1. CONTAINMENT
• Created by American diplomat George
Kennan, it is the policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
• This policy recognized that Eastern
Europe was probably already lost to communism. Important to note that we were NOT trying to destroy Communist governments where they existed. We were simply trying to prevent communism

2. MARSHALL PLAN
• Program of American economic assistance to Western Europe. Secretary of State George Marshall said: “Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”
It’s like he was saying, “Our policy is not anti-Communist in any way *wink wink*”
This policy recognized that Eastern Europe was probably already lost to communism. Important to note that we were NOT trying to destroy
Communist governments where they existed. We were simply trying to prevent communism from spreading
Determined not to repeat the same mistakes made after World War I, U.S. wanted to restore war-torn nations so they could create stable democracies and economically recover. Soviets were invited to participate but refused.
U.S. gave over $13,000,000,000 in aid to Western Europe

3. TRUMAN DOCTRINE
• Truman said “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
• Translation: The U.S. will help any nation (like
France for example) resist against Communist takeover. Along with containment, the Truman
Doctrine would govern American foreign policy for decades

1. DETERRANCE
• The policy of making the military power of the
United States and its allies so strong that no enemy would attack for fear of retaliation
• This assumes that the Soviet Union could not build up their military to match ours. This policy proved to be very expensive. Whenever you build up your arms, you become tempted to use them.

5. DOMINO THEORY
• Belief that if one country within a region falls to communism, all of its neighbors will fall as well
• This assumption led us to get involved in
Vietnam to try and contain communism.

6. BRINKMANSHIP
• Policy of Sec. of State John Foster Dulles. He said in order to stay tough on communism, we sometimes had to “go to the brink” of war
• Very risky because it backs opponents into a corner and gives them an ultimatum.

7. CHURCHILL’S “IRON CURTAIN”
SPEECH
• Winston Churchill warned that an Iron Curtain had descended over Eastern Europe.
• We can neither break through nor see what is going on behind the iron curtain.
•

8. THE BERLIN AIRLIFT
• Soviets blockade travel from East to West
Berlin, hoping it would force the Allies to give up Berlin altogether.
• Truman orders a massive airlift of food and supplies to West Berliners to keep them from starving. West Berlin remained divided from
East Berlin.

9. NATO
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization – an attack on one is an attack on all (defensive military alliance)
• NATO also partitioned Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The new state of Israel is created in 1948.

10. WARSAW PACT
• the Soviet response to NATO. Its purpose was to influence the countries of Eastern and
Southern Europe
•

11. KOREAN WAR
• Communist North Korea vs. Democratic South Korea.
Was divided at the 38 th parallel. North Koreans invade
South, US intervenes, pushes them back across the 38 th parallel.
• UN forces led by Douglas MacArthur push the North
Koreans all the way back to the Yalu River, Chinese intervene, push us back over the 38 th parallel, stalemate occurs. 38 th parallel continues to divide the country today. No peace treaty is signed, both NK and SK are technically still at war.

12. SUEZ CRISIS
• Egyptian General Nasser sought to play US and Soviet forces against each other. US wants
French and English to back off Suez Canal and allow Egyptians to nationalize it.
• Suez Canal turned over to Egyptian ownership.
We were trying to cultivate Arab friendships yet angered French, British, and Israeli forces.
•

13. SPUTNIK
• The first artificial satellite launched into space by the Soviets.
Terrified many Americans because if the Soviets could use a rocket to launch a satellite into space, they could also hit the
US with a nuclear missile
• This policy recognized that Eastern Europe was probably already lost to communism. Important to note that we were NOT trying to destroy Communist governments where they existed. We were simply trying to prevent communism from spreading
• Sparked the space race between the US and the Soviets.
Instead of going to war we decided to compete with the
Soviets through “peaceful” means.

14. SECOND RED SCARE
• A renewal of anti-communist feelings in America following World War II. Joseph McCarthy capitalized on American fears and paranoia of a communist takeover in America
• Penetrated every aspect of society. Even actors and screen writers in Hollywood were questioned about their alleged communist affiliations. Lives and reputations were ruined just by the accusation of communism.

15. TAFT-HARTLEY ACT OF 1947
• Meant to take power away from unions.
Banned the closed shop but allowed a union shop. Banned strikes by federal employees, made union leaders take an oath that they were not members of the Communist party.
• Truman vetoed the Taft-Hartley Act, but
Congress overrode the President’s veto. This rarely happens.

16. THE FAIR DEAL
• Truman’s extension and enlargement of New
Deal programs already in place: higher minimum wage, broadening of Social Security, rent controls, farm price supports, public housing programs, rural electrification.
• Republican Congress refused to pass Truman’s more liberal reforms: civil rights bills, national health insurance, federal aid to education, etc.

17. MCCARTHYISM
• Witch hunts of suspected communists by
Joseph McCarthy. He used people’s fears, rational or not, to gain fame.
• McCarthy never uncovered a single Communist infiltrator in the U.S. government. Recent studies show that they had infiltrated the federal government, but not to the extent that
McCarthy claimed.

18. MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL
COMPLEX
• Eisenhower warned in his farewell address that the cooperation between the government, the military, and arms industries could lead to a suppression of liberties.
• This fear goes back to our traditional dislike of a large standing army during peacetime.

