Key Events, Concepts, People (Chapter 29): Iron Curtain Speech: Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain,

talks of dangers of communism engulfing Europe Berlin Blockade: Soviet attempt to starve out the allies in Berlin to gain supremacy, high point in the Cold War, led to the Berlin Airlift Secret Speech: Khrushchev revealed the existence of a letter written to Lenin that was critical to Stalin, used to denounce Stalins rules Peaceful Coexistence: Term used by Khrushchev in 1963 to describe a situation in which the United States and Soviet Union would continue to compete economically and politically without launching a thermonuclear war Christian Democratic Parties: Political parties inspired by Catholic thought and ideals Maastricht Treaty: a treaty created in 1991 that set strict financial criteria for joining the proposed monetary union, with it single currency and set 1999 as the state date Lech Walesa: A Polish politician, a former trade union and human rights activist, and also a former electrician. He co-founded Solidarity, the Soviet blocs first independent trade union, won Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. President of Poland from 1990 to 1995 Perestroika: a policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring of the social and economic status quo in communist Russia Towards a market based economy and society Velvet Revolution: Mass protests in Czechoslovakia, led by playwright Vacle Havel, that culminated in the fall of communism in that country in November 1989. Containment Policy: established by the Truman administration in 1947 to contain Soviet influence to what it was at the end of World War II. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization; alliance created to defend one another if attacked by another country Gomulka: successfully resisted Soviet dominance in Poland after Khruschevs deStalinization speech Berlin Wall: Built in 161 by the Soviet Union, a high barrier to seal off sector of Berlin in order to stop refugees from going out of the Soviet zone of Germany. Torn down in 1989 Margaret Thatcher: leader of conservatives in Great Britain who came to power. Promised to limit social welfare, restrict union power, and end inflation. Thatcherism- economic policy.

Helsinki Accords: the final act of the Helsinki conference in 1975 in which the thirty-five nations participating agreed that Europes existing political frontiers could not be changed by force. They accepted provisions guaranteeing the human rights and political freedoms of their citizens Strategic Defense Initiative: Popularly known as Star Wars, President Reagans SDI proposed the construction of an elaborate computer controlled anti-missile defense system capable of destroying enemy missiles in outer space. Critics claimed that SDI could never be perfected Glasnot: Policy of openness initiated by Gorbachev in the 1980s that provided increased opportunites for freedom of speech, association and the press in the Soviet Union Marshall Plan: a plan the US came up with to revive the economies of Europe that were destroyed by the war. Offered 3 billion in aid Warsaw Pact: treaty signed in 1945. Formed an alliance of eastern Europes countries behind the Iron Curtain Hungarian Uprising 1956: Soviet Union invaded Hungary to stop a democracy movement. Prague Spring: In 1968, Czechoslovakia, under Dubcek, had a reform program. Civil liberties were promised, also democratic political reforms and more independent political system Common Market: eliminated customs barriers, created an area of free trade Solidarity Party: American political party in Illinois Gorbachev: Soviet Statesman whose foreign policy brought an end to Cold War, introduced major reform through domestic policy Yelsin: first president of Russia, shock therapy but caused 2,500% inflation in 1992