Cold War
about fifty years of intense conflict between the US and the USSR that never actually resulted in the two countries fighting each other
Truman Doctrine
issued with a foreign policy goal of containing the spread of communism
containment
policy of keeping communism from spreading
Marshall Plan
plan in which the US gave economic aid to eastern European countries like Greece in order to prevent them from falling to communism
Berlin Wall
set up in Berlin after the failure of the Berlin Airlift; recognized as an "iron curtain" of sorts
Berlin Airlift
the USSR set up a blockade of Berlin; the US resonded by dropping supplies by air to the East Germans
Mao Zedong
led the Communist Revolution in China
United Nations
set up as an organization of countries that would work to keep peace in the world
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; organization of democratic countries
Warsaw Pact
organization of communist countries set up to counter NATO
superpower
nation with enough strength to influence events in the world
Joseph McCarthy
senator who encouraged the red scare in the US
Nikita Khrushchev
leader of Russia during the Cuban Missile Crisis
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Sputnik
first satellite launched into space; Russia won the "space race
Fidel Castrol
communist leader of Cuba
John F. Kennedy
president of the United States during the Bay of PIgs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Bay of Pigs Invasion
an embarissing attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro that was organized by the US
Cuban Missile Crisis
closest the world has come to nuclear war; resulted when Russia began to send nuclear weapons to Cuba
Alliance for Progress
program set up by JFK to send economic aid to Latin America in an attempt to keep them away from communism
Peace Corps
set up by JFK as an effort to help out third world countries
Organization of American States
encouraged progress in Latin America
Ronald Reagan
president during the Iran Contra affair
Iran Contra Affair
scandal including arms sales to the Middle East in order to send money to help the Contras in Nicaragua even though Congress had objected
Vietnam War
occurred because of the policy of containment; North Vietnam had invaded South Vietnam; the US supported South Vietnam
domino theory
fear that after China "fell" to communism that all other surrounding Asian countries would "fall" like dominoes
Ho Chi Minh
leader of North Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson
president during the Vietnam War after JFK was shot
Vietcong
North Vietnamese troops who used guerilla tactics
Korean War
the forgotten war; occurred because North Korea invaded South Korea (crossed the 38th parallel); the US supported South Korea; armistice ended the war and no changes were made
detente
reducing of tensions between the USSR and the US which led to the end of the Cold War
glasnost
Gorbachev's policy of speaking out openly and honestly; a movement toward the end of the Cold War
summit meeting
meetings of highest ranking officials from two or more nations
SALT agreements
Strategic Arms Limitations Treaties; worked to reduce arms during the Cold War
Star Wars
Ronald Reagan's Cold War research program that hoped to build up satellites capable of intercepting Soviet missles from space
Boris Yelstin
democratically elected Russian leader that brought the Cold War to an end