Vocab Quiz 4/7 Flashcards
- Containment
A. Definition: Containment was a U.S. foreign policy strategy during the Cold War that aimed to prevent the spread of communism by countering Soviet influence through military, political, and economic means.
B. Significance: Containment shaped U.S. foreign policy for decades, influencing interventions in Korea, Vietnam, and other regions.
C. Example: The U.S. involvement in the Korean War (1950-1953) was driven by containment.
- Point Four Program
A. Definition: The Point Four Program was a U.S. initiative launched by President Harry Truman in 1949 to provide technical and economic assistance to developing countries to counter communist influence.
B. Significance: This program was part of the broader Cold War strategy to strengthen non-communist nations by improving their economies and infrastructure.
C. Example: The Point Four Program provided agricultural and industrial assistance to countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, including Iran, where U.S. experts helped develop irrigation and farming techniques.
- Mutual Security Act
A. Definition: Passed in 1951, the Mutual Security Act was a U.S. law that provided military, economic, and technical assistance to allies, particularly those threatened by communism.
B. Significance: This act reinforced containment by directly funding military aid to anti-communist governments, strengthening alliances, and supporting global stability under U.S. leadership.
C. Example: Under the Mutual Security Act, the U.S. provided military aid to South Korea and Taiwan to help them resist potential communist aggression.
- NSC-68
A. Definition: NSC-68 was a top-secret U.S. government report issued in 1950 that called for a large expansion of military spending and the buildup of nuclear weapons to counter Soviet aggression.
B. Significance: NSC-68 shaped U.S. Cold War policy by advocating for a more aggressive stance against communism, including increased military funding and containment efforts worldwide.
C. Example: NSC-68 justified U.S. intervention in Korea, as it emphasized that the U.S. must resist communist expansion wherever it occurred.
- Joseph McCarthy
A. Definition: Joseph McCarthy was a U.S. senator from Wisconsin who became infamous in the early 1950s for leading aggressive anti-communist investigations, claiming that communists had infiltrated the U.S. government and military.
B. Significance: McCarthy’s accusations fueled the Red Scare, leading to widespread fear, political purges, and violations of civil liberties.
C. Example: In 1954, McCarthy accused the U.S. Army of harboring communists, leading to the Army-McCarthy hearings, which ultimately discredited him
- Red Scare
A. Definition: The Red Scare refers to periods of intense fear of communist influence in the U.S., particularly after World War I (1919-1920) and during the Cold War (1940s-1950s).
B. Significance: The Red Scare led to widespread government investigations, loyalty oaths, and blacklisting of suspected communists in various industries.
C. Example: The Hollywood blacklist targeted actors, writers, and directors suspected of communist ties, effectively ending many careers.
- HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)
A. Definition: HUAC was a congressional committee that investigated alleged communist influences in the U.S., particularly in government, Hollywood, and labor unions.
B. Significance: HUAC played a major role in the Red Scare by accusing individuals of communist sympathies, pressuring them to testify, and promoting blacklisting.
C. Example: In 1947, HUAC interrogated Hollywood figures such as the “Hollywood Ten,” who refused to testify and were blacklisted from the film industry.
- ‘Blacklisted’
A. Definition: Being blacklisted meant being denied employment or opportunities due to suspected communist ties or sympathies, often without solid proof.
B. Significance: Blacklisting was a powerful tool during the Red Scare, used to silence dissent and punish those accused of leftist affiliations.
C. Example: Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted in Hollywood but continued working under pseudonyms, winning two Academy Awards despite being banned from the industry.
- Alger Hiss
A. Definition: Alger Hiss was a U.S. government official accused of being a Soviet spy in the late 1940s and convicted of perjury in 1950.
B. Significance: Hiss’s case heightened fears of communist infiltration in the U.S. government, strengthening support for anti-communist policies.
C. Example: Hiss was accused by former communist Whittaker Chambers, who provided evidence, including microfilm hidden in a hollowed-out pumpkin (the “Pumpkin Papers”).
- J. Edgar Hoover
A. Definition: J. Edgar Hoover was the longtime director of the FBI (1924-1972), known for aggressively pursuing communists, radicals, and civil rights activists.
