Crisis in October, 1962 in which the United States ordered the removal of Soviet missiles that had been placed in Cuba. The threat of nuclear war loomed as the US used American warships to blockade further shipments of missiles. The dispute was settled by diplomatic means

Leader of the Guomindang, or Nationalist Party in China. Fought against Mao Zedong to keep China from becoming communist, and to resist the Japanese during World War II. He lost control of China in 1949, and fled to Taiwan where he setup a rival government. Also known as Chang Kai Shek

Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People's Republic of China and ruled from 1949 until 1976

A 6,000-mile trek by communists, from the south to the north of China, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, between 1934 and 1935, as a way to escape the Kuomintang army of Chiang Kai-shek.

Mao Zedong's economic plan to improve industry and agriculture.

A book circulated throughout China during the reign of Mao Zedong, which was required reading in schools, that contained his political philosophy.

(1966-1976) Political policy in started in China by Mao Zedong to eliminate his rivals and train a new generation in the revolutionary spirit that created communist China. This resulted in beatings, terror, mass jailing's, and the deaths of thousands

Militaristic group of students in China who brutalized anyone who criticized Mao's government.

Successor to Mao Zedong as the leader of Communist China. He advocated modernizing the economy by introducing elements of capitalism. However he forcefully quelled democratic demonstrations by young people in Bejing's Tiananmen Square.

Deng Xiaoping's plan to modernize China focusing on the fields of science, technology, defense and indursty.

A political and social protest by university students in Beijing, China in 1989 where students called for more say in government. Deng Xiaoping ordered the military to stop the protests resulting in thousands of deaths and several others to be jailed.

Dividing line between Communist North Korea and Democratic South Korea

A war fought from 1950-1953 between the forces of the United Nations, chiefly the United States and South Korea, and North Korea (supported by the communist Chinese) in an attempt to stem an invasion by the North Koreans into the south

Vietnamese leader who is responsible for ousting first the French, then the United States from his country. Supported by both communist China & the Soviet Union, he guided Vietnam through decades long warfare to emerge as a communist nation.

The name of the Vietnamese communists who fought against South Vietnam and the United States during the Vietnam War

A Cambodian radical communist political leader of the 1970's

A group of communist guerillas in Cambodia during the late 20th century, led by Pol Pot, that gained control of Cambodia after the withdrawal of American troops from the Vietnam War. It was a reign of terror, killing over a million people to remove all western influence from the country

The failed attempt of Cuban exiles backed by the U.S. to overthrow the Cuban socialist government of Fidel Castro in 1961

In Afghanistan, opposition forces who fought against the Soviet-supported government in the late 1970s.