POLITICAL
Superpowers
Very powerful nations (USA and USSR).
Cold War
Period of tension (no direct fighting) between USA and USSR.
Berlin Wall
Wall separating East and West Berlin (1961–1989).
Capitalism
Economic system based on private ownership and free markets.
Rivalry
Competition or opposition between sides.
Iron Curtain
Imaginary border dividing communist East and capitalist West.
Arms race
Competition to build more powerful weapons.
Space race
Competition between the USA and USSR to explore space first.
Communism
System where the government owns and controls property and industry.
Domination
Control or influence over other countries.
Proxy war
Conflict where major powers support opposing sides indirectly.
Nuclear weapons
Atomic bombs capable of mass destruction.
Crisis
Dangerous situation (like the Cuban Missile Crisis).
Economic competition
Rivalry between nations to have stronger economies.
Influence
Ability to affect others without direct control.
Ideological
Related to belief systems (communism vs. capitalism).
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
Idea that nuclear war would destroy both sides.
Treaties
Formal agreements between nations to limit weapons or conflict.
Reforms
Changes to improve political or economic systems.
Satellite (state)
Country controlled or heavily influenced by another.
Perestroika
Gorbachev’s reform policy to restructure Soviet politics and economy.
Deterrence
Preventing attack by threatening strong retaliation.
Collapse of the USSR
Fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, ending the Cold War.
Economic reforms
Structural changes in the economy, like Gorbachev’s policies.
Ideological bloc
Group of nations sharing the same political beliefs (e.g., Eastern Bloc).