All terms in this list:

Cold War: intense economic, political, military,
and ideological rivalry between
nations, short of military conflict;
sustained hostile political policies and
an atmosphere of strain between
opposed countries
OR, a war with no fighting!

Manhattan Project: this is what the U.S. called
the secret plan to build the atomic bomb

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: U.S. dropped 1st bomb on August 6, 1945
1. Hiroshima
2. 75,000 killed immediately
3. Thousands more died of radiation
U.S. dropped 2nd bomb on August 14, 1945
1. Nagasaki

Capitalism: Economic system based on a free market, open competition, profit motive and private ownership of the means of production

Communism: A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or the state.

Harry S. Truman: Took over after FDR died
Important decisions
Drop atomic bombs United Nations

The United Nations: 1st met April 12, 1944 (50 nations) in San Fran, Cali
Similar to league of nations after WWI
Us joins the UN
Prevent another World War
An attack on one is an attack on all

Joseph Stalin: Soviet political leader in the 20th century. Ruled soviet union often with extreme brutality from the death of Lenin. Abolished private ownership were followed by political purges

Arms Race: Arms race between US/SU
occured throughout Cold War
Guarantee security
Competed to make the most and best weapons for the next 50 years

Truman Doctrine: Policy for the U.S. to provide military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey

Containment: U.S. wanted to contain communism. Stop it from spreading

Iron Curtain: Used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the line of western influence and soviet zone.

Berlin Blockade: As Marshall plan helped tensions grew.
S.U. felt threatened built blockade around W. Berlin

Marshall Plan: Economically aiding the European nations

Mao Zedong: Communist leader of China

NATO: Military alliance, safeguard freedom and security of its nations.

Warsaw Pact: Formed in 1955 communist countries, defense under a joint military command

2nd Red Scare: fear of communism

Joseph McCarthy: R-Wisconsin
1. Accused many in US gov. of being Communist
2. BIG LIST--Feb. 1950
3. many feared him

Korean War: A conflict that lasted from 1950 to 1953
between North Korea, aided by China, and South
Korea, aided by United Nations forces consisting
primarily of U.S. troops

General Douglas MacArthur: in charge of our
troops during the Korean War

Sputnik: launched by SU
1. 1st man-made satellite
2. Oct. 4, 1957
3. 3 months in orbit

NASA: the federal agency that institutes
and administers the civilian programs of the U.S. government that deal with aeronautical research and
the development of launch vehicles and spacecraft

Yuri Gagarin: 1st person in space

John Glenn: 1st person to orbit earth

Apollo 11: Space flight to moon

Great Debates: 1. 4 televised debates
2. Answer report questions--2 1/2 min.
3. 70 million watched
4. JFK--younger, poised, clever answers

Bay of Pigs: Cuba
1. Leader was Fidel Castro
a. At first, we supported him for
overthrowing previous dictator
b. He then announced he was a communist
2. Eisenhower stopped all trade with Cuba
3. Bay of Pigs invasion
Anti-Castro Cuban

Nikita Khrushchev:: Soviet leader during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Berlin Wall: built to separate East and West Berlin

Cuban Missile Crisis: A confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962
over the presence of missile sites in Cuba; one of the “hottest” periods of the cold war. The Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, placed Soviet military missiles in Cuba, which

Lee Harvey Oswald: man who shot President Kennedy

Warren Commision: group assigned to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy

Vietnam War: a conflict, starting in 1954 and ending in 1975, between South Vietnam (later
aided by the U.S., South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and New Zealand) and the Vietcong and North Vietnam

Indochina: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh: Communist leader of North Vietnam

Tet offensive: a massive attack by the North Vietnamese on a huge national holiday in 1968

Mikhail Gorbachev: Leader of the S.U. when it fell apart

Glastnost: New policy of openness, including freedom of speech and to criticize the government

Perestroika: changing the economy. People could now own land and factories