Key Terms – Heritowl

GCSE AQA Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972

Key Term	Definition
Thaw	A period of reduced Cold War tensions after Stalin’s death.
Cold War	The period of rivalry and tension between the USA and USSR after 1945.
Peaceful Coexistence	Khrushchev’s idea that communism and capitalism should avoid direct war.
De-Stalinisation	Khrushchev’s policy of reducing Stalin’s influence and criticism of his rule.
Nikita Khrushchev	Soviet leader after Stalin who introduced de-Stalinisation.
Secret Speech	Khrushchev’s 1956 speech criticising Stalin’s dictatorship.
Hungarian Uprising	Revolt in Hungary in 1956 against Soviet control.
Imre Nagy	Hungarian leader who introduced reforms during the uprising.
Warsaw Pact	Communist military alliance led by the USSR.
Soviet Invasion	Military action by the USSR to crush the Hungarian Uprising.
Budapest	Capital city of Hungary where major protests took place in 1956.
Refugees	People forced to flee their country for safety.
U2 Spy Plane	American high-altitude aircraft used for spying on the USSR.
Francis Gary Powers	American pilot captured during the U2 Crisis.
Spy Plane	Aircraft used to gather secret military information.
U2 Crisis	International crisis caused when the USSR shot down an American spy plane in 1960.
Paris Peace Summit	1960 meeting intended to improve East–West relations that collapsed after the U2 Crisis.
Dwight D. Eisenhower	American president during the U2 Crisis.
Intelligence	Secret information gathered about another country.
Superpower	A country with enormous military and political influence.
Eastern Europe	Communist countries controlled or influenced by the USSR after the Second World War.
Propaganda	Information used to influence public opinion, often biased or misleading.
Capitalism	Economic system based on private ownership and profit.
Communism	Political and economic system where the state controls industry and wealth.