17th Parallel	Temporary division line of North and South Vietnam established by the 1954 Geneva Accords.
38th Parallel	The line of latitude chosen to divide Korea after the Second World War. The territory north of the line was put under Soviet administration whilst the lands south of the line was put under American administration. Initial intended to be a temporary division, after the Korean War the 38th parallel became the permanent dividing line between North and South Korea.
Able Archer	A 1983 NATO military exercise which almost started a nuclear war with the USSR as the Soviets believed it was cover for a pre-emptive nuclear strike.
ABM	Anti-ballistic missiles which are designed to intercept and destroy nuclear missiles.
A-Bomb	Weapon with huge explosive power that results from the sudden release of energy.
Agent Orange	Herbicide used by US military in Vietnam. The aim was to defoliate forested areas and expose guerrilla fighters. It had huge health effects on those exposed to it.
Allied Control Council (ACC)	Council setup to control the whole of Germany after the Second World War. Its members were the UK, USA, USSR and later France.
Allies (Allied Powers)	Name given to the grouping of the United Kingdom, USA and USSR who fought on the same side in the Second World War.
American-Japanese Security Treaty	Treaty first signed in 1951 (after the Peace Treaty of San Francisco) that made Japan a military protectorate of the USA.
Anarchy	When  there is no government or control in society, leading to disorder and confusion.
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty	Treaty between the USA and USSR in 1972 on the limitation of anti-ballistic missile systems, which can be used to intercept and destroy nuclear missiles.
Anti-colonialism	Against the idea of countries having colonies and empires.
Anti-nuclearism	Opposition to nuclear weapons.
Apartheid	Racist system of 'apartness' which was introduced by the nationalist government of South Africa in 1948 to ensure white-dominated political rule.
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project	A July 1975 joint US-Soviet space mission and symbol of detente. It marked the end of the space race.
Appeasement	Achieving peace by giving concessions or by satisfying demands. It was the policy used by the UK towards Germany before the Second World War (see Munich Agreement).
Arab League	Organisation of Arab countries formed in 1945, which aims to draw closer relationships between states.
Armistice	Agreement to end fighting.
Arms race	Competition to gain weapons superiority that took place between East and West during the Cold War.
Association Principle	UN principle that all 'peace-loving states' could be members.
Aswan Dam	Dam across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt. It was built between 1960 and 1970 to prevent flooding, provide people with water, and generate electricity. It helped to improve the Egyptian economy.
Atlantic Charter	Policy statement issued in 1941 that set out Allied goals after the Second World War, drafted by the US and UK.
Attorney General	In the USA, the top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the government.
Austrian State Treaty of 1955	This treaty was signed by the UK, France, the USA, and the USSR. At a conference, agreement was made to end the post-war occupation of Austria and to recognise the Austrian Republic.
Backyard Furnaces	Used by the Chinese during the Great Leap Forward, these were blast furnaces in the backyards of people's homes and communes, used to make steel.
Baggage Train Leaders	Men who had spent much of World War Two in Moscow, and were considered by the Soviets to be 'trustworthy'. They would thus ensure that the post-war governments of their respective countries would be dominated by Moscow-backed, 'Stalinist' Communists.
Balkans	Region in southeast Europe; Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia were governed by Communists during the Cold War.
Ballistic Missile	A rocket that follows a flightpath to deliver warheads to a target.
Bandung Conference	This conference in August 1955 in the Indonesian city of Bandung was the first international gathering of independent Asian and African countries. It inaugurated the Non-Aligned Movement.
Baruch Plan	A 1946 proposal for an organisation that would regulate atomic energy. The plan proposed that United States would destroy its weapons on the condition that the UN controlled all atomic development and that this would not be subject to veto in the Security Council. The plan was not accepted by the Soviet Union.
Basic Principles Agreement	Laid down rules for the conduct of nuclear war and development of weapons, and committed the USSR and USA to work together to prevent conflict and promote peaceful co-existence. Formed part of the 1972 SALT I agreement package.
Berlin Airlift	After World War Two, the German capital city, Berlin, was located in the Soviet zone, but was also divided into four sections under the USA, UK, France and the USSR. The USSR closed all routes into Berlin in 1948 during the Berlin Blockade, but Britain, France and the US supplied their sectors by carrying out airlifts of supplies for a year.
Berlin Blockade	This was one of the first major crises of the Cold War and lasted from June 1948-May 1949. After World War Two, the German capital city of Berlin was located deep within the Soviet zone, but was also divided into four sections under the USA, UK, France and the USSR. In June 1948, the USSR closed all routes into Berlin in response to the introduction of the new currency into the Western sectors of the city. On 12th May 1949, Stalin abandoned the blockade, but the clash was to lead to the division of Germany into East and West and to the building of the Berlin Wall.
Berlin Crisis	This event lasted from 1958 to 1961. The USSR demanded that the Western powers in Berlin - UK, USA, France - withdrew from the city within six months. Tension continued to grow and more people moved from East to West Berlin. Khrushchev and Ulbricht closed the East German border in Berlin in August 1961. The initial barbed wire fencing was replaced by a concrete wall that separated East and West until 1989.
Bias	Opinion taking into consideration only one side of an argument.
Big Five	The first five permanent members of the UN Security Council; the USA, the USSR, France, Britain and China.
Big Three	Term used to refer to Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill at the Yalta Conference of 1945.
Bilateral Agreement	An agreement in which the parties exchange promises to do something for each other.
Bill of Rights	A document that sets out rights for individuals in a country.
Bizonia	The combined US and British zones of Germany in 1947.
Bloc	A group of countries or people that share the same interest or aims and usually act together.
Bolshevik	A Russian Communist; a member of the left-wing Leninist Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party.
Bolshevik Revolution	This took place in Russia in October 1917 when the Bolshevik Party, under the leadership of Lenin, overthrew the provisional government, which had been in power since the abdication of the Tsar in February 1917. In the aftermath of the revolution, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established in 1922.
