unilateralism
the doctrine that nations should conduct their foreign affairs individualistically without the advice or involvement of other nations
multilateralism
A philosophy that encourages individual nations tacked together to solve international problems.
isolation
a country's withdrawal from internal politics
intervention
a policy of intervening in the affairs of other countries
Hitler
German Nazi dictator during World War II (1889-1945), Nazi leader and founder; had over 6 million Jews assassinated during the Holocaust
Mussolini
founded fascism and ruled Italy for almost 21 years, most of that time as dictator. He dreamed of building Italy into a great empire, but he led his nation to defeat in World War II (1939-1945) and was executed by his own people.
neutrality acts
Originally designed to avoid American involvement in World War II by preventing loans to those countries taking part in the conflict; they were later modified in 1939 to allow aid to Great Britain and other Allied nations.
appeasement
Satisfying the demands of dissatisfied powers in an effort to maintain peace and stability.
Stalin
Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953)
cash and carry
policy adopted by the United States in 1939 to preserve neutrality while aiding the Allies. Britain and France could buy goods from the United States if they paid in full and transported them.
lend-lease
allows America to sell, lend, or lease arms or other war supplies to any nation considered "vital to the defense of the U.S.
pearl harbor
United States military base on Hawaii that was bombed by Japan, bringing the United States into World War II. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.
atomic bomb
bomb dropped by an American bomber on Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroying both cities
allied powers
Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and later the US
axis powers
Germany, Italy, Japan
FDR
Roosevelt, the President of the United States during the Depression and WWII. He instituted the New Deal. Served from 1933 to 1945, he was the only president in U.S. history to be elected to four terms
Truman
Elected Vice president in 1944; 33rd President, after FDR's death; led the U.S. through the end of World War II and beginning of the Cold War
communism
a political system in which the government owns all property and dominates all aspects of life in a country
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
speech made by British prime minister Winston Churchill stating that the USSR's "iron curtain" had cut off eastern Europe from the world; initiated US-British cooperation in the efforts to resist Soviet dominance
containment
American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
satellite nations
Communist nations in Eastern Europe on friendly terms with the USSR and thought of as under the USSR's control
Truman doctrine
President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology
Marshall plan
a United States program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952)
Manhattan Project
code name for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II
NSC 68
A National Security Council document, approved by President Truman in 1950, developed in response to the Soviet Union's growing influence and nuclear capability; it called for an increase in the US conventional and nuclear forces to carry out the policy o
arms race
a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments
spheres of influence
areas in which countries have some political and economic control but do not govern directly (ex. Europe and U.S. in China)
cold war
This period of time following World War II is where the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and faced off in an arms race that lasted nearly 50 years.