APUSH Period 8 - Important Terms

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Cold War

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The Cold War was a decades-long geopolitical and ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union after WWII, marked by nuclear arms races, proxy wars, and espionage.

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Soviet Union

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The Soviet Union was the communist superpower that emerged from the Russian Revolution and served as the U.S.’s primary rival during the Cold War.

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Korean War

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The Korean War (1950–1953) was a Cold War conflict in which the U.S. fought under the UN to stop the spread of communism by defending South Korea from North Korean invasion.

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Detente

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Detente was a period of relaxed tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1970s, characterized by arms control agreements and improved diplomacy.

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Marshall Plan

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The Marshall Plan was a U.S. initiative to provide economic aid to rebuild Western Europe after WWII and prevent the spread of communism.

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Suburbanization

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Suburbanization was the post-WWII movement of Americans to newly built residential areas outside cities, driven by the GI Bill, cars, and affordable housing.

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African American Civil Rights

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The African American Civil Rights Movement fought to end racial segregation and discrimination, leading to landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Brown V Board of Education

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Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was the Supreme Court case that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

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Military-Industrial Complex

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The military-industrial complex, warned about in Eisenhower’s farewell address, refers to the powerful relationship between the U.S. government, military, and arms industry.

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Vietnam War

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The Vietnam War (1955–1975) was a controversial Cold War conflict in which the U.S. attempted to prevent communist North Vietnam from overtaking South Vietnam.