Bourgeois	Relating to the 'middle classes' (bourgeoisie) or associated with the middle classes of a country. It is usually used in a negative way in the context of Marxist writings where the bourgeoisie are contrasted with the superior proletariat, or working classes.
Boycott	When a group of people, or a country, refuses to take part in something, or do business/have contact with another group or government.
BRD	Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or West Germany. See FRG.
Bretton Woods System	Agreements about international economic relationships made between the UK, US, and other Allied countries in June 1944. It included the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The USSR was originally involved but withdrew in 1945.
Brezhnev Doctrine	The doctrine expounded by Leonid Brezhnev in November 1968 affirming the right of the Soviet Union to intervene in the affairs of Communist countries to strengthen Communism.
Brinkmanship	Pushing dangerous events to the brink of disaster in order to achieve the most advantageous outcome. This tactic was used during the Cold War.
Brussels Pact	This was signed in 1949 between Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK. It was designed to organise a system of European mutual defence and was thus a precursor to NATO, which was set up later in 1949.
Camp David	The country retreat of the US president in Washington, DC.
Camp David Accords	Agreements signed by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin (the Israeli leader) in 1978 at Camp David, which led to the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Capitalism	An economic system where a great deal of trade and industry is privately owned and runs to make a profit.
Carter Doctrine	Announced in 1980, this doctrine committed the United States to intervention if the Soviets threatened Western interests in the Persian Gulf.
​Catalyst	Something that speeds up or causes the action of a process or event.
Censorship	Control by the government of the content of films, newspapers, books and so on, and by this action suppression of anything considered a threat to the power of the state.
Checkpoint Charlie	The name the Western Allies gave to the crossing point in the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin.
Chernobyl	City in Ukraine, under Soviet authority, which was the site of a nuclear power plant disaster in 1986.
Chinese Civil War	After the Second World War ended in 1945, renewed civil war - ongoing since the 1920s - broke out between Mao Zedong's Communist followers and the Nationalist Party, the Guomindang, led by Jiang Jieshi. The war ended when Mao declared the creation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)	The ruiling political party of the PRC, founded in 1921. In 1949 it defeated the Guomindang and has been in power since.
CIA	The Central Intelligence Agency, the main intelligence-gathering agency in the USA.
Civic Forum	Political movement established in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution that called for reform in Czechoslovakia.
Clique	Small, exclusive group of people that is apart from the main group.
Collective Security Principle	A UN principle of member states working together to stop aggressor states and potential conflict.
Collectivisation	Process by which all private farmland in the Soviet Union was put into large collective farms controlled by the state.
Colony	A state controlled by another country.
Collusion	Secret understanding, often for a dishonest purpose.
COMECON	The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, economic organisation from 1949 to 1991 under the leadership of the USSR and including Eastern Bloc countries and other socialist states.
Cominform	Communist Information Bureau set up in September 1947. This was the first official forum of the international Communist movement and increased Stalin's control over the Communist parties of other countries.
Comintern	The Communist International, an international Communist organisation begun in Moscow in 1919. It aimed to spread Communist revolution.
Committee of National Liberation	Group which later came to be known as the Lublin Committee, who stated that they were a coalition of democratic and patriotic forces who wished to work with the Soviet Union.
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)	A free association of sovereign states of republics that were formerly part of the Soviet Union; formed in 1991.
Communique	Official form of correspondence, such as a news report.
Communism	Political viewpoint that all businesses and farms should be owned by the state on behalf of the people. Only one leader and party is needed, and goods will be distributed to individuals by the state. Everyone will thus get what is needed and everyone will be working for the collective good.
Comsymp	A person sympathetic to Communist causes.
Conservatism	Political viewpoint that believes in maintaining the existing or traditional order. Conservatives believe in respect for traditional institutions, limiting government intervention in people's lives, and gradual and/or limited changes in the established order.
Constitution	Set of rules that lay down how an organisation or a country should be governed.
Containment	US policy towards Communism by which it would resist Communism anywhere in the world where it was perceived to be a threat. This would involve the USA fighting in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Contras	Right-wing group who challenged the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua.
Conventional Arms	Weapons that are not of mass destruction, such as biological or nuclear.
Council of Foreign Ministers	Organisation agreed at Potsdam in 1945. It consisted of the foreign ministers of the UK, USSR, China, France and the USA, and had the job of drawing up peace treaties with various countries, sorting out territorial questions, and making a peace settlement for Germany.
Counter-insurgency	Type of military campaign which is used during an occupation or a civil war to put down rebellion.
Counterforce Strategy	Policy of Kennedy's Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, in which the objective would be to destroy the enemy's military forces, but not cities and thus not civilian populations.
Coup/Coup d'etat	Violent or illegal seizure of power by a small group or clique.
Covert	Secret or hidden.
Cruise Missile	Guided missiles that are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy.
Cuban Missile Crisis	Thirteen-day confrontation in 1962 between the USA and the USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba. This was the closest the Cold War came to nuclear conflict.
Cuban People's Party	Party joined in 1947 by Castro, who was attracted to this new party's campaign against corruption, injustice, poverty, unemployment, and low pay.
Cult of Personality	The creation of a heroic and all-powerful leader by use of media, propaganda, especially in totalitarian states.
Cultural Genocide	Destruction of the culture of a nation, race or religious group. It follows from the word genocide, which is usually used to denote the physical destruction of a national, racial, religious or ethnic population.
Cultural Revolution	Launched in May 1966, Mao's programme to initiate a revolution at the very heart of traditional Chinese 'culture' in order to eliminate liberal and bourgeois thinking and behaviour.
Curzon Line	Demarcation line between Poland and Russia, proposed in 1919 after the First World War.
Czech Coup	Events of 1948 in Czechoslovakia, which was seen by the Soviets as moving towards the West. Twelve non-Communist politicians were forced to resign and a Communist-led government was installed. Truman used the events to implement the Marshall Plan in Europe.
DDR	see GDR.
