Satellite States
An independent country dominated by a larger power; initially coined during the Cold War era in reference to Central and Eastern European countries of the Warsaw Pact being "satellites" of the Soviet Union.
Cold War
A state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular.
Iron Curtain
The former Soviet bloc and the West before the decline of communism after the political events in eastern Europe in 1989.
Truman Doctrine
The principle that the US should give support to countries or peoples threatened by Soviet forces or communist insurrection. First expressed in 1947 by US President Truman in a speech to Congress seeking aid for Greece and Turkey, the doctrine was seen by
George F. Keenan
George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 - March 17, 2005) was an American advisor, diplomat, political scientist, and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War
Containment
Containment was a United States policy using numerous strategies to prevent the spread of communism abroad. A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to enlarge communist influence in Eastern Europe,
Marshall Plan
A program of financial aid and other initiatives, sponsored by the US, designed to boost the economies of western European countries after World War II. It was originally advocated by Secretary of State George C. Marshall and passed by Congress in 1948
Berlin Airlift
Airlift in 1948 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of west Berlin when the Russians closed off land access to Berlin.
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. An international organization created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security
Warsaw Pact
A treaty of mutual defense and military aid signed at Warsaw on May 14, 1955, by communist states of Europe under Soviet influence, in response to the admission of West Germany to NATO. The pact was dissolved in 1991
Jiang Jieshi
(1887-1975) Leader of the Guomindang, or Nationalist Party in China. Fought to keep China from becoming communist, and to resist the Japanese during World War II. He lost control of China in 1949, and fled to Taiwan where he setup a rival government. Also
Mao Zedong
(1893-1976), Chinese statesman; chairman of the Communist Party of the Chinese People's Republic 1949-76; head of state 1949-59. A cofounder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its effective leader from the time of the Long March (1934-35), he even
38th Parallel
Line of latitude which divided North and South Korea.
UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of p
Korean War
The war of 1950-53 between North and South Kore
General Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army who was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Limited War
A war in which the weapons, the territory, or the objectives are restricted in some way, esp. in the use of nuclear weapons.
Cease-Fire
A temporary suspension of fighting, typically one during which peace talks take place; a truce.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
October 14, 1890 - March 28, 1969) was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. He had previously been a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe; h
SEATO
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. Established 1954. Countries participating included: Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The objectives of the organization were to prevent and
Arms Race
A competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons, esp. between the US and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War
Mutually Assured Destruction
MAD was the guarantee that if one superpower launched a massive nuclear attack, the other would reciprocate by also launching a massive nuclear attack, and both countries would be destroyed. This ultimately became the prime deterrent against a nuclear war
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959.
Massive Retaliation
Eisenhower's military doctrine of threatening a full nuclear retaliatory response to any perceived aggression against U.S. interests; later replaced by flexible response because of its lack of credibility.
Brinkmanship
The art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, typically in politics.
Nikita Khrushchev
Soviet statesman and premier who denounced Stalin (1894-1971). led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Pre
Suez Crisis
In the 1950's, Nasser took over the corrupt government of Egypt and helped out the economy of it and accepted aid from the United States. He then purchased weapons from communist countries making America distrustful.
Eisenhower Doctrine
January 5, 1957, Eisenhower made a speech to the joint House of Congress to limit communist expansion. Authorized March 7, the Eisenhower Doctrine allowed the president to extend economic and military aid to certain nations as well as use of $200 million
CIA
Central Intelligence Agency.
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: an independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight
Red Scare
The rounding up and deportation of several hundred immigrants of radical political views by the federal government in 1919 and 1920. This "scare" was caused by fears of subversion by communists in the United States after the Russian Revolution.
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act of 1940 (Smith Act, 76th United States Congress, 3d session, ch. 439, 54 Stat. 670, 18 U.S.C. � 2385, enacted June 29, 1940) is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S.
HUAC
(1940s) House Un-American Committee. They opened hearings to expose alleged communist infiltration in Hollywood. Committee members seized on the refusal of 10 screenwriters, producers, and directors who had been or mild were members of the Communist Party
Hollywood Ten
The Hollywood blacklist�as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known�was the mid-20th-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field bec
Blacklist
A list of people or products viewed with suspicion or disapproval
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg (September 25, 1915[1] - June 19, 1953) and Julius Rosenberg (May 12, 1918 - June 19, 1953) were United States citizens convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war, and executed. Their charges were related t
Joseph R. McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence.
Section 1
Question 1
Identify and explain at least 3 issues that the U.S. and the U.S.S.R could not agree upon at the end of the Second World War - these represent several "roots" of the Cold War.
* The U.S. charted the future of Poland
* Members of the House Un-American Activities Committee charged numerouse Hollywood figures with Being sympathetic to communist ideas.
* United States became involved in affairs in the Middle East following World Wa
Section 1
Question 2
Explain how the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan represented a completely different approach to post-war foreign policy from our actions following WW1
The Marshall Plan was designed to help rebuild postwar Europe, reasoning that if we didn't, the Soviet Union would, with strings attached. The Truman doctrine was an anti communism stance, to try to stop the spread of communism throughout the world. A dec
Section 2
Question 3
How and why was the Korean peninsula partitioned (divided) at the end of WWII?
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending the Empire of Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. The United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a tr
Section 2
Question 4
How (explain the process) did American military intervention in the Korean "police action" come as a result of a United Nations resolution instead of a congressional declaration of war?
War broke out along the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. On that day, North Korean troops coordinated an attack at several strategic points along the parallel and headed south toward Seoul. The United Nations Security Council responded to the attack by ado
Section 3
Question 5
Explain Secretary of State Dulles' rationale (reason) for pursuing a foreign policy known as brinkmanship. What were the costs/benefits from his perspective?
In 1954, Dulles announced the policy of massive retaliation . The US would respond to communist threats to its allies by threatening to use crushing, overwhelming force, perhaps even nuclear weapons. Dulles believed that only by going to the brink of war
Section 3
Question 6
What were the origins of the famed "space race" between the US and the Soviet Union?
The Space Race had its origins in the missile-based arms race that occurred just after the end of the World War II, when both the Soviet Union and the United States captured advanced German rocket technology and personnel.
Section 4
Question 7
Why do you think HUAC target Hollywood as a potential source of communist infiltration?
HUAC wanted to publicize its power. And seeing how everyone follows the entertainment industry, condemning them would be an easy way to show the nation how powerful HUAC was. Plus, a good number of people in Hollywood used to be part of the Communist Part
Section 4
Question 8
How might McCarthyism be compared to the Salem Witch Trials of the 17th Century?
Both McCarthyism and The Witch Trials were both conducted without evidence. People pointed fingers without exactly realizing the severity of their accusations and not knowing whether or not said person was guilty. Very impersonal and uneducated.