Cold War

President Harry Truman- 1947- US policy of giving economic and military aid to free nations threatened by internal or external opponents

US program of economic aid to European Countries to help them rebuild after WW2

North Atlantic Treaty Organization- a defensive military alliance formed in 1949 by ten Western European nations, the United States, and Canada. An attack on NATO would be met w/ armed force by all the other member nations..in response Soviet Union formed their own alliance -> the Warsaw Pact

A response by the Soviet Union towards NATO. Included Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania

independent countries that remained neutral in the Cold War competition between US and Soviet Union

a series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg Germany after WW2 in which Nazi leaders were tried for aggression violations of the rules of war and crimes against humanity

1948 France, Britain, and US withdrew forces from Germany and allowed their occupation zones to form one nation, the Soviet Union responded by holding West Berlin Hostage. The Soviet Union cut off highways, water, and rail traffic.American and British officials flew flood and supplies into West Berlin for nearly 11 months. May 1949 Soviet Union admitted defeat and lifted the blockade

a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions

Europe's division into mostly democratic Western Europe and Communist Eastern Europe

Became czar in 1894, continued Autocracy: a system of government by one person with absolute power.

a self described "holy man" who claimed to have magical healing powers. He healed Nicholas and Alexandra's son who suffered from hemophilia

Russian leader from 1917, national focus's were to establish unity, a government, and striving for modernization. Belief in spreading communism, formed USSR, established Politburo

Soviet cabinet

a branch of Marxists, Bolsheviks supported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change- leader was Lenin

labor camps

1956- Imre Nagy= hungarian nationalist & communist who leaded it, was an attempt at some reforms, revolt suppressed by soviets, showed Soviet control over satellite nations

1968- Alexander Dubcek called for liberal reforms but Soviet Union sent troops to overturn govt and return to communism, showed Soviet's control over satellite nations

1940's-1990's- US & Soviet union armed themselves to prepare to withstand attacks, raised levels of tension between superpowers

1950-1953- After WW2 North Korea was occupied by Soviets and South Korea by the US. NK invaded the South in order to unify the country to communist rule. UN prevented the North to take over the South. Armistice signed in 1953

1954-1975- North Vietnam ruled by communist leader Ho Chi Minh, and south by non communist Ngo Dinh Diem. Lots of American forces sent to Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism but Americans couldn't stop them. 1973 Nixon ordered cease fire and 1975 North Vietnam captured the south, reuniting Vietnam