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Brinkmanship
A foreign policy strategy in which the United States and the Soviet Union would escalate dangerous disputes to the edge of all-out war in order to force the other side to back down
Containment
US policy aiming to stop the spread of communism.
Coup
a sudden seizure of power by a small group, often from within the government.
Détente
Détente was a period during the Cold War in the 1970s when the USA and USSR sought to reduce tensions and improve relations through diplomacy, arms control, and trade agreements.
It included initiatives such as the SALT treaties, increased cultural exchanges, and efforts to avoid direct military confrontation between the superpowers.
Domino Theory
US belief that the fall of one country to communism would trigger others to follow.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Network of supply routes used by North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia.
Mutually Assured Destruction
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was a Cold War doctrine in which both the USA and USSR maintained large nuclear arsenals capable of completely destroying each other if either launched an attack.
The threat of total annihilation acted as a deterrent, preventing either side from initiating a nuclear war.
Nuclear parity
A situation in which two rival powers possess roughly equal nuclear arsenals in terms of quantity and destructive capability, meaning neither side holds a decisive strategic advantage.
Rapprochement
The re-establishment of friendly relations between two countries or groups that were formerly in conflict
Realpolitik
Political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals.
Vietnamization
Nixon's policy of transferring combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces while withdrawing U.S. troops.