B. Significance: Hoover expanded the FBI’s power during the Red Scare, using secret surveillance and intimidation tactics to target suspected subversives.
C. Example: Hoover authorized COINTELPRO, a covert FBI program that spied on Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights groups, and suspected communists.
- Lavender Scare
A. Definition: The Lavender Scare was a parallel to the Red Scare, targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in government positions due to fears they were security risks and susceptible to communist blackmail.
B. Significance: Thousands of federal employees lost jobs or were forced to resign due to their perceived sexual orientation.
C. Example: In 1953, President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450, banning LGBTQ+ individuals from federal employment due to “security concerns.”
- Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA)
A. Definition: The FCDA was a government agency established in 1951 to coordinate civil defense measures in case of a nuclear attack.
B. Significance: The FCDA promoted public awareness and preparedness during the Cold War, encouraging drills, fallout shelters, and emergency plans.
C. Example: The FCDA produced the “Duck and Cover” film featuring Bert the Turtle, which taught schoolchildren how to protect themselves in a nuclear explosion.
- Kim Il-Sung
A. Definition: Kim Il-Sung was the communist leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994, leading the country during the Korean War (1950-1953).
B. Significance: Kim Il-Sung played a central role in starting the Korean War by invading South Korea in 1950, aiming to unify the peninsula under communism.
C. Example: In 1950, Kim Il-Sung launched an invasion of South Korea, leading to U.S. and U.N. intervention in the Korean War.
- Mao Zedong
A. Definition: Mao Zedong was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the founding father of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
B. Significance: Mao’s victory in the Chinese Civil War shifted the global balance of power by making China a major communist state allied with the Soviet Union.
C. Example: In 1950, Mao sent Chinese troops to support North Korea against U.S. and U.N. forces, turning the tide of the Korean War.
- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
A. Definition: NATO is a military alliance founded in 1949 between the U.S., Canada, and several Western European nations to counter Soviet expansion.
B. Significance: NATO was a key component of the Cold War, providing collective security against Soviet aggression.
C. Example: NATO’s first major test came during the Korean War, when member nations supported the U.S.-led efforts against communist North Korea.
- Inchon
A. Definition: Inchon was the site of a major amphibious invasion during the Korean War, led by General Douglas MacArthur in September 1950.
B. Significance: The successful Inchon landing allowed U.N. forces to regain control of Seoul and push North Korean troops back beyond the 38th parallel.
C. Example: On September 15, 1950, U.S. Marines landed at Inchon, surprising North Korean forces and leading to a major victory for the U.N. coalition.
- General Douglas MacArthur
A. Definition: General Douglas MacArthur was a U.S. military leader who commanded U.N. forces during the early stages of the Korean War.
B. Significance: MacArthur’s leadership was instrumental in the successful Inchon invasion, but his push toward the Chinese border provoked Chinese intervention.
C. Example: MacArthur publicly clashed with President Truman over the decision not to escalate the war against China, leading to his removal from command.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
A. Definition: Dwight D. Eisenhower was the 34th president of the U.S. (1953-1961) and a former World War II general.
B. Significance: As president, Eisenhower prioritized Cold War containment while also promoting the “New Look” defense policy, which emphasized nuclear deterrence over conventional forces.
C. Example: In 1953, Eisenhower helped broker the armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War.
- Battle of Pork Chop Hill
A. Definition: The Battle of Pork Chop Hill was a series of battles between U.S. and Chinese forces in Korea in 1953, fought over a strategically minor hill.
B. Significance: The battle demonstrated the brutal, attritional warfare of the Korean War and the willingness of both sides to suffer heavy casualties over symbolic gains.
C. Example: U.S. and Chinese troops fought for control of Pork Chop Hill in April-July 1953, with heavy losses on both sides.
- Chiang Kai-Shek
A. Definition: Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader of the Chinese Nationalists (Kuomintang) and the ruler of China before being defeated by Mao Zedong’s communists in 1949.
B. Significance: After losing the Chinese Civil War, Chiang fled to Taiwan, where he established a separate government backed by the U.S.
C. Example: After Mao’s victory in 1949, Chiang established the Republic of China (Taiwan), which was recognized by the U.S. as the legitimate government of China until the 1970s.