19. THE SPACE RACE
• Struggle between the United States and the
Soviet Union to ultimately put a man on the moon.
• Advances in rocket science allowed the Soviets to put Sputnik and the first man into the earth’s orbit. Towards the end of the space race a US crew met up with a Soviet crew in space

20. U-2 INCIDENT
• Soviet missile brings down American spy plane in a recon flight over USSR. Eisenhower takes personal responsibility for incident.
• US was not supposed to be flying recon flights over the USSR. Soviets rightfully angry with
US, capture pilot and keep him in prison for 2 years for espionage.

21. BAY OF PIGS INVASION
• Authorized by JFK, it was a failed invasion of
Cuba by 1,500 anti-Castro Cuban rebels. JFK hoped it would inspire other Cubans to rebel.
• Poorly executed plan that was doomed from the start. Really needed American troops involved to have any success.

22. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
• As a result of Bay of Pigs, Khrushchev supplies
Castro with nukes to protect Cuba from future
American-sponsored invasions. (We also had missiles placed in Turkey aimed at the USSR)
• Kennedy authorizes a blockade of Cuba
(technically an act of war), in order to force the
Soviets to shoot first. They back off, remove the missiles from Cuba if we pledge not to invade
Cuba.

23. CONSTRUCTION OF THE
BERLIN WALL
• A symbol of eroding relations between the US and the USSR, divided West and East Berlin.
Erected in 1961.
• When the Berlin Wall finally falls in 1989, it is seen as the symbolic end to the Cold War.

24. THE LIMITED TEST BAN
TREATY
• Prohibited nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, or under water.
• One of the first steps towards disarmament and limiting nuclear weapons.

25. GULF OF TONKIN
RESOLUTION
• Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) claimed that two US destroyers were attacked by North Vietnamese vessels in the Tonkin Gulf.
• Resolution authorized LBJ to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression.”

26. VIETNAM WAR
• Complex war where we tried to contain communism by preventing South Vietnam from falling to communism (kind of like South
Korea)
• The only war we have ever “lost,” Vietnam and the turbulent 1960s paved the way for antigovernment sentiment and proved to be the defining event for the baby boomer generation.

27. THE TET OFFENSIVE
• Massive surprise attack of North Vietnamese and
Vietcong against American positions in Vietnam.
Though we organized a major counterattack and
“defeated” the Vietcong in the Tet Offensive, the damage was done on the American home front.
• After Tet, many Americans believed that the war in Vietnam was unwinnable and that we were not making significant progress. This was the first war fought in the American living room.

28. MY LAI MASSACRE
• Mass killing of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians by American troops.
• Led to a global outrage and contributed to
American opposition at home to the war.

29. NIXON’S VIETNAMIZATION
• Nixon’s policy of sharply reducing American ground forces and letting the South
Vietnamese do most of the fighting.
• Effort to get us slowly out of the war. We withdraw in 1973, South Vietnam is overrun in
1975 and becomes Communist – containment failed.

30. OPERATIONS IN CAMBODIA
DURING THE VIETNAM WAR
• Under the table, Nixon ordered expanded bombing campaigns in Cambodia of suspected
Communist sanctuaries.
• Americans angry because it is seen as expanding the war, not withdrawing.

31. WAR POWERS ACT
• In response to Vietnam, this requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action.
Forces cannot be anywhere longer than 60 days without congressional approval.
• A measure to curb the power of the president.
He can no longer have indefinite “police actions” with no end.

32. NIXON’S SILENT MAJORITY
• Nixon’s term for a large majority of people in a country that do not express their opinions publicly.
• This was a response to the counterculture and more liberal movements of the 1960s and 70s

33. DETENTE
• A relaxation of tensions. De-escalation of the
Cold War through more orderly and restrained competition.
• Popularized by Nixon and his Sec. of State
Henry Kissinger. Instead of confrontation, more peaceful coexistence.

34. POLAND’S SOLIDARITY
MOVEMENT
• Anti-Communist movement that spread to other Eastern European countries and helped bring about an end to the Cold War.
• Mikhail Gorbachev could have used force to crush these movements like Khrushchev did with the Hungarian uprising. He did not.

35. STRATEGIC DEFENSE
INITIATIVE (STAR WARS)
• a missile defense system that would use lasers to shoot incoming missiles down from space.
• Reagan claimed that SDI was a shield, used to defend America from Soviet attacks.
Gorbachev thought it was a sword, used to destroy the USSR then neutralize the counterattack.

36. INTERMEDIATE RANGE
NUCLEAR FORCES TREATY
• Eliminated intermediate range ballistic missiles from use.
• Key step in disarmament.

37. STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION
TREATIES
• Placed a ceiling on how many nuclear weapons could be produced by the US and USSR
• Another step in disarmament, though we already had enough nuclear weapons to pretty much destroy the world like 10 times over at this point

38. GLASNOST
• Increased openness and transparency in the
Soviet Union between Soviet people and their government.
• Meant to curb abuses of power in the USSR and clean up the government.

39. PERESTROIKA
• Restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system, weeding out the aspects of communism that did not inspire growth.
• Led to the end of the Cold War as the Soviets focus more on domestic issues and less on foreign issues.

40. TIANANMEN SQUARE
• Student-led demonstrations against the Chinese
Communist government. Shows growing resentment in Communist rule. The Communists respond with oppressive force, killing or injuring hundreds in the ensuing violence.
• Made popular by Tank Man, an unidentified
Chinese man who, carrying shopping bags, stood in the pathway of the tanks.