The Chinese Cultural Revolution

The Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976 ) was a movement to “purify” communist China from those labeled as not communist enough. It was led by China’s most powerful leader Mao Zedong (1893 – 1976) and resulted in chaos across China. The Cultural Revolution failed, resulting in the most extreme communists within the Chinese Communist […]

The Domino Theory

The domino theory was a Cold War idea in the United States that if communists took over one government in a region that communism would spread into neighboring countries—each country falling to communism like dominos lined up in a row. Where did the Domino theory originate? American President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 – 1969) used […]

The Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman spoke before Congress. His message, known as the Truman Doctrine, asked Congress for $400 million in military and economic assistance for Turkey and Greece. The money was to be used to help those governments resist communist uprisings. This doctrine, closely related to the “domino theory,” guided U.S. […]

The Space Race

The Space Race was a competition between Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It started during the nuclear arms race after World War II, as both superpowers worked to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for delivering nuclear warheads. The GOAL of the Space Race was to become the most innovative and dominant space […]

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is the theory that if one nuclear-armed superpower attacks another nuclear superpower, both countries will use their nuclear weapons against each other, destroying both powers—and possibly all human civilization. The theory further argues that nuclear-armed superpowers avoid direct conflict out of fear of unwinnable nuclear war. During the Cold War, this […]

Cold War Proxy Wars

Proxy wars allowed the United States and the Soviet Union to compete for worldwide influence during the Cold War without having to fight each other directly, possibly leading to the use of nuclear weapons. When American-backed fighters won, American influence and capitalist systems spread into a region. A Soviet victory led to the expansion of […]

Cold War Alliances

The two main alliances during the Cold War were the American-led alliance of capitalist countries and the Russian-led alliance of communist countries.  The American alliance The United States NATO nations (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) Australia New Zealand Japan South Korea The Russian alliance […]

Chinese Cultural Traditions in Art

Chinese Cultural Traditions in Art Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism  ‘The three great teachings’  Central Beliefs  Confucianism Emphasizes morality and living by a moral code Emphasizes the importance of learning from teachers and sages Emphasizes the importance of knowing one’s place within unequal social relationships Emphasizes filial piety and respect for elders and ancestors Daoism Believes […]