Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

History - state exam > 10. Cold War > Flashcards

10. Cold War Flashcards

1
Q

MAD

A

The threat of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) created fear. This theory assumed that each superpower had enough nuclear weaponry to destroy the other. If one superpower attempted a first strike on the other, they themselves would also be destroyed.
Nuclear Arms Race: MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) policy develops as both nations stockpile nukes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

National Security Act

A

1947
Creation of Key Institutions: This act reorganized U.S. military and intelligence agencies to better coordinate efforts against perceived Soviet threats. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was established to conduct covert operations and gather intelligence globally. The National Security Council (NSC) was created to advise the president on national security matters.
Significance: These institutions became central to U.S. Cold War strategy, conducting covert operations and shaping foreign policy in ways that often had long-lasting global impacts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

NSC-68 (1950)

A

o Policy Shift: Advocated for massive military buildup to counter the Soviet threat, globalizing the Cold War.
o This top-secret policy paper outlined a shift from containment through economic and political means to containment through overwhelming military power. It recommended a significant increase in military spending to build up U.S. forces and prepare for potential direct conflicts with the Soviet Union.
o NSC-68 globalized the Cold War, making it clear that the U.S. was prepared to confront communism not just in Europe but anywhere in the world, including Asia and the developing world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

U.S. intervention against Bolsheviks in Russia.

A

1918-1920

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

U.S. officially recognizes the USSR.

A

1933

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

A

1939: Soviet Union signs non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact), also invades Poland and Finland.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Manhattan Project

A

The Manhattan Project was an unprecedented, top-secret World War II government program in which the United States rushed to develop and deploy the world’s first atomic weapons before Nazi Germany.
1942-1946

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Trinity Test

A

July 16, 1945: The Trinity Test, first nuclear weapon test by the U.S.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

A

1945: Yalta and Potsdam Conferences between Allied powers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Stalin’s speech and its significance

A

February 9, 1946: Stalin gives a speech emphasizing ideological struggle against the West.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

“Long Telegram”

A

Kennan’s Long Telegram spurred intellectual policy debate that formed the basis of American policy towards the Soviet Union for the next 25 years, including the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.
February 22, 1946: George F. Kennan sends the “Long Telegram” outlining containment policy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Truman Doctrine speech

A

March 12, 1947: President Truman delivers the Truman Doctrine speech, pledging support to Greece and Turkey.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Marshall Plan

A

June 5, 1947 - December 31, 1951: The Marshall Plan provides economic aid for European recovery.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

National Security Act

A

1947: National Security Act creates the CIA and National Security Council.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Berlin Blockade and Airlift.

A

1948-1949.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

NATO formed

A

1949: NATO formed as a Western military alliance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb

A

1949: Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb, ending the American nuclear monopoly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

NSC-68

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Korean War.

A

1950-53

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

McCarthyism and the “Red Scare” in the United States.

A

1950s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Brown v. Board of Education

A

May 17, 1954: Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court.
In this milestone decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Vietnam War begins

A

1955

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Montgomery bus boycott ends

A

December 20, 1956: The Montgomery bus boycott ends after 381 days with the desegregation of the city’s bus system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott

A

December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat in Montgomery.
December 2, 1955: Local Montgomery leaders meet to discuss a planned boycott of the Montgomery bus system.
December 20, 1956: The Montgomery bus boycott ends after 381 days with the desegregation of the city’s bus system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

launch of the Sputnik

A

Sputnik, any of a series of three artificial Earth satellites, the first of whose launch by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, inaugurated the space age. Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite launched.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Bay of Pigs Invasion.

A

1961

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Construction of the Berlin Wall.

A

1961

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Cuban Missile Crisis.