Decolonisation	Process by which colonies or lands that had been controlled by European powers regained their independence after 1945.
Deconstructions	Taking things apart in order to look at them in more detail.
Defoliants	Chemical sprays that destroy plants; Agent Orange was a defoliant used in the Vietnam War to destroy the jungle.
Demilitarisation	Reduction of a nation's army, weapons, and/or military vehicles to an agreed minimum, often as part of a peace treaty.
Demobilisation	When an army disbands and goes home.
Democracy	Greek term, meaning 'rule of the people'; a form of government in which citizens choose the government through free and fair voting systems and elections.
Democratic Party	In US politics, one of the two main political parties, the other being the Republican Party. It promotes social-liberal, left-wing policies; a mixed economy; civil rights; welfare state systems; and equality. Other democratic parties have similar ideals.
Democratisation	The transition to a more democratic political system.
Despot	A ruler or other person who holds absolute power - typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.
De-Stalinisation	Process of Soviet political reform after Stalin's death in 1953, which included the changing or removal of gulags, his cult of personality, and the bodies and institutions that he had set up to support his power.
Detente	Meaning 'relaxation' or 'thawing out', this is the easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation. It is a US term used mainly to refer to the easing of Cold War tensions between the USA and USSR from 1969 to the 1980s.
Deterrence	The idea that possession of nuclear weapons by a country will deter other states from attacking with nuclear force due to the effects of retaliation and the threat of mutually assured destruction (MAD).
Developing World	Countries in which there is a lower standard of living and less-developed industry than, for example, many Western countries such as the USA.
Diplomatic Isolation	Sometimes called international isolation, a penalty applied by an international organisation, such as the UN or a group of countries, towards a nation, group, or government, in effect cutting it off - isolating it - from the worldwide community.
Disarmament	The reducing, limiting, or abolishing of weapons.
Dollar Imperialism	Term used by Molotov (Soviet Foreign Minister) to express the belief that the USA was using the Marshall Plan to create a sphere of influence in the West and would extend this to the Eastern bloc.
Domestic	Concerned with what is going on inside a country itself, as opposed to its international relations.
Domestic Policy	Policy that concerns laws, government programmes, and administrative decisions, such as taxes, social welfare and legal rights, within a country's borders.
Domino Effect	Belief that if one country fell to Communism, then all countries in the area would also fall to Communism, like a row of dominoes falling over after one is knocked.
DPRK	Abbreviation for North Korea - the country's official name being the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
East Germany	see GDR.
Economic Sanctions	Sanctions imposed against a country in an attempt to force it to change it policies. It usually relates to trade, meaning that certain goods will not be sent to, or traded with, the country in question.
EEC	The European Economic Community, an international supra-national organisation created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. It replaced the 1951 European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Its aim was to bring about economic and political integration. In 1993 it was renamed the European Community (EC) and along with other European organisations, formed the European Union (EU).
Egalitarianism	The idea of equality for all people.
Eisenhower Doctrine	1957 policy that the United States would assist any country in the Middle East to fight against Communism.
Embargo	Partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country or a group of countries.
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)	International organisation to unify European countries after World War Two established by the 1951 Treaty of Paris and signed by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The ECSC was a precursor of the European Union (EU).
European Security Conference	Conference held in Helsinki in 1973 and the high point of detente. It was attended by 33 countries.
ExComm	The Executive Committee of the National Security Council (commonly referred to as simply the Executive Committee or ExComm); a body of US government officials that convened to advise President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Expansionist	Policy of expanding or increasing power or territory.
Fallout Shelter	Place built to protect people from a nuclear attack.
Fanaticism	Extreme opinions, usually referring to politics or religion.
Fascism	A political ideology that favours limited freedom of people, nationalism, and/or use of violence to achieve ends, and an aggressive foreign policy. Power is in the hands of an elite leader or leadership.
FBI	Federal Bureau of Investigation, a US government agency that investigates crime and is an intelligence agency. It was established in 1908.
Feudalism	A way of structuring society around the loan of land in exchange for labour. A class- or caste-based system of power and privilege.
Final Act	The final agreement of the European Security Conference held in Helsinki in 1973, which took the form of three 'baskets'.
First Strike	Refers to the ability to launch the first nuclear strike in a nuclear war.
Five Revolutionary Laws	Fidel Castro's manifesto for Cuba, which promised that there would be a return of power to the people; land rights for those holding or squatting on smaller plots; workers to have a 30% share of profits; sugar plantation workers to have a 55% share of profits; and the end of corruption.
Five-Year Plan	Five-year plans for the development of the national economy of the Soviet Union were a series of nationwide economic development plans. Other Communist countries followed similar plans.
Flexible Response	President Kennedy's method of containing Communism - by expanding the available means of fighting against it.
Foreign Policy	Strategies chosen by a nation to guard its national interests and to maintain and manage international relations with other countries.
Formosa	Historical name for Taiwan.
Formosa Resolution	A bill of 1955 that said America had a commitment to defend Formosa (Taiwan) and which ended the first Taiwan crisis.
Four Modernisations	Deng Xiaoping's policies for modernisation in agriculture, defence and technology.
Free Market	Economic system often associated with Capitalism, in which the prices of goods and services are set by sellers and consumers and not by the government or other authority.
Free Trade	Policy in international markets, in which governments do not restrict imports or exports.
FRG	The Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany (in German: BRD, Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
G7	A group consisting of the finance ministers and banks of seven major, advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The UN is also included.
Gaither Report	A 1957 report to President Eisenhower that recommended a significant strengthening of American military capabilities.
Gang of Four	Group that gained political power and influence during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-76).
GDR	Abbreviation for East Germany, the German Democratic Republic. In German it is called the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik).
General Assembly	The main deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the UN. All members have a vote in the General Assembly.
Geneva Accords	Peace agreement of 1954, after the French defeat at the Vietnamese battle of Dien Bien Phu, through which Indochina was freed from French colonial control, Vietnam was divided, and Laos and Cambodia became independent states.
