People
This man adopted a tough stance against communism, aiming to strengthen US military, nuclear, and space capabilities while promoting diplomacy. His key actions included navigating the Cuban Missile Crisis, initiating the Peace Corps, and authorizing the Bay of Pigs invasion. (He was assassinated later on.)
Who was John F. Kennedy?
One of the main superpowers of the cold war, known for being engaged in a global strategy of containment to stop the spread of communism and limit Soviet influence.
What is the U.S?
A list created of individuals in the entertainment and media industries who were denied employment because of alleged communist ties or subversive beliefs.
What was the Blacklist?
A U.S Cold War foreign policy designed to prevent the spread of communism and Soviet influence after World War II.
What is Containment?
This man was the absolute dictator of the Soviet Union who transformed it into a global superpower. He drove the rise of communist satellite states, authorized the Korean War, and commanded a heavily militarized, fearful nation until his death in 1953.
Who was Joseph Stalin?
One of the main superpowers of the cold war, they aimed to spread communism and establish a "buffer zone" in Eastern Europe, leading to the creation of the Warsaw Pact.
What was the Soviet Union?
The world's first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. It marked the beginning of the space age.
What was Sputnik?
The practice of making reckless, unsupported accusations of disloyalty (being a communist) with little to no evidence, often using unfair investigative methods to suppress opposition.
What is McCarthyism?
This man shifted the U.S's approach from détente to active confrontation. His strategy combined massive military spending, aggressive anti-Soviet rhetoric (calling the USSR an "evil empire"), and support for anti-communist insurgents worldwide.
Who was Ronald Reagan?
This country served as one of its most prominent and devastating battlegrounds, this conflict aimed to unify this country under communism, representing a key struggle in the U.S. containment policy, which sought to halt the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. (Hint: Domino Theory)
What is Vietnam?
The FAILED CIA-sponsored military mission designed to ignite a popular uprising and overthrow Fidel Castro (The communist government). It became a major foreign policy failure for the U.S. and the Kennedy administration.
What was The Bay of Pigs invasion?
The boundary in East Asia that divided Korea into Soviet occupied and US occupied parts. (North and South Korea.)
What is the 38th parallel?
An American married couple convicted of conspiring to pass atomic bomb secrets and other classified military information to the Soviet Union. They were convicted of espionage in 1951 and executed in 1953, becoming the first American civilians to be executed for such charges.
Who were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?
This country became a central piece of the Cold War after Fidel Castro aligned the island with the Soviet Union. The era was defined by the failed U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs invasion, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and decades of heavy Soviet economic dependence.
What is Cuba?
A 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. It was the closest the world came to nuclear war during the Cold War.
What was The Cuban Missile Crisis?
A concept stating that if one country in a region falls to communism, neighboring countries will fall to communism as well.
What is Domino theory?
This man was a Vietnamese revolutionary and Marxist-Leninist leader who served as president of North Vietnam. He led the communist-backed Viet Minh against French colonialism and later against the US-supported South Vietnamese government to reunify Vietnam.
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
This country aligned closely with the Soviet Union, signing a Treaty of Friendship. They entered the Korean War in 1950 directly against the United States, which solidified its status as a major regional power and a bulwark against Western influence in Asia.
What is China?
A major armed conflict and the first major proxy war of the Cold War. This war ended in a stalemate with an armistice (not a peace treaty), it established the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and left the peninsula divided.
What was The Korean War?
A policy aimed at easing strained relations or tensions between rival nations. It marks a shift from confrontation to negotiation, often involving treaties, increased trade, and communication to avoid conflict.
What is Détente?