Module 4

Question 1

alliance

Answer 1

an agreement between two or more nations to co-operate for specific purposes

Question 2

al-Qaeda

Answer 2

an extremist Islamist movement that exists in a number of Muslim nations

Al-Qaeda is known for its attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.

Question 3

anti-Semite

Answer 3

a person who discriminates against or is hostile towards Jews

Question 4

arms race

Answer 4

a competition among nuclear countries to determine which country would possess the most nuclear weapons

Question 5

balance of power

Answer 5

the distribution of power so that no country will dominate or be stronger than another country

Question 6

biological weapons

Answer 6

the use of bacteria, viruses, or other disease-causing agents as weapons in warfare

Question 7

brinkmanship

Answer 7

the practice, especially in international politics, of seeking advantage by creating the impression that one is willing and able to push a highly dangerous situation to the limit rather than concede

Question 8

coalition forces

Answer 8

an alliance of military forces from different countries

Question 9

Cold War

Answer 9

a rivalry, after World War II, between democratic countries and the Soviet Union and its satellites

Question 10

collective security

Answer 10

an organization of countries that agree to protect one another if any of the member countries are attacked

Question 11

containment

Answer 11

an American policy to limit communist expansion in Europe and Asia

Question 12

détente

Answer 12

a period of reduced tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1971 to 1979

Question 13

deterrence

Answer 13

a foreign policy to discourage a country from taking military action

Question 14

Diaspora

Answer 14

the dispersal or scattering of the Jewish people outside their traditional homeland

Question 15

domino effect

Answer 15

in politics, the theory that if one country was taken over by an expansionist country, then nearby countries would also be taken over, one after the other

Question 16

expansionism

Answer 16

the policy of expanding a nation’s territory or its sphere of influence

Question 17

extremist

Answer 17

a person or group of people who resort to acts beyond what is considered normal

Question 18

ghetto

Answer 18

a section of a city, usually a slum, inhabited by an ethnic or other minority group

Question 19

glasnost

Answer 19

an official policy of the former Soviet Union that emphasized a more open government and wider distribution of information

Question 20

Iron Curtain

Answer 20

an ideological line drawn between the communist countries and the democratic countries in Europe

Question 21

isolationism

Answer 21

a policy to limit involvement in international matters

Question 22

jihad

Answer 22

a holy war waged by devout Muslims in defence of their faith

Question 23

Marshall Plan

Answer 23

an American policy of providing economic aid to countries affected by World War II

Question 24

mutual deterrence

Answer 24

occurs when two or more countries use all possible means to prevent one another from taking military action

Question 25

mutually assured destruction (MAD)

Answer 25

fear that if one country used a nuclear bomb to attack another country, there would be a nuclear war that would destroy the world

Question 26

naval blockade

Answer 26

occurs when ships from one country stop the passage of ships from another country

Question 27

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

Answer 27

a political and military organization that claims to represent the Palestinian people

Question 28

perestroika

Answer 28

a policy of the former Soviet Union that emphasized restructuring the economy

Question 29

propaganda

Answer 29

the use of media, such as newspapers, radio, and television, to distribute information intended to influence the public

Propaganda is not always truthful.

Question 30

Qur’an (Koran)

Answer 30

the central religious text of Muslims, which Muslims believe contains the revealed word of God

The Qur’an is accepted as the foundation of Islamic law, religion, culture, and politics.

Question 31

regime

Answer 31

a system of government

Question 32

resistance

Answer 32

a group of people or an organization that struggles to liberate its region or country from outside intervention

Question 33

segregation

Answer 33

the separation of a racial, religious, or other group from the larger society

Question 34

sphere of influence

Answer 34

a territorial area over which one nation has the main political or economic influence

Question 35

satellite state

Answer 35

a small country that borders another country and is under the influence or control of the neighbouring country

Question 36

shock and awe

Answer 36

a military technique based on using overwhelming power and force to paralyze the opponent and destroy the will to fight

Question 37

Star Wars

Answer 37

an American program, started in 1984, that explored the idea of ground- and space-based lasers used to destroy attacking missiles and warheads

Question 38

superpower

Answer 38

a very powerful and influential nation

The term was used to refer to the United States and the former Soviet Union when they were seen as the two most powerful nations in the world.

Question 39

Taliban

Answer 39

an Islamist fundamentalist movement that governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001

The Taliban is fighting a guerrilla war against NATO-led forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Question 40

terrorism

Answer 40

the unlawful use of threats, force, or violence against a group of people to impose political or ideological beliefs

Question 41

Truman Doctrine

Answer 41

an American policy to provide economic assistance to war-torn countries that needed to rebuild and to countries threatened by or attracted to communism