All terms in this list:

Definition: Nations don't meet on the battlefield

Political tension & rivalry

Compete for world superpower

Soviet Union & Stalin: After WWII, the U.S. and Soviet Union began to distrust each other

S.U. broke promise for free elections in Eastern Europe

Set up communist pro- Soviet governments in those countries

upset at the idea of Germany reunification

Blockade West Berlin: In response, U.S. launched a massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin

Winston Churchill said that an "Iron Curtain" had fallen over Eastern Europe

U.S. was afraid of communism spreading around the world & and eventually to the U.S.

Truman Doctrine: President Harry Truman's main strategy to fight the Cold War

Hope to contain the spread of communism

U.S. gave money to help rebuild Europe after the war (Marshall Plan)

To receive -countries had to pledge to support democracy

Containment: Truman''s policy of stopping the spread of Communism

U.S. felt that if they could stop Communism from spreading Democracies could be set up in those countries

NATO & Warsaw Pact: North Atlantic Treaty Organization - created as a defensive alliance for Western Europe as the communists gained control of Eastern Europe

In response to NATO, the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact alliance for the nations of Eastern Europe

Joseph McCarthy: Used American's fear of communism to gain political power

Red Scare - Americans afraid communism would come to the U.S.

House Un-American Activities Committee - identify Communism in government and society

Claims never proven.

Space Race: The US & Soviet Union competed against each other to be the first to go into space.

Soviet Union launched 1st satellite in 1957, named "Sputnik"

At first the US was losing the "space", but eventually caught up and passed the Russians by

Arms Race: Under Pres. Eisenhower, U.S.. developed a policy of "Brinkmanship" -US would go to the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union to stop the spread of communism

His started a nuclear arms race

Both countries developed a Hydrogen bomb

Espionage: Both countries spied on each other

Central Intelligence Agency - CIA established

Julius & Ethel Rosenberg were tried and executed for allegedly selling atomic bomb secrets to the soviets