Geneva Conference	Conference in Geneva in 1954 to end hostilities and create peace in Indochina. It produced the Geneva Accords.
Glasnost	Policy of 'openness' introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev when he became Soviet president in 1985.
GNP (gross national product)	Annual total value of goods and service produced in a country.
Grand Alliance	Name given to the alliance of the USA, UK and the USSR during World War Two.
Great Leap Forward	Policy of Mao, begun in 1958, to develop rapidly China's agricultural and industrial sectors simultaneously, via grain and steel production. In the process, Mao would also create the 'proletarian class' required for revolution by the Marxist model.
Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution	Full name of Mao's Cultural Revolution, launched in May 1966. His declared aim was to initiate a revolution at the very heart of traditional Chinese 'culture' in order to eliminate liberal and bourgeois thinking and behaviour.
Great Society	US President Johnson's programme to improve civil rights, eradicate poverty, increase access to health and education, and create a cleaner environment.
Great Terror	Stalin's purges of all political opponents from 1936-40, as well as millions of ordinary people, who were executed or sent to the gulags.
Green Berets	US military counter-insurgency force trained in guerrilla fighting.
Guantanamo Bay	US naval base on Cuba, located on land leased for American use since 1903. Since 2002 it has also been the site of a military prison for those suspected of terror offences in the wake of the War on Terror.
Guerilla War	Form of warfare in which small groups of fighters use tactics such as launching sudden, unexpected attacks, raids and ambushes.
Gulag	A network of forced labour camps in the Soviet Union, or a camp in this network.
Gulf of Tonkin	Body of water off the coast of northern Vietnam and southern China. In August 1964 American ships were allegedly fired on by North Vietnamese patrol boats while patrolling and gathering intelligence in the Gulf of Tonkin, which President Johnson used to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution	This authorised the US president to 'take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression'. The Tonkin Resolution was used as the legal basis for the war in Vietnam.
Guomindang (GMD)	The name of the Nationalist party of China led by Jiang Jieshi that fought against the Communists in the Chinese Civil War. After it lost to Mao Zedong's Communists in the Civil War, it set up a Chinese Nationalist government on the island of Taiwan.
Hallstein Doctrine	In 1955, Adenauer made a threat, which became known as the Hallstein Doctrine, by which the FDR (West Germany) would break off diplomatic relations with any country that established diplomatic relations with the GDR (East Germany).
H-Bomb	A thermonuclear bomb that is much more powerful than the A-bomb.
Hegemony	Leadership by one state over a group of states.
Helsinki Agreement/Accords	Diplomatic agreement signed in Helsinki in 1975 in an effort to reduce tension between the Soviet and Western blocs.
Hiroshima	Japanese city that was the first city in history to be targeted by a nuclear weapon, in 1945.
Historiography	Study of the writings of historians.
Ho Chi Minh Trail	This is the supply route between North Vietnam and South Vietnam that was used by the Vietcong. It ran through Laos and Cambodia in an attempt to avoid US bombing raids.
Humanitarian	Concerned with improving the lives of people and reducing suffering.
Hungarian Uprising	Event in 1956 in Hungary, inspired by the Polish Uprising. The Hungarians lived under the repressive regime of Matyas Rakosi and demanded that the more moderate Imre Nagy replace him. When Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact and become a neutral state, the Soviets brought Hungary back under their control and set up a Hungarian government under Janos Kadar.
ICBM	Inter-continental ballistic missile, which as range of over 3000 nautical miles, and carries nuclear warheads.
Ideological	Conforming to an ideology, which is a set of beliefs shared by a group of people. It is a means of explaining how society works or ought to work. For example, the Soviet ideology was based on Marxism and the American ideology was based on Capitalism and liberal democracy.
Imperialism	Policy of gaining colonies (control over other countries) and thereby creating an empire. The United States was accused of imperialism during the Cold War: in this case not by ruling directly over other countries, but by influencing them economically and ideologically.
IMF (International Monetary Fund)	International organisation formed in 1944, and based in Washington DC, comprised of 188 countries who work to ensure economic growth around the world as well as to secure financial stability, facilitate trade, retain high employment and reduce poverty.
Inauguration	Ceremony during which a US president officially takes office after having been elected.
Indo-Pakistan War	Military confrontation between India and Pakistan in 1971. It lasted for 13 days and concerned the liberation of Bangladesh.
Industrial Revolution	In modern history, the process of change from an agricultural society into an industrial one, based on the manufacturing of goods and services.
Industrialisation	Process in which a society transforms from an agricultural society into an industrial one, based on the manufacturing of goods and services.
INF Treaty	Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INF Treaty), agreement made at the Washington Summit, December 1987, by which it was agreed to abolish land-based missiles of intermediate and shorter range.
Inflation	Economic term for an increase in the general price level of goods and services over a period of time.
Interim Treaty	Agreement of SALT I placing limits on the numbers of ICBMs and SLBMs.
Internationalism	Movement advocating greater economic and political co-operation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all.
IRMs	Intermediate range missiles, used by the US in Western Europe to counter the Soviet SS-20s during the Second Cold War.
Isolationist	When a country keeps out of conflicts in foreign affairs and does not get involved in military alliances. After World War one, the United States took an isolationist position.
Jackson-Vanik Amendment	A 1974 American legal provision that restricted US trade with Communist bloc countries.
Jesuit	A member of a Roman Catholic monastic order called the Society of Jesus.
Jihad	An Islamic term signifying a struggle. It has two meanings: one is an inner spiritual struggle and is often called the 'greater jihad' and the other, 'lesser jihad', is a defence of Islam in the form of a holy war. One who fights in the lesser jihad is called a mujahid (plural mujahidin).
Junta	Group of military officers who rule a country after taking power by force.
Katyn Forest Massacre	Mass executions of Polish citizens by the Soviet Secret Police, the NKVD, in 1940.
Khmer Rouge	Followers of the Communist Party in Cambodia/Kampuchea in 1968. It ruled from 1975-79 under Pol Pot and orchestrated genocide and the deaths of around a third of the population of Cambodia.
