Ch 26 The Cold War
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14 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 U.S. becomes a superpower | America's air force of 80,000 plains dominates the skies, the navy is larger than the navies of all of its enemies and allies combined, only country that has the ATOMIC BOMB. |
| Policy of Containment | The U.S. would not fight communism where it already existed but would not allow it to spread to democratic countries. |
| Kennan Telegram | A telegram sent to President Truman warning him of Stalin and his spread of communism in Eastern Europe. Argued that the USSR was inherently expansionist and could not be stopped without force. To stop expansionism the US would need to pursue a policy of firm containment. |
| Soviet "buffer zone" | Since USSR had been a victim of aggression during both WWs, Stalin wants USSR to become a great nation with a buffer zone. Wants to have Countries between Russia and Germany and Italy as "friendly" countries to keep from being invaded. |
| Marshall Plan | Introduced by Secretary of State George G. Marshall in 1947, he proposed massive and systematic American economic aid to European countries to revitalize the European economies after WWII and help prevent the spread of Communism. |
| Domino Theory | The political theory that if one nation comes under communist control then neighboring nations will also come under communist control. |
| NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) | pledge between the US and other nations, saying if one country is attacked the rest need to help defend. Is the first time the US has entered into a Peace Time alliance. Guaranteed the US would remain a permanently militarized nation. |
| The Warsaw Pact | __________ was created by the Soviet Union on 14 May 1955 as a political‐military alliance of European Communist states to counter the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO), particularly the entry of West Germany into NATO in 1955. |
| Fall of Nationalist Government of China | 1949 - Civil war in China, Communists emerge victorious. Responding to republican critics, democrats refuse to recognize this new government. Only recognize the People's Republic of China that had been pushed back to Taiwan. |
| NSC-68 | An National Security Council document that made the case for a US military buildup during the Cold War. provided for a military capable of defending the Western Hemisphere, conducting offensive operations to destroy vital elements of the Soviet war-making capacity, and providing aid to allies. The "survival of the free world" was at stake. |
| Second Red Scare | Wave of paranoia in the late 1940's to late 1950's towards Communist infiltration into American society. Spurred on by events such as Soviet expansion, their atomic bomb, and the exposure of spies in the US. This brought about expansive and paranoid action by Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the HUAC, leading to curriculum reform. |
| Joseph McCarthy | 1950s; Wisconsin senator claimed to have list of communists in American gov't, but no credible evidence; took advantage of fears of communism post WWII to become incredibly influential; "McCarthyism" was the fearful accusation of any dissenters of being communists |
| Korean War significance | The ____ War marked a new way of waging war for Americans- Containment was a different kind of war, a protracted war, uncertain peace. 1. Represented first Demonstration that US was willing to use large-scale military force to contain communism. 2. Set a precedent for commander in chief fighting wars without Congressional authorization. 3. This episode demonstrated that the US and Soviet Union could engage in hot spot battles without escalating to WWIII. |
| Hydrogen Bomb | Due to USSR developing an A-bomb, Truman orders the development of the ______, a more powerful bomb. Escalates arms race. Truman believes bigger guns are the only way to have negotiation power. The power of ______ changes the nature of the Cold War. People believe the utilization of the ______ would lead to total annihilation of the human race. |
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