A

1962

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime is overthrown

A

November 1, 1963: Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime is overthrown by a coup, supported by the US.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Gulf of Tonkin incident and consequences

A

August 2, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin incident.
August 7, 1964: U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
March 2, 1965: Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign of North Vietnam begins.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Voting Rights Act passed

A

August 6, 1965

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Thurgood Marshall

A

1967: Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American Justice of the Supreme Court.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Six-Day War

A

1967: Six-Day War in the Middle East.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Tet Offensive

A

In late January, 1968, during the lunar new year (or “Tet”) holiday, North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against a number of targets in South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses before finally repelling the communist assault.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Operation Rolling Thunder

A

Operation Rolling Thunder was a frequently interrupted bombing campaign that began on 24 February 1965 and lasted until the end of October 1968. During this period U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft engaged in a bombing campaign designed to force Ho Chi Minh to abandon his ambition to take over South Vietnam.
March 31, 1968: Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign of North Vietnam is suspended.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Vietnamization

A

Vietnamization was a failed policy of the Richard Nixon administration to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War through a program to “expand, equip, and train South Vietnamese forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S. combat troops”.
1969

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

President Nixon authorizes secret bombing of Cambodia.

A

March 18, 1969.

38
Q

Détente era.

A

1969-1979.
The term is often used to refer to a period of general easing of geopolitical tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. Détente began in 1969 as a core element of the foreign policy of U.S. president Richard Nixon.

39
Q

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and its repeal

A

On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia.
January 13, 1971: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is repealed.

40
Q

Nixon visits China.

A

1972

41
Q

SALT I treaty is signed.

A

1972
* Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I, 1972): These were negotiations between the U.S. and the USSR aimed at curbing the nuclear arms race. SALT I resulted in the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and an agreement to freeze the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched missiles. This was an early sign that the superpowers were willing to reduce the risk of nuclear war, albeit in a limited manner.

42
Q

“Christmas Bombings”

A

December 18, 1972: “Christmas Bombings” begin in North Vietnam.

43
Q

Paris Peace Accords

A

January 27, 1973: Paris Peace Accords signed, ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

44
Q

Yom Kippur War and Arab Oil Embargo.

A

1973

45
Q

Helsinki Accords signed

A

1975
U.S. and USSR agreed on human rights and territorial integrity.
* In 1975, the U.S., USSR, and 33 other nations signed the Helsinki Accords, which aimed to improve relations between the Eastern and Western blocs. The agreement focused on three key areas: security in Europe, economic cooperation, and human rights.
* The Accords were significant in that they resulted in mutual recognition of European borders, but they also included provisions on human rights. The U.S. and its allies pushed the Soviets to commit to greater respect for human rights, including freedoms of speech, religion, and movement. While these provisions were not legally binding, they provided a foundation for future dissident movements within the Eastern Bloc, and the Soviet Union’s failure to fully honor these agreements would later contribute to its downfall.

46
Q

SALT II treaty is signed but not ratified

A

1979
* SALT II (1979): SALT II expanded on the framework of SALT I by setting limits on the number of nuclear warheads each side could deploy. While both sides signed the treaty, it never went into full effect because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, which derailed U.S. trust in the USSR. The treaty nonetheless symbolized efforts to stabilize superpower relations during the height of the Cold War.

47
Q

Carter Doctrine is announced.

A

o Carter Doctrine (1980): U.S. commitment to protect Persian Gulf interests post-Iranian Revolution.
* The Carter Doctrine was a direct response to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which had overthrown the U.S.-backed Shah and led to the establishment of an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. The revolution destabilized the Middle East and threatened U.S. access to vital oil supplies from the Persian Gulf.
* President Jimmy Carter declared that any attempt by an external force to gain control of the Persian Gulf would be met with U.S. military intervention. This doctrine underscored the geopolitical importance of oil and marked the U.S.’s increased military and diplomatic involvement in the region. The U.S. also began to build alliances with countries like Saudi Arabia to secure access to oil and prevent Soviet influence in the region. The situation set the stage for the U.S. involvement in the 1980s, especially in Afghanistan and the broader Middle East.

48
Q

Mikhail Gorbachev introduces Glasnost and Perestroika.

A

1985
* Glasnost (“openness”) called for greater transparency in government, including more freedom of speech and press.
* Perestroika (“restructuring”) aimed to reform the economy by decentralizing decision-making and allowing for some market mechanisms within the Soviet system.

49
Q

Reagan’s military buildup

A

1980s: Reagan’s military buildup, including the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

50
Q

INF Treaty

A

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was signed by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. It banned missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km (310-3,400 miles).
1987: INF Treaty is signed.

51
Q

Fall of the Berlin Wall.

