COLD WAR VOCABULARY

  • Communism is an economic and political system in which the state owns the means of production and a single party rules.
  • A Democracy is a form of government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives and using those people as the primary source of political power.
  • The Domino Theoryas stated by President Harry Truman meant that if one country fell to Communism then another country would follow like a line of "dominoes"
  • The Truman Doctrinewas written by President Harry Truman and it was the idea that the best way to contain Communism was by keeping the Soviet Union from gaining more territory.
  • The Iron Curtainwas a political barrier that isolated Eastern Europe from Western Europe after World War 2.
  • The Berlin Airlift occurred when the Allied Powers of France, Great Britain and the United States airlifted (sending cargo planes to delivered tons of supplies to the people) until May of 1949.
  • The Marshall Planwas designed by the United States to rebuild the allied countries of Europe and containing Communism after World War 2.
  • The Geneva Accords of 1954was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to settle outstanding issues on the Korean Peninsula and to unify Vietnam and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina.
  • The Korean Waroccurred between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) supported by the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) supported by the Soviet Union from June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953.
  • The Vietnam Warwas fought between North Vietnam supported by the Soviet Union, China and other Communist nations and the government of South Vietnam supported by the United States and other anti-Communist nations.
  • The Berlin Wallwas built on August 13, 1961 to separate Berlin into East Berlin (occupied by the Soviet Union) and West Berlin (occupied by the United States, Great Britain and France) and remained for 28 years.
  • East Berlinwas the part of Berlin that was occupied by the Soviet Union until 1991.
  • West Berlinwas the part of Berlin that was occupied by the United States, Great Britain and France until 1991.
  • A Cold Warwas the sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc (the United States with NATO and others) and powers in the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its allies in Warsaw Pact.)