Unit 9: Post-WWII European Dynamics (1945–Present)

Cold War

A prolonged period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Buffer Zone

Areas in Eastern Europe controlled by the USSR to prevent invasions.

Iron Curtain

A metaphor coined by Winston Churchill describing the division between Western and Eastern Europe.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. commitment to provide military and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program aimed at rebuilding Western Europe after WWII.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of Western nations against the USSR.

Warsaw Pact

The Soviet military alliance comprising Eastern Bloc countries.

Berlin Blockade

U.S.S.R's attempt to block access to West Berlin between 1948-49.

Berlin Airlift

The operation to fly supplies into West Berlin during the blockade.

GDR

German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany.

FRG

Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany.

De-Stalinization

The process initiated by Khrushchev to denounce Stalin's policies and promote reform.

Hungarian Revolution

A 1956 uprising demanding democracy that was crushed by Soviet forces.

Prague Spring

A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia, ended by Soviet intervention.

Decolonization

The process through which European powers lost their overseas empires after WWII.

Self-determination

The right of people to determine their own political status and government.

Suez Crisis

A 1956 conflict where Britain and France invaded Egypt to control the Suez Canal.

Economic Miracle

The rapid economic growth experienced in Western Europe post-WWII.

European Coal and Steel Community

The 1951 agreement that established a framework for economic cooperation among Western European nations.

EEC

European Economic Community, created by the Treaty of Rome to foster trade and economic integration.

National Health Service

Britain's state-funded healthcare system established post-WWII.

Consensus

The agreement among postwar governments to ensure citizen welfare in Europe.

May 1968 Protests

Student and worker movements in France that sought political and social reform.

Iron Curtain vs. Berlin Wall

The Iron Curtain was a metaphor for the division of Europe; the Berlin Wall was a physical barrier in Berlin.

NATO vs. United Nations

NATO is a military alliance; the UN is a global organization aimed at maintaining peace.