Cold War Concepts

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Foreign Policy

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Refers to the strategies and decisions a nation uses to interact with other countries. During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union shaped their foreign policies to protect their interests and spread ideologies worldwide.

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Satellite State

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A country that is officially independent but heavily influenced or controlled by another country. After World War II, several Eastern European nations became satellite states of the Soviet Union.

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Consensus Building

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The process of creating agreement among different groups or nations. During the Cold War, leaders worked to build consensus on issues like arms control and alliances such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

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Superpower

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A nation with significant political, economic, and military strength that can influence global affairs. During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were the main superpowers.

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Ideology

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A system of beliefs or ideas that guide political, economic, or social policies. The Cold War was driven by ideological conflict between capitalism (U.S.) and communism (Soviet Union).

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Intervention

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Occurs when a country becomes involved in another nation's affairs, often for political or military reasons. The U.S. and the Soviet Union intervened in foreign conflicts to support governments aligned with their ideologies.

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Containment

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A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism, leading to involvement in conflicts like the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

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Domino Theory

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The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow, influencing U.S. intervention in places like Vietnam.

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Glasnost

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Meaning "openness" in Russian, a policy introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s to encourage freedom of speech and transparency in government.

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Perestroika

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Meaning "restructuring" in Russian, a policy by Gorbachev aimed at reforming the Soviet economy with limited market-like practices, contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union.