Final Flashcards
(31 cards)
Truman Doctrine
A foreign policy introduced by Harry. S. Truman in 1947, that committed the U.S. to provide aid to countries resisting communism (Particularly in Asia and Europe)
Marshall Plan
The European Recovery Program, which was a post-world II American plan that aimed at aiding the economic recovery of Europe (The U.S. did this to prevent the spread of communism)
Containment
The policy made by the U.S. to prevent the spread of communism and Soviet influence after the WWII.
Iron Curtain
A metaphor to describe the division between Western and Eastern Europe (1947 made by Harry S. Truman)
Berlin Wall
A concrete barrier that separated West, East Berlin, and East Germany from 1961 and 1989. (Berlin was divided primarily due to the political tensions and geographical realities that emerged after World War II)
Berlin Airlift
A UK and a U.S. attempt to supply Berlin with food, fuel, and other supplies after the Soviet Union blockade in 1948. (Soviet Union did this to get the Allies out of Berlin because the spot they were in was Soviet-occupied)
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance made up of 32 European countries and North American countries in 1949. (it was made to provide security)
Sacco and Vanzetti/Rosenbergs
Italian Immigrant anarchists who were convicted of murder in 1921 and executed in 1927 with no real evidence
The Rosenberg case, involving Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, was a espionage case during the Cold War where the couple was convicted of conspiring to commit espionage and executed in 1953 for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union
both unfair trials.
HUAC/McCarthyism
HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives formed in 1938. Its primary purpose was to investigate alleged disloyalty, including suspected communist ties, among private citizens, public employees, and organizations
McCarthyism refers to the practice of making accusations of disloyalty or subversion without sufficient evidence, often used to suppress opposition and for political gain. It’s named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who gained notoriety in the 1950s for his unsubstantiated allegations of communist infiltration in government and other institutions.
Detente
In simple terms, “détente” means a relaxation or lessening of tensions between countries, especially after a period of conflict or distrust. It’s like a truce or a move towards a more friendly relationship. (between the U.S. and Soviet Union)
Cuban Missile Crisis/Kennedy response
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the deployment of Soviet nuclear-armed ballistic missiles in Cuba. This action was taken to deter a potential U.S. invasion of Cuba and to level the playing field in the nuclear arms race.
President Kennedy’s response to the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba was a naval blockade, which he referred to as a “quarantine” to avoid formal war. This move aimed to prevent further missiles from reaching Cuba, but did not constitute a declaration of war.
United Nations
Global intergovernmental established in 1945 to promote international cooperation and maintain international peace and security
Domino Theory
The domino theory, particularly during the Cold War, was a US foreign policy concept that posited a chain reaction: if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would inevitably follow, like a row of dominoes tumbling over. This idea, first articulated by President Eisenhower in 1954, was a key justification for US involvement in the Vietnam War.
Nativism
Nativism is a political stance that prioritizes the interests of native-born or indigenous people over those of immigrants.
New Deal
Dust Bowl
Robber Barons (Big Business)
Trench Warfare
Holocaust
Who preceded Truman?
Primary goal of the United Nations?
What marked the beginning of the Cold War?
What allowed families to move to the suburbs?
How did the US respond to Sputnik?
