Stalin blockaded all land access to West Berlin. Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift, a massive operation to supply West Berlin by air.

A massive operation by the U.S. and its allies to supply West Berlin by air during the Berlin Blockade.

A war between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists (supported by the U.S.) and Mao Tse-tung’s Communists. The Communists won in 1949, establishing the People's Republic of China.

The North (Communist) invaded the South in 1950. The U.S. intervened under the UN banner. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, leaving Korea divided at the 38th parallel.

A U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, exposing U.S. espionage and ending the 'spirit of Geneva'.

A failed attempt by Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, to overthrow Castro in 1961. It damaged Kennedy's reputation.

In 1962, the Soviets began a massive arms buildup in Cuba, including nuclear missiles. The U.S. imposed a naval quarantine, and Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles.

A summit in 1955 leading to a brief thaw in the Cold War, known as the 'spirit of Geneva'.

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks led to the SALT I treaty in 1972, limiting antiballistic missiles and freezing the number of ballistic missiles.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ended détente, and the Cold War resumed.

A clash of ideologies (democracy/capitalism vs. communism) between the U.S. and USSR from 1947-1991. It was a battle of influence, not direct military conflict.

A metaphor symbolizing the ideological and physical division of Europe between the democratic West and the communist East during the Cold War.

U.S. foreign policy adopted in 1947 to stop Soviet expansion. It became the cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for decades.

A policy of providing aid to support “free people” against “totalitarian” regimes. It was a response to Communist uprising in Greece and Soviet demands in Turkey.

A U.S. aid program ($17 billion) to rebuild Europe after WWII. It aimed to prevent the spread of communism by fostering economic recovery.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

Eisenhower’s policy relying on nuclear weapons to deter Soviet aggression.

The concept that nuclear war would result in the destruction of both sides, preventing direct war between the superpowers.

A policy of reducing Cold War tensions, pursued by Nixon and Kissinger.

A treaty signed between Mao Tse-tung and Stalin.

Both were containment strategies. The Truman Doctrine provided military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, while the Marshall Plan focused on economic recovery in Europe to prevent communism.

Both were proxy wars during the Cold War. The Korean War was fought under the UN banner and ended in a stalemate, while the Vietnam War was more prolonged and controversial, ultimately leading to a U.S. withdrawal.

Massive Retaliation relied on nuclear deterrence to prevent Soviet aggression, while Détente aimed to reduce Cold War tensions through diplomacy and arms control agreements.

The United Nations aimed for global cooperation and maintaining international security, while NATO was a military alliance focused on collective defense against Soviet aggression.

In the Chinese Civil War, the US supported the Nationalists with financial aid, but they were ultimately defeated. In the Korean War, the US actively intervened militarily under the UN banner to prevent the spread of communism.

Both were major crises during the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade was a test of wills resolved through the Berlin Airlift, while the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and was resolved through tense negotiations.

Truman adopted a more direct and confrontational approach with the Truman Doctrine, while Eisenhower favored a more strategic approach with the policy of Massive Retaliation.

The Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological division of Europe, while the Berlin Wall physically represented that division and became a potent symbol of oppression and the Cold War.

SALT I limited antiballistic missiles and froze the number of ballistic missiles, while SALT II aimed to further reduce strategic arms but was never ratified by the U.S. Senate.

The US initially supported the Nationalists in China but failed to prevent the Communist takeover. In Cuba, the US attempted to overthrow Castro through the Bay of Pigs invasion and imposed a trade embargo.