Korean War	War between North and South Korea from 1950-53 concerning divisions made to the country after World War Two. The USA and UN fought on the side of the South and China, and the Soviets fought for the North.
KPD	Communist Party of Germany.
Lander	The states of Germany (singular is Land.)
League of Nations	International organisation set up after World War One which was intended to maintain peace and encourage disarmament.
Left-wing	Political ideas or positions that promote social equality, reduce inequality, and that usually show concern for the disadvantaged.
Leninism	The Communist ideas and politics, economics, social thinking, and policies of Vladimir Lenin.
Liberalism	Political worldview or way of thinking founded on ideas of the liberty and equality of every person.
Little Red Book	A book of selected statements and writings by Mao Zedong published from 1964-76. It had a bright red cover, hence the (Western) name.
London Conference of Ministers	This was a meeting of British, French, American, and Soviet representatives in 1947. As agreed at the Potsdam Conference, ministers continued to meet to discuss post-war issues. At the London Conference, there was a marked deterioration in relations between the West and the Soviets.
Lublin Committee	A group set up in Lublin, Poland, in July 1944, who stated that they were a coalition of democratic and patriotic forces who wished to work with the Soviet Union.
Lushan Conference	A meeting of the top leaders of the Communist Party of China held between July and August 1959.
Macro and Micro Scales	Looking at a situation close up (micro) and in broader context (macro).
Mafia	An organised crime syndicate that will often practise drug trafficking, fraud, and loan sharking, whose members are bound by a code of silence. Although there are such organisation in many countries, the Mafia usually refers to the Italian-American or Sicilian Mafia.
Manchu Dynasty	Also called the Qing dynasty, this was the last imperial ruling dynasty of China.
Maoism	Political theory based on the thought of Mao Zedong; a form of Marxism-Leninism, which was the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party. It stressed the revolutionary potential of the peasant class.
Marshal	The highest military rank of the USSR, created in 1935 and abolished in 1991.
Marshall Plan	The American initiative to aid Europe, in which the United States gave $17 billion ($160 billion in current value) in economic support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War Two.
Martial Law	Military rule established in a country, usually as a temporary measure during a political crisis.
Marxism-Leninism	Stalinist term for his political ideology and that of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Comintern. It is based on Marxism and Leninism, but with emphasis on the Leninist doctrine of class struggle and liberation of the exploited masses from imperialism.
McCarthyism	Term that means making accusations of actions such as subversion or treason without having proper evidence, or by using unfair methods. The term comes from the hunts for those believed to be Communists, or Communist sympathisers, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the USA in the 1950s.
MIG figher	A Soviet jet fighter plane.
Military Coup	The sudden seizure of a government by the military.
Military-Industrial Complex	Term first used by Eisenhower in 1961 to refer to the network of individuals and institutions involved in the production of weapons and military technologies.
MIRV	Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle, launched by a missile that allows several warheads to be used, each guided to a different target.
Missile Gap	The missile gap was the Cold War term used in the US for the perceived superiority of the number and power of the USSR's missiles in comparison with its own.
Modus Operandi	Particular way of working or dealing with a task.
Molotov Plan	A series of bilateral trade agreements that aimed to tie the economies of Eastern Europe to the USSR.
Monolithic	Describing a single huge organisation. The Americans believed that all Communists states were part of one massive organisation controlled by the Soviets.
Monopolize	To have or to take the greatest share of something so that others are prevented from a fair share.
Monroe Doctrine	A 19th Century American policy that stated efforts by European nations to colonise land in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression. It was named after President James Monroe.
Moscow Conference	A 1945 conference at which the United States and the Soviet Union dealt with how Japan and Korea were to be governed post-World War Two.
Most Favoured Nation Status	This is granted to a country as part of a trade agreement with another country in favour of better trading conditions.
Mujahidin	The people engaged in a jihad, especially as guerrilla warriors, such as during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.
Munich Agreement	This 1938 agreement was signed between the UK, Germany, France and Italy. It forced Czechoslovakia to give an area called the Sudetenland (which contained German speakers) to Germany. This was part of the UK policy of appeasement. The then-prime minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, believed that by giving Hitler what he wanted, a European war could be avoided.
My Lai	Village in South Vietnam that was the scene of a massacre by the US Army in 1968.
Nagasaki	Japanese city that was the second target of a nuclear bomb during World War Two.
Napalm	Gel made from petrol that readily catches fire. It was used by US forces during the Vietnam War. It sticks to the skin and causes terrible burns.
National Union	Egyptian premier Nasser set up the National Union in 1957 to replace all political parties.
Nationalism	The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively; emphasising national rather than international goals.
Nationalisation	When a government takes over private industry or land so that it is owned by the state.
NATO	The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a military alliance founded in 1949. Its members agree to mutual defence if one is attacked. During the Cold War, rival nations joined the Warsaw Pact.
Nazi	A member of Hitler's National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). The term is now often used to describe someone with far-right views.
Nazi-Soviet Pact	See Non-Aggression Pact
New Course	A Soviet economic policy to improve the standard of living in East Germany.
New Forum	A political resistance movement in East Germany formed in the lead up to the collapse of East and West Germany.
New Look	The name given to the USA's national security policy during Eisenhower's presidency. It stresses the deterrence effects of weapons and preventing the extension of Soviet Communism outside of the areas where it was already established.
Nixon Doctrine	1969 doctrine in which Nixon moved away from US policies followed in Asia since Truman. It stated that nations were responsible for their own defence.
NLF	The National Liberation Front; the political arm of South Vietnamese groups of Communists (the Vietcong).
Non-Aggression Pact 1939 (Nazi-Soviet Pact)	This was the agreement signed between the Soviets and the Germans in August 1939, in which they agreed not to attack each other. Secret clauses of the agreement provided for joint military action against Poland.
Non-Aligned Movement	Group of countries that pursued a neutral position in the Cold War.
