Yalta Conference: the meeting of US President Roosevelt, the British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet leader Stalin in February 1945, where they discussed Europe’s post-war reorganisation
satellite state: a state that is officially independent but is under heavy political, economic and military control of another country
Iron Curtain: political, military and ideological barrier created by the Soviet Union to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the West
Truman Doctrine: USA policy to stop Soviet expansion during the Cold War by supporting countries threatened by the Soviet Union
Cold War: state of political and military tension after World War II between the West (the USA and its NATO allies) and the East (the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies)
Marshall Plan: American aid programme to help rebuild European economies after World War II
Berlin Blockade: the blocking of all traffic to West Berlin by Stalin from 24th June 1948 to 12th May 1949
NATO: abbreviation of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; military alliance established in 1949
Warsaw Pact: military alliance of the USSR and its satellite states
Berlin Wall: barrier (1961-1989) constructed by East Germany, that completely cut off West Berlin
from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin