Unit 8: Topic 2 - Cold War Flashcards
N.A.T.O
An organization founded in 1949 by nations in North America and Europe to coordinate their defenses in case of conflict against the Soviets.
Non-Aligned Movement
International organization formed during decolonization to promote a middle path for newly independent nations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
Warsaw Pact
Alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European countries to counteract the growing influence of NATO. The countries involved were known as the “communist bloc”.
Superpower
An extremely powerful nation. These nations cannot be ignored at an international scale and whose cooperation must be considered. The two during the Cold War were the USSR and the USA.
Deterrence
The act of discouraging an action by instilling a fear of punishment if it were to happen.
Iron Curtain
The metaphor describing the division of Europe during the Cold War. The East side was dominated by the USSR and had policies of Communism and Authoritarianism while the West had policies of Capitalism and Democracy.
Domino Theory
The belief that if a political change happened in one country, neighboring countries would soon experience similar changes.
Berlin Wall
A protected concrete barrier from 1961 to 1989 that surrounded West Berlin from East Berlin and East Germany.
Space Race
Competition between the USSR and the USA to see who could construct superior spacecraft. The USSR launched the first satellite Sputnik into orbit in 1957. However, the USA would be the first to send people on the Moon (1969).
Jawaharlal Nehru
The first prime minister of India. Played a leading role in establishing the Non-Alignment Movement, a group of nations that did not want to pick a side in the Cold War.
Josip Tito
The dictator of Yugoslavia, which never joined the Warsaw Pact although having a communist political system.
Nikita Khrushchev
The third leader of the USSR, after Lenin and Stalin.
Kwame Nkrumah
He led Ghana to independence from Great Britain in 1957. He later became the country’s first president. He emulated nationalistic traditions from his time in the US and Britain such as founding fathers, a currency, a flag, an anthem, museums, and monuments. He was a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement and supported Pan-Africanism.
John F Kennedy
Elected president in 1961. He was the president of the US during the cold war. He supported the Bay of Pigs Crisis, which was a total disaster.
Gamal Abdel Nasser
An egyptian general who, with the help of Muhammad Naguib, overthrew the Egyptian King and established the Republic of Egypt. He became the second president of the country, following Naguib. He was a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement and supported Pan-Arabism.
Neil Armstrong
A member of the Apollo 11 team that landed on the Moon. He was the mission commander and the first man to step foot on the moon.
Yuri Gagarin
The first human to travel in outer space. He was a Soviet Pilot who travelled in the Vostok 1 capsule in 1961.
Laika
The very first living creature to enter space. She was a dog that entered orbit on November 3, 1957 in Sputnik II, created by the Soviets. However, since the Soviets did not create a re-entry plan, Laika died in space. Her death sparked debates about animal rights around the world.
satellite countries
Small states that are economically or politically dependent on a larger, more powerful state. Many countries in the Soviet Union were such dependencies with Russia.
world revolution
The belief that the Soviets had where they saw capitalism as a threat to its power. Due to this, the Soviets supported revolutions and uprisings in Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Bulgaria.
containment
A policy advocated by US diplomat George Kennan. He accepted communism where it existed already, but rejected allowing it to spread further.
Truman Doctrine
A statement made by President Harry Truman strongly influenced by Kennan’s policy of containment. It stated that the United States would do what it had to do to stop the spread of communism.
Marshall Plan
A plan enacted by the US after World War II to provide assistance to Europe. It had an ulterior goal of getting the US’s European allies back on their feet. It was also used to display how superior the US economy was compared to the Soviet Union. The plan was considerably successful.
MAD (mutual assured destruction)
An idea that emerged during the Cold War, where regardless by who initiated action, both countries would be left completely annihilated. This was realized by both the United States and the Soviet Union after testing their ballistic missiles.
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)
The USSR and its satellite states all refused to join the Marshall Plan. Instead, they developed this plan as their own to help Europe. It was very modest with its impact.
