Key definition Flashcards
(24 cards)
What was the Cold War?
A geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States from 1947 to 1991.
What event marked the beginning of the Cold War?
The Truman Doctrine in 1947.
True or False: The Cold War was characterized by direct military conflict between the US and the USSR.
False.
What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?
To aid European recovery after World War II and prevent the spread of communism.
Fill in the blank: The _______ was a military alliance of communist nations led by the Soviet Union.
Warsaw Pact.
What was the Berlin Wall?
A barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989.
Which event is known as the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A 1962 confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba that brought the US and USSR to the brink of nuclear war.
What was the significance of the Korean War?
It was a proxy war between the US (and allies) and the USSR (and allies) from 1950 to 1953.
What does the term ‘McCarthyism’ refer to?
The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper evidence during the 1950s.
What was the primary goal of NATO?
To provide collective security against the Soviet threat.
What was the significance of the Vietnam War in the context of the Cold War?
It was a conflict where the US aimed to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.
True or False: The Space Race was a part of the Cold War.
True.
What was the outcome of the Helsinki Accords in 1975?
An agreement to improve relations between the communist bloc and the West.
Fill in the blank: The _______ was a US policy to contain communism.
Containment.
What was the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
It symbolized the end of the Cold War and the division of Europe.
What was the role of the United Nations during the Cold War?
To provide a platform for dialogue and conflict resolution amid Cold War tensions.
What was the ‘Iron Curtain’?
A term used to describe the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries.
What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
A failed US-sponsored invasion of Cuba in 1961 aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro.
True or False: The Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
True.
What was the significance of the SALT treaties?
They were agreements between the US and USSR to limit nuclear arms.
What does the term ‘Détente’ refer to?
The easing of strained relations, especially in the context of US-Soviet relations during the 1970s.
What was the significance of the Prague Spring?
A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968 that was crushed by Soviet intervention.
Fill in the blank: The _______ was the US strategy to prevent the spread of communism in Latin America.
Monroe Doctrine.
What was the significance of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979?
It sparked international condemnation and contributed to the deterioration of US-Soviet relations.