NSC-68	A report by the US National Security Council, produced in 1950, which warned that all Communist activity could be traced back to Moscow. It encouraged military and economic aid to be given to any country perceived by the USA to be resisting Communism.
Nuclear Arms Race	Competition for supremacy in nuclear warfare between the USA, USSR and their allies during the Cold War.
Nuclear Holocaust	Term used for what would happen if there was a nuclear war, such as total destruction and great loss of human life.
Nuclear Parity	When opposing forces possess equal-strength nuclear offensive and defensive systems.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty	Treaty of 1968 that prevented signatories from transferring weapons, or knowledge of how to make them, to non-nuclear powers.
OAS	Organisation of American States; an inter-continental organisation founded in 1948 to ensure regional solidarity and cooperation among its members. Members include South and Central American countries, Canada, and Caribbean Islands as well as the USA.
Oder-Neisse Line	The border between Germany and Poland drawn up after World War Two.
OPEC	The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; an international organisation with its base in Vienna, founded in 1960, to ensure the stabilisation of oil markets.
Open-door Policy	The economic policies of Deng Xiaoping, which from 1978 opened up China for foreign business investment.
Open Skies	Eisenhower's proposal that the USA and Soviets would exchange plans of military installations and allow aerial surveillance of each other's installations.
Operation Barbarossa	The code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in World War Two.
Operation Overlord	The code name for the Allied operation that invaded Nazi-occupied Europe in World War Two.
Operation Rolling Thunder	The name of a sustained US bombing campaign against North Vietnam from 1965-68.
Orthodox View	The position also known as the 'Traditional view', which generally holds that the Soviet Union was responsible for the Cold War. This was the position taken by historians writing in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Ostpolitik	Policy followed by West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, in the 1970s, which aimed to improve West German relations with East Germany.
Pacifist	Someone who does not believe in fighting in a war.
Panmunjom Armistice	The armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953.
Paradigm	Philosophical or theoretical framework or model.
Paradigm Shift	A radical change in a belief or theory.
Paranoia	Abnormal tendency to be suspicious of and lack trust in other people.
Paris Peace Accords	Intended to establish peace in Vietnam, the accords ended direct US military involvement and temporarily stopped the fighting between North and South Vietnam. A peace agreement was signed in 1973.
Paris Peace Talks	Negotiations that led to the Paris Peace Accord, which ended the Vietnam War, beginning in 1972.
Paris Summit	A 1960 summit that aimed to establish better relations between the USA and Soviets, but which collapsed due to Gary Powers' U2 spy plane being shot down over Russia.
Parity	The state of having similar capability to another - in Cold War terms, the USSR having nuclear parity with, or the same capability as the United States.
Peaceful Co-existence	Theory developed and applied by the Soviets at times during the Cold War, which said that Socialist states could co-exist with Capitalist ones.
Percentages Agreement	An agreement made in 1944 between Stalin and Churchill about how to divide various European countries (regarding the influence and control the Western powers and the USSR would want to have) after World War Two.
Perestroika	Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of 'restructuring' the economy of the Soviet Union.
Perimeter Speech	Speech made by Dean Acheson in 1950 in which both South Korea and Taiwan were publicly excluded from the American defensive perimeter in the Western Pacific.
Ping-Pong Diplomacy	A term that refers to the exchange of table tennis players between the USA and PRC in the 1970s. It marked a thaw in relations.
Platt Amendment	1902 amendment to a treaty outlining US-Cuban relations. The Platt Amendment outlined the role of the United States in Cuba and the Caribbean.
Polemic	Speech or piece of writing which contains very forceful arguments for or against something.
Polish Peasant Party	Sometimes called the Polish People's Party, this party existed in Poland from 1945-1949, led by Stalinslaw Mikolajczyk.
Polish Revolt	Event in Poland in June 1956 when workers in the industrial city of Poznan revolted and the Polish Communist Wladyslaw Gomulka, who had been imprisoned under Stalin, was brought back to political prominence as First Secretary. This took place without Khrushchev's approval, but he agreed to allow Gomulka to remain in power.
Politburo	The highest policy-making authority of the Soviet Communist Party, founded in 1917 and which ended in 1991 with the break up of the USSR.
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA)	Political party founded in the 1950s that has ruled Angola since 1975 and independence from Portugal.
Post-Revisionist	School of thought which stresses that neither the USA nor the USSR can be held solely responsible for the origins of the Cold War. Gaddis is one of the key figures of this group.
Potsdam Conference	Conference in Germany in 1945 between the UK, USA, and USSR. The delegates (Stalin, Truman and initially Churchill, who was replaced by Attlee) met to discuss how to deal with the defeated Nazi Germany and other post-World War Two issues.
Prague Spring	A time of political liberalisation in Czechoslovakia in 1968 with the election of Dubcek as First Secretary. It ended with an invasion by Warsaw Pact countries, who feared Dubcek's moves.
Pravda	Russian political newspaper that began in 1912 and which was an official state-backed newspaper until the demise of the USSR. It is still published. Pravda means truth in Russian.
Pre-emptive Strike	A surprise attack launched in order to prevent the enemy from attacking first.
Private Ownership	Non-governmental ownership of property.
Proletariat	The working class; wage earners who must earn their living by working.
Propaganda	Information, usually biased or misleading, that promotes a political cause or idea. In war, it is used to create a false image of an enemy or cause.
Proxy	The authority to represent another.
PSP	Abbreviation for the Cuban Communist Party (Partido Socialista Popular​)
Puppet Regime/Puppet State	Terms used for a government or rule that is actually being controlled by an outside power.
Purges	Term used to describe the mass killings carried out in the USSR by Stalin from the mid-1930s.
Quagmire Theory	A theory used to explain the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. It suggests that successive presidents became increasingly involved in the war, and the US became more and more stuck in Vietnam.
Quarantine	A state or area of forced isolation.
