Vocabulary
 United Nations – peace keeping organization formed after WW
II
 Germany – the country that was divided into 4 zones after WW
II and later into 2. One side being communist, the other
democratic
 Communist – a government controlled by a Dictator. By 1948,
most European countries had become communist
 Cold War – period of tension and distrust among USA and
Soviet Union
 Iron Curtain – invisible line that divided Europe into communist
and democratic parts
 Containment Policy – to stop the spread of communism
 Truman Doctrine – program by Pres. Truman to help Greece
and Turkey fight communism.
 Berlin Airlift – strategy used by Americans to bring supplies
into West Germany after the Soviet blocked all access
 Marshall Plan – financial aid given by the USA to help rebuild
Europe and fight communism
 Berlin Wall – symbol of the Iron Curtain, destroyed in 1989
marking the end of Cold War
 Domino Theory – thinking that if one country becomes
communist, then the neighboring country will become
communist too.
 Super Powers – USA and Soviet are the 2 most powerful
countries during the cold war.
Democratic Countries
Communist Countries
 West Germany
 North Korea
 South Korea
 Soviet Union
 United States
 China
 East Germany
Korean War
 Ended in a stalemate
 Korea was divided into two countries at the 38th parallel
 North Korea – communist
 South Korea – democratic
Vietnam War
 Ended in a ceasefire
 North Vietnam, headed by Ho Chi Minh, wanted to spread
communism into South Vietnam
 The USA helped South Vietnam but later on withdrew the
troops
Cuban Missile Crisis
 Occurred when Soviet Union Placed missiles in Cuba
 The USA blocked all access coming into Cuba.