| A | B |
|---|
| Cold War | a state of tension between 2 or more nations with no actual fighting |
| Capitalism | an economic system based on private ownership of business |
| communism | an economic system based on community or government ownership of business |
| democracy | a political system in which citizens vote for their representatives and their wishes |
| totalitarianism | a political system in which one leader or a small group of leaders holds absolute power |
| Truman Doctrine | A statement from President Truman promising aid to Greece and Turkey in order to prevent communist takeover in these nations |
| Marshall Plan | An American aid program in Europe which provided support to the war-torn countries after WW2 in attempt to stop the spread of communism |
| United Nations | A peace-keeping organization created at the end of WW2 in hopes of preventing future military conflict |
| NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization - A military alliance of former Allied nations (and others located along the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean) that agree to work together in case of attack from an outside source- |
| Warsaw Pact | A military alliance of communist nations that agree to work together in case of attack from an outside source |
| Sputnik | Launched by the Soviet Union - the first artificial satellite put into Earth's orbit |
| GI Bill | Provided college or vocational training and one year of unemployment assistance for veterans returning from WW2 |
| Interstate Highway Act | A large system of limited-access (highway) roads in the United States that includes almost all major US cities |
| baby boom | a period of increased birth rates in the United States that occurred after the return of veterans from WW2 |
| Great Society | A set of domestic programs in the United States, created under Lyndon B. Johnson, with a goal of improving the lives of all citizens |
| Vietcong | Southern Vietnamese that fought against the United States and the South Vietnamese Government |
| domino theory | The theory that if one nation in Asia falls to communism, the rest will follow |
| guerrilla warfare | The method of fighting that includes ambushes, raids, and the element of surprise to overtake the enemy |
| Vietminh | Ho Chi Minh's military force against the United States during the Vietnam War |
| arms race | a battle between two or more countries to create the most and best weaponry |
| space race | The battle between the United States and the Soviet Union in which both nations aimed to be the first to explore outer space |
| HUAC | House Un-American Activities Committee - A congressional committee set up to investigate espionage and other disloyalty within the United States |
| McCarthyism | The practice of of making accusations of disloyalty, treason, or subversion without regard to evidence |
| containment | the policy of not allowing communism to spread to any more nations |
| iron curtain | an imaginary line dividing the communist controlled sphere within Europe and the "free" or democratic nations of Europe |
| satellite nation | a nation under heavy political or economic influence of a more powerful nation |
| defect | abandoning allegiance to one country (or military) for another |
