Domestic policy

The decisions made by a government

regarding issues that occur within the

country. Healthcare, education, Social

Security are examples of domestic

policy issues.

Foreign Policy

A government's strategy in dealing

with other nations. Dealing with ISIS,

trade deals with China, UN treaties

on climate change are examples of

foreign policy issues.

WWI

Caused by alliances, imperialism,

militarism, and nationalism, the ‘War

to End All War’ was sparked with the

assassination of Archduke Franz

Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Fought

from 1914 to 1918 between the

Allies, notably Britain, France, Russia,

Italy & the US and the Central

Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary,

Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.

The Allies won, Germany was blamed

and expected to pay reparation (pay

for the war).

Balance of Power

theory in international relations

suggests that national security is

enhanced when military capability is

distributed so that no one state is

strong enough to dominate all others.

Isolationism

the policy of isolating one's country

from the affairs of other nations by

declining to enter into alliances,

foreign economic commitments,

international agreements, etc.,

Fascism

a political philosophy that places the

nation and often race above the

individual. Fascist have a centralized

autocratic government headed by a

dictatorial leader, severe economic

and social structures, and forcible

suppression of opposition to the

leader. (Example – Hitler)

appeasement

The policy of making concessions to

dictatorial powers in order to avoid

conflict. In the 1930s, Europe

watched Hitler become more and

more powerful. Instead of stopping

him they appeased him to avoid war.

WWII

A war fought from 1939 to 1945

between the Axis powers —

Germany, Italy, and Japan — and the

Allies, including France and Britain,

and later the Soviet Union and the

United States. It began with Hitler’s

invasion of its neighbor Poland. The

US entered the war in 1941 after the

Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and

killed 2403 Americans

Holocaust

Nazi Germany and Hitler’s

systematic plan of genocide. It is estimated that 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust.

Six million of these were Jews, two-thirds of all the Jewish

population of Europe.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was

almost completely destroyed by the

first atomic bomb ever dropped on a

populated area. Followed by the

bombing of Nagasaki, on August 9,

this show of Allied strength and sped

up the surrender of Japan in World

War II.

United Nations

An international organization formed

in 1945 at the end of WWII to

increase political and economic

cooperation among member

countries. The organization works on

economic and social development

programs, improving human rights

and reducing global conflicts.

NATO /Warsaw Pact

In 1949, the prospect of further

Communist expansion prompted the

United States and 11 other Western

nations to form the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO). The

Soviet Union and its affiliated

Communist nations in Eastern Europe

founded a rival alliance, the Warsaw

Pact, in 1955.

Cold War

The Cold War was a state of political

and military tension after World War

II between powers in the US & our

allies and the USSR and its allies. Due

to MAD (mutually assured

destruction) the two Super Powers

never fought each other directly but

supported the spread of democracy

& communism indirectly. It ended

with the fall of the Soviet Union in

1991.

Iron Curtain

Taken from a speech by British Prime

Minister Winston Churchill where he

condemned the Soviet Union’s

policies in Europe. The Iron Curtain is

a symbol of Soviet tyranny and their

control over their people and those

of their allies.

Domino Theory /

Containment

The domino theory was part of

American foreign policy from the

1950s to the 1980s, that speculated

that if one country in a region came

under the influence of communism,

then the surrounding countries would

follow in a domino effect. This led to

the idea of containment – keeping

communism from spreading.

Korean War

Fought in the early 1950s between

the United Nations, supported by the

United States, and the communist

North Korea, supported by

Communist China. The war began in

1950, when North Korea invaded

South Korea. The communist were

pushed out of South Korea, but till

today the Korean peninsula is divided

between democracy and

communism.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed

military invasion of Cuba undertaken

by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary

group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961.

Our purpose was to remove the

communist under Fidel Castro from

control of Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation between the United

States and the Soviet Union in 1962

over the presence of missile sites in

Cuba; one of the “hottest” periods of

the cold war.

Vietnam

Cold War conflict pitting the U.S. and

the remnants of the French colonial

government in South Vietnam against

the communist North Vietnamese led

by Ho Chi Minh.

War Powers Act

US law passed in 1973 which allows

Congress to limit the President's use

of military forces. It states that the

President must tell Congress within

48 hours if they sends armed forces

anywhere, and Congress must give

approval for them to stay there for

more than 90 days.

Iran Hostage Crisis

52 American diplomats and citizens

were held hostage for 444 days

(November 4, 1979, to January 20,

1981) after a group of Iranian

students who supported the Iranian

Revolution, took over the U.S.

Embassy in Tehran.

Desert Storm

Military operation in which

international armed forces, including

British and US troops, attacked Iraq in

the Gulf War. It began on 16 January

1991 and lasted 100 days. The

objective was to force Saddam

Hussein’s troops out of Kuwait after

they had invaded.

Afghanistan

Operation Enduring Freedom, after

the 9/11 terrorist attack by Al Qaeda

the US invaded Afghanistan pushing

the Taliban out of control and

searching for Osama bin Laden

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Launched on March 20, 2003. The

goal, as stated by the Bush

Administration, was to remove the

Saddam Hussein, and destroy Iraq’s

ability to use weapons of mass

destruction.