1. Cold War

2. The name given to relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union after World War II, characterized by tensions, suspicions, and intense competition.

3. Arms Race

4. The build up of military weapons between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War

5. Bay of Pigs Invasion

6. An unsuccessful attack in 1961 by 2,000 armed Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA to overthrow Fidel Castro. Pres. Kennedy withdrew promised air support, and the invasion was crushed by Castro’s forces.

7. Berlin Blockade

8. In 1948, Germany was broken up into zones and controlled by the Allied Powers. A disagreement arose over who would control West Berlin. In protest, the Soviet Union decided to block all transportation routes in and out of the area. The other Allies responded with the Berlin airlift.

9. Berlin Wall

10. The wall built to divide East (controlled by the Soviet Union) and West (controlled by the Allies) Berlin to prevent escape from east to west during the Cold War.

11. Communism

12. Economic and political system based on the ownership of property by the community. People lose individual rights.

13. Containment

14. U.S. policy after World War II to prevent the spread of communism around the world. Also known as the Truman Doctrine (named after Harry Truman)

15. Cuban Missile Crisis

16. A 13 day crisis in October, 1962, in which the U.S. ordered the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. The U.S. used warships to blockade further shipments of missiles. The crisis was defused when the Soviet Union decided to turn its ships around from Cuba.

17. Domino Theory

18. The idea emphasized during the Vietnam War years of the 1960s, that when one Asian nation becomes communists the neighboring nations would also become communist.

19. Marshall Plan

20. The U.S. provided aid (help), usually in the form of money to many European countries in order to resist the spread of communism.

21. NATO

22. American alliance network in western Europe to stop the spread of communism.

23. Warsaw Pact

24. The Soviet Unions alliance system created in response to NATO.

25. Korean Conflict

26. (1950-1953) Communists invade S. Korea. U.S. sends in troops to push them out. Korea remains divided today between communist North and democratic south.

27. Red Scare

28. (1950-1954) Senator McCarthy began a “witch-hunt” to find communists within the U.S. gov’t. It spread throughout U.S. society.

29. Space Race

30. Competition to see who could get into space first and control satellite facilities Soviet Union “won” with Sputnik.

31. Vietnam War

32. (1964-1975) (1964-1975) The U.S. attempted to stop the spread of communism into Vietnam, led by leader Ho Chi Minh. The U.S. was unsuccessful.

33. Joseph Stalin

34. Leader of the Soviet Union during World War II and the onset of the Cold War.