Radio Free Europe	Also called Radio Liberty, a broadcasting organisation that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, parts of Asia, and the Middle East. It was founded as an anti-Communist news sources during the Cold War in 1949. Its coverage of the Poznan riots of 1956 inspired the Hungarian Uprising.
Rapprochement	A rapprochement, from the French rapprocher, 'to bring together', is the re-establishment of cordial relations between countries.
Reactionary	Political term for someone who is opposed to progress or reform, or who wants to put things back to the way they were.
Realpolitik	Approach to politics which is based on practical concerns and the actual circumstance of the time rather than on ideology.
Reconnaissance	When one side checks out or surveys the strength of the other side - for example, using aircraft.
Red Army	Soviet army created by the Communist government after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
Red Scare	The promotion of fear of a potential rise of Communism or radical leftism.
Red Square	A city square in Moscow, Russia.
Reagan Victory School	This view credits President Reagan's policies with ending the Cold War.
Reasonable Sufficiency	Gorbachev's idea that the Soviet Union should have only enough weapons to defend itself, rather than enough to launch a pre-emptive strike or fight a preventative war.
Re-Education	Chinese Cultural Revolution process sending anyone considered bourgeois (such as intellectuals, artists, and musicians) to camps to be re-educated through forced labour, which would give them empathy for the labourer and common worker.
Regime Change	When there is a change in the government of the country.
Regional Principle	UN Principle allowing for the development of regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with threats to peace.
Reparations	Payments that are imposed on countries that have been defeated in a war by the victors, in order to pay for the costs of the war incurred by the victors.
Repatriation	Sending someone back to his or her own country.
Republican	Someone who advocates a republic - a form of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship.
Republican Party	American political party founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854. Policies are usually conservative rather than liberal and include free market Capitalism and opposition to unions. A supporter is a Republican.
Revisionist	Perspective on the Cold War that holds US policies responsible.
Revisionists	Critical term used by Communist governments to describe those they believed had deviated from the true Marxist path.
Right Wing	Groups or individuals who favour free market Capitalism and place an emphasis on law and order, limited state interference, and traditional values in society; those who believe that things are better left unchanged.
Roll-back	A 1952 US Presidential election campaign term that meant liberating countries held by the Soviets in Eastern Europe. Roll-back never happened - under Eisenhower, the US administration developed a policy of containment it called the 'New Look'.
Russian Civil War	This war followed on from the Russian Revolution and involved many different groups, all vying to determine Russia's political future. The two main groups were the Red Army and the White Army, the former were Bolsheviks in favour of socialism and the latter were against it. By 1921 the Bolsheviks were in control and Russia became a Communist state.
Russian Revolution	This refers to a number of revolutions that took place in Russia after the end of Tsarist rule in 1917 and which led to the creation of the Communist Soviet Union.
Russo-Polish War	This 1921 war was started by the Poles to gain land from the new Soviet Bolshevik state. After the Poles' initial progress had been checked by the Red Army (which nearly captured Warsaw), the Curzon Line was proposed as the frontier between the two states. However, this was never ratified and the Poles were actually able to get much more Russian territory through the Treaty of Riga. The Soviet Union only reacquired this land as a consequence of the Nazi-Soviet Pact and its invasion of Poland in 1939.
Saboteurs	People who secretly and deliberately damage something.
Salami Tactics	Term used by Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi, commenting on how the USSR secured Communist control in Eastern Europe - 'like slicing off salami, piece by piece'.
SALT I/II	Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), two rounds of talks and treaties between the USA and USSR about arms control. They took place in Helsinki between 1969-1979.
Sandinistas	Members of a socialist party in Nicaragua that established a revolutionary government from 1979-1990. A CIA-funded militia, the Contras, was formed in 1981 to overthrow the Sandinista government.
Satellite Empire/State	A political term that designates a country that is nominally independent but that is under the heavy political, economic, and military control of another country.
SCAP	Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers; a post given to General Douglas MacArthur after Japan's 1945 defeat that allowed him great powers to devise and execute policies there.
SDI	Abbreviation for Strategic Defense Initiative
Search-and-Destroy-Missions	Key part of US strategy in Vietnam. US soldiers would look for the Vietcong (often by helicopter) and then destroy their bases or the areas in which they believed that the Vietcong were hiding.
SEATO	The Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation, an international organisation for collective defence in Southeast Asia, signed in September 1954 in the Philippines.
Second Cold War	Period in the 1980s when the USA and the USSR were again hostile towards each other.
Secretary General	The chief officer and head of the United Nations.
Secretary of State	Senior official in the US government, mainly concerned with foreign affairs and policy.
Security Council	One of the six principal organs of the UN, which is charged with the maintenance of international security and peacekeeping.
Shanghai Communique	An important diplomatic document issued by China and the USA during Nixon's visit in 1972. It pledged that the two countries would pursue a good relationship.
Show trial	Public trials used in the Soviet Union in the 1930s for propaganda purposes to show to the world that key political opponents of the ruling elite were indeed guilty.
Siberia	A vast territory in Russia and the site of many gulags and labour camps.
Single Polar	One source of influence, where only one country dominates. This is as opposed to bi-polar or multi-polar.
Sino-Soviet Treaty of Alliance	The first treaty between the USSR and China, signed in 1950.
Six-Day War	Also known as the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The war was fought in 1967 by Israel against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
SLBM	Submarine-launched ballistic missiles - missiles with nuclear warheads that are carried on submarines.
Socialism	Political theory of social organisation stressing shared or state ownership of production, industry, land, and so on.
Solidarity	Polish trade union founded in 1980 by Lech Walesa; the first non-Communist-controlled union.
Space Race	20th Century (1955-1972) competition between the USA and USSR for supremacy in space flight.
Sphere of Influence	Area over which a country has influence. For example, Eastern Europe was within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence after 1945. Both the Soviet Union and the United States tried to increase their spheres of influence during the Cold War.
Sputnik	The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviets in 1957, which began the space race.
SS-20	A Soviet nuclear warhead.
