Download Cold War Vocabulary List

Cold War Vocabulary List
1946-1991 (Collapse of the Soviet Union)
1.United Nations-An international peace-keeping organization founded in
1945 to provide security to the nations of the world.
2.Truman Doctrine-A policy of giving economic and military aid to free
nations threatened by internal or external opponents, announced by
President Harry S Truman.
3.Mao Zedong-Former dictator of the People’s Republic of China.
4.Marshall Plan-United States program of economic aid to European
countries to help them rebuild after World War II.
5.Soviet Union-(USSR) –Communist country. Union of Soviet Socialist
Republic.
6.Iron Curtain-Cold War boundary separating the Communist nations of
Eastern Europe from the mostly democratic nations of the west.
7.Containment-Former Policy where the United States tried to stop the
spread of communism by creating alliances and helping weak countries to
resist Soviet advances.
8.NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization…defensive military alliance
formed in 1949 by ten Western European nation, the USA and Canada.
9.Brinkmanship-policy of threatening to go to war in response to any
enemy aggression.
10.Warsaw Pact-A military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union
and 7 Eastern European countries.
11.Communism-Economic system in which all means of production land,
mines, factories, railroads and businesses are owned by the people, private
property does not exist and all goods and services are shared equally.
12.U-2- A US spy plane and pilot were shot down by the Soviets in1962.
13.Democracy-A government controlled by its citizens, either directly or
through representatives.
14.Capitalism-An economic system based on private ownership and on the
investment of money in business ventures in order to make a profit.
15.Socialism-Economic system in which the factories of production are
owned by the public and operated for the welfare of all.
16.Revolution-Overthrow of a government. A complete change.
17.Nationalism-Belief that the people should be loyal mainly to their
nation.-that is, to the people with whom they share a culture and historyrather than to a king or empire.
18.Domino Theory-An idea that if a nation falls under communist control,
nearby nations will also fall under communist control.
19.Détente-A policy of reducing Cold War tensions that was adopted by the
United States during the Presidency of Harry S Truman.
20.Superpower-The United States or The USSR during the Cold War.
21.Glasnot-A Soviet policy of openness to the free flow of ideas and
information, introduced in 1985 by Mikhail Gorbachev.
22.Guerrilla-Member of a loosely organized fighting force that makes
surprise attacks on enemy troops occupying his or her country.
23.Ideology-System of thought; dogma; beliefs.
24.SEATO-Southeast Asian Treaty Organization.