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War
38
Q

U.S. Special Operations in Vietnam

A
  • significant yet controversial operations squad that conducted a range of unconventional warfare operations behind enemy lines
  • most successful: counterinsurgency program aimed at identifying and eliminating Viet Cong leaders and their infrastructure
39
Q

Carter Doctrine

A
  • foreign policy statement made by President Carter in 1980 declaring that the United States would use military force, if necessary, to protect its interests in the Persian Gulf region
  • response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan and the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East
40
Q

Operation: EAGLE CLAW

A
  • a failed military operation in April 1980 which attempted to rescue American hostages held during the Iranian Hostage Crisis
  • the operation was a major embarrassment and contributed to Carter’s loss in the next presidential election
41
Q

Reagan Doctrine

A
  • foreign policy strategy adopted by President Reagan in the 1980s that aimed to contain and roll back Soviet Union influence around the world
42
Q

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A
  • a proposed U.S. missile defense system aimed to develop and deploy a network of space-based lasers, particle beams, and other advanced technologies to intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
43
Q

U.S. Marine Barracks Bombing in Beirut, Lebanon

A
  • terrorist attack in which a truck bomb detonated at the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 military personnel and injuring more than 100 others
  • the attack prompted the U.S. to adopt a more cautious approach to military intervention in the region going forward