Stalinism	Political viewpoint/government policies based on those of Joseph Stalin, including one-country socialism, industrialisation, collectivisation, a cult of personality, and purges.
Star Wars	see Strategic Defense Initiative
Stasi	The Ministry for State Security; the official state security service or secret police, of East Germany.
State Department	The United States Department of State, responsible for the USA's international relations.
Status Quo	The existing condition or state of affairs.
Stinger Missile	A surface-to-air missile that can be fired from ground vehicles or helicopters, developed in the USA.
Strategic Arms Limitation Interim Agreement	See SALT I/II
Strategic Bombers	Planes capable of carrying and delivering nuclear weapons.
Strategic Defense Initiative	Reagan's aim to set up a space-based missile system that could intercept and destroy missiles before they reached the United States (also known as 'Star Wars')
Strategic Hamlets Program	A plan by South Vietnam and the United States to combat Communist insurgency by population transfer during the Vietnam War.
Suez Canal	An artificial waterway in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, opened in 1869. Use of the canal cuts around 7000 miles off a voyage from Europe and Asia. It is a key route for oil supplies. In 1956 the Suez became a point of crisis when Nasser nationalised it to raise funds for building the Aswan Dam.
Suez Crisis	An invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, Britain and France to regain control of the Suez Canal (which was of vital importance to shipping) and remove Egyptian President Nasser. The French, Israeli and British actions caused a storm of protest; UN, US and Soviet pressure forced their withdrawal and a UN peacekeeping force was sent to the region to restore order.
Summit	Conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a programme of action.
Superpowers	Term given to USSR and USA (and eventually the PRC) after the end of World War Two. It signifies their immense economic, political, and military power compared to other countries.
Tehran Conference	Meeting held between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill in 1943 to discuss key areas of World War Two.
Test-Ban Treaty	A treaty concerning nuclear weapons testing. The Limited Test-Ban Treaty, 1963, prohibited nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) banned all nuclear explosions in all environments.
Tet Offensive	A large military campaign of surprise attacks during the Vietnam War, begun in 1968 by Communist forces against targets in South Vietnam.
Tiananmen Square	A large city square in Beijing, scene of pro-democracy protests in 1989.
Total War	War in which the government of a country uses all the economic and human resources it has in order to win.
Trade Embargo	Government order imposing a trade barrier on any regulation or policy that restricts international trade.
Treaty of Friendship	A generic name for any treaty establishing close ties between countries.
Treaty of San Francisco	US-Japan treaty signed in 1952 that enabled the United States to maintain military bases in Japan.
Treaty of Versailles	Peace treaty with Germany at the end of the First World War, signed in 1919.
Triangular Diplomacy	Term employed by Henry Kissinger to describe the relationship he was trying to establish between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing.
Trotskyist	Someone supporting the ideas of Leon Trotsky. Trotsky had been a rival to Stalin for the leadership of the Soviet Union after the death of Lenin. Stalin used the term Trotskyist in the 1930s to attack his political opponents.
Truman Doctrine	Truman's doctrine that the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat.
Tsar	An emperor of Russia before 1917.
Tsarist	The Russian Tsarist government hinged on the supreme authority of the Tsar and the ministers, governors, and bureaucrats who implemented his orders.
'Two Camps' Doctrine	Soviet doctrine developed by Andrei Zhdanov, which said that the world was divided into 'two camps'; the imperialistic US-led camp and the democratic Soviet-led camp.
U-2	A single-engine, ultra-high altitude reconnaissance plane operated by the United States Air Force and used by the CIA.
UN Charter	The foundational treaty of the UN, signed in San Francisco in 1945.
Unconditional Surrender	A surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party.
Unequal Treaties	A series of treaties signed with Western powers and China in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Uni-Polar	Term used after the Cold War meaning that international politics became 'uni-polar' with the USA as the only country now capable of having a military alliance with other countries around the world.
United Nations	Intergovernmental organisation founded in 1945 to promote international relations and co-operation. It now has almost 200 members.
Velvet Revolution	Non-violent transition of power in Czechoslovakia in 1989 that ended Communist rule.
Veto	Right to reject or forbid a decision.
Vienna Summit	Meeting of President Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev in 1961 to discuss Cold War issues associated with the relationship between their countries, including Berlin.
Vietcong (VC)	A political organisation and army in South Vietnam that was on the side of the USA in the Vietnam War.
Vietminh	A national independence movement in Vietnam founded in 1941, to gain independence from French rule, and revived by Ho Chi Minh against the Japanese and French hold over Vietnam.
Vietnam War	War from 1955-1975 between North (supported by the USSR and China, and Communist allies) and South (supported by the USA and non-Communist allies) Vietnam.
Vietnamisation	A policy introduced by Nixon during the Vietnam War to end the USA's involvement by training the South Vietnamese in combat.
Warsaw Ghetto	The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all the Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War Two.
Warsaw Pact	A defence treaty between eight Communist European states during the Cold War, formed in 1955.
Warsaw Uprising	A major World War Two Polish resistance operation to liberate Warsaw from the Nazis.
West Bank	A disputed territory to the west of the Jordan River, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
West Germany	see FRG.
White Paper	Government report outlining policy.
Whites	Anti-Communists who fought the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War.
'X Article'	An article written by George Kennan that outlined the US's Cold War policy of containment toward the Soviet Union.
Yalta Conference	Yalta was called to help the Allied powers decide what would happen to Europe, and in particular Germany, at the end of World War Two. At Yalta, in early 1945, one of the main decisions was to split Germany into four zones of occupation after the war.
Yom Kippur War	Also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War; this war, led by Egypt and Syria, aimed to expel Israeli forces occupying Sinai. (Yom Kippur is a Jewish festival.)
Zaibatsu	Elite and powerful Japanese families that controlled industry and finance.
Zealot	A fanatically committed person.
Zero Option	The name given to an American Reagan administration proposal for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Europe, later used to talk about the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
Zhongnanhai	An imperial garden in central Beijing. It serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China.