What was the Cold War? — A period of political and military tension (1947–1991) between the United States (and Western allies) and the Soviet Union (and Eastern bloc), without direct large-scale warfare.

Why was it called a "cold" war? — Because there was no direct military conflict between the two superpowers. Instead, they competed through proxy wars, arms races, espionage, and propaganda.

What were the two opposing systems in the Cold War? — The USA led the capitalist/democratic Western bloc; the Soviet Union led the communist Eastern bloc.

What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)? — US President Truman's policy pledging American support to countries threatened by communist takeover, beginning with Greece and Turkey.

What was the Marshall Plan (1948)? — A US program providing $13 billion in economic aid to rebuild war-devastated Western European countries, also aimed at preventing communist influence.

What was NATO and when was it formed? — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization — a military alliance formed in 1949 between the USA, Canada, and Western European nations for mutual defense against the Soviet Union.

What was the Warsaw Pact (1955)? — A military alliance of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communist states, formed as a response to West Germany joining NATO.

What was the Berlin Blockade (1948–1949)? — The Soviet Union blocked all land routes into West Berlin. The Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, flying in supplies for 11 months until the blockade ended.

What was the Korean War (1950–1953)? — A proxy war where communist North Korea (backed by China and USSR) fought democratic South Korea (backed by the USA and UN). It ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

What was the arms race? — The competition between the USA and USSR to build more powerful nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in 1949, beginning a dangerous nuclear standoff.

What was Sputnik (1957)? — The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. It shocked the West and launched the Space Race between the USA and USSR.

What was the Space Race? — Competition between the USA and USSR to achieve superiority in space exploration. The USSR launched the first satellite (1957) and first human in space (1961); the USA landed on the moon first (1969).

What was the Cuban Revolution (1959)? — Fidel Castro led a revolution that overthrew US-backed dictator Batista in Cuba, establishing a communist government 90 miles from Florida.

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961)? — A failed CIA-backed attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro. Its failure embarrassed President Kennedy and pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)? — The most dangerous moment of the Cold War. The US discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. A 13-day standoff between Kennedy and Khrushchev nearly led to nuclear war.

How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved? — The USSR agreed to remove missiles from Cuba; the USA secretly agreed to remove missiles from Turkey and pledged not to invade Cuba.

What was the Berlin Wall? — A barrier built by East Germany in 1961 to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Berlin. It became the symbol of the Iron Curtain until it fell on November 9, 1989.

What was the Iron Curtain? — A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the ideological and physical boundary dividing communist Eastern Europe from the democratic West.

What was the Vietnam War as a Cold War conflict? — A proxy war (1955–1975) where communist North Vietnam (backed by China and USSR) fought South Vietnam (backed by the USA). The US withdrew in 1973; North Vietnam won in 1975.

What was MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)? — The doctrine that if either the US or USSR launched nuclear weapons, both sides would be completely destroyed. This fear prevented direct war between the superpowers.

What was détente in the Cold War? — A relaxation of tensions between the USA and USSR in the 1970s, involving diplomatic negotiations, arms control treaties (SALT I), and increased trade.

What was the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989)? — The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to support its communist government. The US funded Afghan rebels (Mujahideen). The USSR's failure contributed to its eventual collapse.

What was Mikhail Gorbachev's role in ending the Cold War? — The last Soviet leader, who introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) — reforms that loosened communist control and accelerated the USSR's collapse.

When did the Berlin Wall fall? — November 9, 1989. East Germany opened its borders, and jubilant crowds demolished the wall — symbolizing the end of the Cold War.

When did the Soviet Union dissolve? — December 25, 1991, when Gorbachev resigned and the USSR officially broke apart into 15 independent republics, ending the Cold War.