Origins of the Cold War Vocabulary List

Throughout the lecture, key words will be mentioned in the PowerPoint. Each one will be
underlined, discussed in context, and defined together as a class.

1. Cold War – U.S. vs. Soviet Union by fighting each other indirectly. There were no “hot”
attacks on each other, but instead they fought through other countries. It was a political
and economic struggle between these nations.
2. Democracy - A government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through
representatives.
3. Capitalism - An economic system in which private individuals and corporations control
the means of production and use them to earn profits.
4. Communism - An economic and political system based on one-party government and
state ownership of property.
5. Socialism – An economic system in which the government owns the means of
production and operates them for the benefit of all people rich or poor
6. Totalitarianism - A political system in which the state holds total authority over the
society and the people, controlling all aspects of life. Similar to Nazi Germany, Joseph
Stalin attempted to turn Russia into a totalitarian state by establishing “Stalinism” and
changing Russia's economy to communism, allowing the government to control most
aspects of life.
7. Self-determination - Creation of national governmental institutions by a group of people
who view themselves as a distinct nation (for example, because they have a common
language). National self-determination is opposed to colonialism and imperialism.
8. United Nations - An international organization formed after WWII to promote
international peace, security, and cooperation.
9. Yalta Conference – Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin met to
discuss the future of Europe. Eastern Europe would have free elections. The Soviet
Union agreed to join the UN.
10. “Big Three” – Franklin Roosevelt Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin.
11. “Satellite” countries - Countries that were dominated politically and economically by
another nation - USSR in this case.
12. Containment - The blocking of another nation's attempts to spread its influence -
especially the efforts of the United States to block the spread of Soviet influence during
the late 1940s to early 1950s.
13. Truman Doctrine - This was policy set forth by Harry Truman stating that the United
States would support any nation whose stability was threatened by communism or the
Soviet Union (specifically Greece & Turkey).
14. Marshall Plan - The program, proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947,
under which the United States supplied economic aid to European nations to help them
rebuild after World War II.
15. “Iron Curtain” - A phrase used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the imaginary
line that separated Communist countries in the Soviet bloc of Eastern Europe from the
countries in Western Europe.
16. Ideological struggle - Mental, physical, or verbal rivalry among groups that have
opposing world views. During the Cold War, the U.S. belief of capitalism and the U.S.S.R.
belief of communism were locked in ideological conflict, but physical war never
occurred.
17. The Berlin Airlift - A 327-day operation in which U.S. and British planes flew food and
supplies into West Berlin after the Soviets blockaded the city in 1948.
18. Inflation - Inflation means an increase in the general price level. This means that money
loses its value over time so you cannot buy as much with the income you receive.
19. Blockade - An act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from
entering or leaving.
20. NATO - Military alliance created in 1949 made up of 12 non-Communist countries
including the United States that support each other if attacked.
21. Collective Security - The principal of mutual military assistance among nations. This is
saying that if an attack happens between one of the NATO members, then it is an attack
against all of them.
22. NSC-68 - A document by the National security council which advised the best policies
and courses of action to combat the USSR. It pushed for a large buildup of the U.S
military. It allowed the U.S to quickly build up its military for the Korean conflict. It
pressed for the U.S. to take the offensive, an increase in defense spending, and it
determined U.S. foreign policy for the next 40 years.