satellite nation
a country dominated politically and economically by another nation, especially by the Soviet Union during the Cold War
iron curtain
term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Communist and non-communist life
Cold War
the competition that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union for power and influence in the world, lasting until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
containment
american policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
Truman Doctrine
Harry Truman's 1947 speech before a joint session of congress, calling for the United States to take a leadership role in the world, and declaring that the United States would support nations threatened by communism
Marshall Plan
program of American economic assistance to Western Europe, announced in 1947
Berlin airlift
operation that moved supplies into West Berlin by American and British planes during a Soviet blockade in 1948-1949
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
alliance of nations that agreed to band together in the event of war and to support and protect each nation invovled
collective security
the principle of mutual military assistance among nations
Warsaw Pact
military alliance between the Soviet Union and nations of Eastern Europe, formed in 1955
House Un-American Actives Committee (HUAC)
established in 1938 to investigate disloyalty in the United States
Hollywood Ten
group of people in the film industry who were jailed for refusing to answer congressional questions regarding Communist influenced in Hollywood
blacklist
list that circulated among employers, beginning in 1947, containing the names of persons who should not be hired
McCarran- Walter Act
passed by Congress in 1952, this law reaffirmed the quota system that has been established for each country in 1924
38th parallel
the latitude line running across Korea at approximately the midpoint of the peninsula
Korean War
conflict over the future on the Korean peninsula, fought between 1950 and 1953 and ending in a stalemate
military- industrial complex
the military establishment as it developed links to the cooperate and scientific communities, employing 3.5 million Americans by 1960
McCarthyism
term used to describe Senator Joesph McCarthy's anti-communist smear tactics
arms race
a contest between nations to gain weapons superiority
deterrence
the policy of making the military power of the United States and its allies so strong that no enemy would attack for fear of retaliation
brinkmanship
a 1956 term used by Secretary of State John Dulles to describe a policy of risking war in order to protect national interests
ICBM
Intercontinental ballistic missile
Sputnik
the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, launched by the Soviets in 1957
U-2 incident
a 1960 incident in which the Soviet military used a guided missile to shoot down an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet territory