Cold War Era Events and Concepts

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Bay of Pigs Invasion

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An attempt by U.S.-trained Cuban exiles to prevent the spread of communism by overthrowing Fidel Castro The Bay of Pigs was unsuccessful and Castro captured the invaders.

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Korean War

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A conflict that started between communist North Korea and South Korea in 1950, but soon became a proxy war between the USSR and United States. No clear winner emerged.

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Vietnam War

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Conflict between the communist regime of North Vietnam and Viet Cong (communist-led guerrillas) and the anti-Communist South Vietnam and its ally, the United States. US loses.

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Soviet Afghan War

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War between The Soviet Union and anti-communist guerrillas, Mujahadeen. Became a proxy war - Soviet Union Loses.

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Capitalism

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An economic system in which land, factories, and other resources are owned by individuals instead of the government. Prices are decided by the people who sell them, also called a market economy.

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Command Economy

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An economic system where all economic decisions are made by the central government. The government decides what, how, how much, when, and by whom things should be produced.

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Containment

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U.S. policy to halt the expansion of communism and prevent it from advancing around the world.

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Communism

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A system of government derived from the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which all factories, farms, and other valuable things are owned and controlled by the government.

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Market Economy

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A market economy acts like a market where people sell goods and others buy them. Prices are decided by buyers and sellers together.

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Domino Theory

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The idea that an event in one country will cause a similar event in a neighboring country, like a row of dominoes. The U.S. feared that if one country became communist, others nearby would too.