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Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, promoted Atoms for Peace at the United Nations General Assembly in order to ease Cold War tensions." Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969. "Dwight D. Eisenhower." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Mao Zedong
"Mao Tse-tung was the principal Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier and statesman who led his nation's Cultural Revolution. Mao's "Great Leap Forward" and the Cultural Revolution were ill-conceived and had disastrous consequences, but many of his goals, including stressing China's self-reliance, were generally laudable." He died on September 9, 1976. "Mao Tse-tung." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Lydon B. Johnson
"Lyndon B. Johnson was elected vice president of the U.S. in 1960 and became the 36th president in 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy." He died on January 22, 1973. "Lyndon B. Johnson." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Richard Nixon
"Richard Nixon was the 37th U.S. president and the only commander-in-chief to resign from his position, after the 1970s Watergate scandal. In 1974, he resigned rather than be impeached for covering up illegal activities of party members in the Watergate affair." He died on April 22, 1994. "Richard Nixon." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Jonas Salk
"Jonas Salk was an American physician and medical researcher who developed the first safe and effective vaccine for polio. When the vaccine was approved for general use in 1955, Salk became a national hero." He died on June 23, 1995. "Jonas Salk." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
John F. Kennedy
"John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, negotiated the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and initiated the Alliance for Progress. He was assassinated in 1963.As president, Kennedy faced a number of foreign crises, especially in Cuba and Berlin, but managed to secure such achievements as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress." He died on November 22, 1963. "John F. Kennedy." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Francis Gary Powers
"Francis Gary Powers was the pilot of an American spy plane shot down by the Soviet Union during a famous Cold War espionage incident. The event happened on 1 May 1960, while Powers was flying a U-2 high-altitude photographic surveillance plane over Russian airspace. Powers bailed out and was captured by the Soviets." He died on August 1, 1977. "Franics Gary Powers." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Roy Benavidez
"He was presented with the Distinguished Service Cross for saving the lives of eight soldiers at extreme risk to his own safety by General William C. Westmoreland at the Fort Sam Houston Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Years later, one of Benavidez's former commanders found out that he had survived his injuries and began the process to award him the Congressional Medal of Honor." Benavidez died on November 29, 1998. "Roy Perez Benavidez." [11180]. Texas State Cemetery, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
Abbie Hoffman
"Abbie Hoffman, American political activist and founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies), was known for his successful media events. He was active in the American civil rights movement before turning to protests of the Vietnam War and the American economic and political system. Hoffman's ethic was codified with the formal organization of the Yippies in January 1968." He died on April 12, 1989. "Abbie Hoffman." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. -
The House Un-American Activities Committee
A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, investigated allegations of communist activity in the U.S. during the early years of the Cold War. Established in 1938, the committee wielded its subpoena power as a weapon and called citizens to testify in high-profile hearings before Congress. "HUAC." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
War Powers Act
A US law passed in 1973 which allows Congress to limit the President's use of military forces. It states that the President must tell Congress within 48 hours if he sends armed forces anywhere, and Congress must give approval for them to stay there for more than 90 days. "The War Powers Act - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation and Usage Notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com."N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Iron Curtain
Description of the physical, ideological and military division of Europe between the western and southern capitalist states and the eastern, Soviet dominated communist nations during the Cold War. The phrase, which refers to the harsh and 'impenetrable' nature of the divide, was popularised by Winston Churchill in his speech of March 5th 1946. Wilde, Robert. "What Was the Iron Curtain?" Iron Curtain. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Truman Doctrine
Stating American resolve to support Greece and Turkey in their internal struggles against communist insurgencies, presaged and largely set the stage for the American Cold War policy of containment and commitment to fighting the Domino Theory. "Chegg.com." Definition of Truman Doctrine. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Containment Policy
Containment was a United States policy to prevent the spread of communism abroad. A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to enlarge communist influence in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Africa, and Vietnam. "Containment." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Cold War
The name given to the relationship that developed primarily between the USA and the USSR after World War Two. The Cold War was to dominate international affairs for decades and many major crises occurred - the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Hungary and the Berlin Wall being just some. For many, the growth in weapons of mass destruction was the most worrying issue. "What Was the Cold War?" What Was the Cold War? N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Marshall Plan
officially known as the European Recovery Program, was the Truman administration's program for rebuilding European economies destroyed by World War II. Investing billions of dollars, the plan dovetailed with the Truman Doctrine of fighting "armed minorities," meaning communists, seeking to seize control in the postwar power vacuum. "Chegg.com." Definition of Marshall Plan. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Berlin Airlift
Instead of retreating from West Berlin, however, the U.S. and its allies decided to supply their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the “Berlin Airlift,” lasted for more than a year and carried more than 2.3 million tons of cargo into West Berlin. "Berlin Airlift." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
McCarthyism
A vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party. "Definition of McCarthyism in English:." McCarthyism: Definition of McCarthyism in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US). N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Korean War
Fought in the early 1950s between the United Nations, supported by the United States, and the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The war began in 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea. "Korean War." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Rosenberg Trial
Julius Rosenberg (May 12, 1918 – June 19, 1953) and Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg (September 25, 1915 – June 19, 1953) were American citizens executed for conspiracy to commit espionage, relating to passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. "Julius and Ethel Rosenberg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Domino Theory
The domino theory was a theory prominent from the 1950s to the 1980s, that speculated that if one state in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. "Domino Theory." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Vietnam War
A Cold War conflict pitting the U.S. and the remnants of the French colonial government in South Vietnam against the indigenous but communist Vietnamese independence movement, the Viet Minh, following the latter's expulsion of the French in 1954. Nearly 60,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese died in the war. "Chegg.com." Definition of Vietnam War. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. Disaster was avoided when the U.S. agreed to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s offer to remove the Cuban missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba. "Cuban Missile Crisis." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
gave broad congressional approval for expansion of the Vietnam War. During the spring of 1964, military planners had developed a detailed design for major attacks on the North, but at that time President Lyndon B. Johnson and his advisers feared that the public would not support an expansion of the war. "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Great Society
The name given to a series of congressional actions begun under President Lyndon Johnson and continued under his successors that greatly expanded the federal government's power to intervene in civil rights, education, consumer protection, health care, and environmental regulation. The expansion included the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and established Medicaid and Medicare as part of the Great Society's "War on Poverty." "Chegg.com." Definition of The Great Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Anti-War Movement
The movement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War began small–among peace activists and leftist intellectuals on college campuses–but gained national prominence in 1965, after the United States began bombing North Vietnam in earnest. "Vietnam War Protests." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Tet Offensive 1968
70,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive (named for the lunar new year holiday), a coordinated series of fierce attacks on more than 100 cities & towns in South Vietnam. Despite heavy casualties, North Vietnam achieved a strategic victory with the Tet Offensive, as the attacks marked a turning point in the Vietnam War and the beginning of the American withdrawal from the region. "Tet Offensive." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. -
Vietnamization
U.S. President Richard Nixon introduced a new strategy called Vietnamization that was aimed at ending American involvement in the Vietnam War by transferring all military responsibilities to South Vietnam. Nixon believed his Vietnamization strategy would prepare the South Vietnamese to take responsibility for their own defense against a Communist takeover. "Vietnamization." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.