A

1989

52
Q

Dissolution of the Soviet Union, end of the Cold War.

A

1991

53
Q

George F. Kennan:

A

American diplomat stationed in Moscow, author of the “Long Telegram,” considered the father of the containment policy. Believed Soviet foreign policy was driven by communist ideology and Tsarist expansionism.

54
Q

George C. Marshall:

A

U.S. Secretary of State; responsible for the Marshall Plan, which aimed to rebuild Europe to prevent communist influence.

55
Q

Harry S. Truman:

A

U.S. President who implemented the Truman Doctrine, initiated the policy of containment, and oversaw the beginning of the Cold War.

56
Q

Dwight D. Eisenhower:

A

U.S. President during the 1950s, oversaw early Cold War conflicts and the expansion of American involvement in the Vietnam conflict, supported a gradual approach to desegregation.

57
Q

Lyndon B. Johnson

A

U.S. President who escalated the Vietnam War after the Gulf of Tonkin incident; oversaw the passage of significant civil rights legislation.

58
Q

William Westmoreland:

A

Commander of United States Military Operations in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968, Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.

59
Q

Robert McNamara:

A

U.S. Secretary of Defense under Johnson; admitted the ineffectiveness of the bombing campaign in Vietnam.

60
Q

Melvin Laird:

A

Secretary of Defense under Nixon; introduced the term “Vietnamization”.

61
Q

Richard Nixon

A

U.S. President who pursued Détente with China and the Soviet Union, and implemented “Vietnamization” in Vietnam.

62
Q

Henry Kissinger

A

U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford; instrumental in negotiating the end of the Vietnam War.

63
Q

Jimmy Carter

A

U.S. President who established the Carter Doctrine, focusing on U.S. interest in the Persian Gulf.

64
Q

Ronald Reagan:

A

U.S. President who adopted a hardline stance against the Soviet Union, increasing military spending and supporting anti-communist insurgencies.
Even called the SU an evil empire.

65
Q

Thurgood Marshall:

A

NAACP lawyer who argued against school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, later the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court.

66
Q

What was the significance of Nixon’s visit to China in 1972?

A

Nixon’s visit to China marked the beginning of normalized relations between the U.S. and China, which strategically weakened the Soviet Union by creating a division within the communist world. The visit also laid the groundwork for future cooperation and economic ties, setting the stage for China’s economic rise.

67
Q

Describe the main goals of the SALT I and SALT II talks.

A

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I and II) aimed to limit the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the USSR. SALT I focused on limiting intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), while SALT II expanded on this to include limits on the number of deployed nuclear warheads.

68
Q

What were the key areas addressed in the Helsinki Accords of 1975, and what made them significant?

A

The Helsinki Accords of 1975 addressed security in Europe, economic cooperation, and human rights. Its significance lies in the mutual recognition of European borders and the inclusion of human rights provisions, which later supported dissident movements in the Eastern Bloc.

69
Q

What prompted the Carter Doctrine, and what did it entail?

A

The Carter Doctrine was prompted by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the threat it posed to U.S. access to oil in the Persian Gulf. It declared that the U.S. would use military force if any external power attempted to control the region.

70
Q

How did Reagan’s military buildup, including the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), affect the Cold War?

A

Reagan’s military buildup increased U.S. military spending and contributed to an escalation of the arms race. The Strategic Defense Initiative, or “Star Wars,” though not fully realized, created a sense of technological competition and pressured the USSR to keep up.

71
Q

Explain the main goals of Gorbachev’s policies of Glasnost and Perestroika.

A

Gorbachev’s policies of Glasnost and Perestroika aimed to introduce political openness and economic restructuring within the USSR. Glasnost increased transparency and freedom of expression, while Perestroika reformed the Soviet economy, introducing some market mechanisms.

72
Q

What was the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?

A

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the end of the Cold War, marking the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. It led to the end of Soviet influence in the region and the eventual dissolution of the USSR.

73
Q

How did the Cold War influence the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?

A

The Cold War highlighted U.S. racial inequalities by promoting itself as the “land of the free” in opposition to Soviet authoritarianism. This international context amplified domestic pressure to address civil rights and led to significant legislative victories.

74
Q

What was the “Domino Theory,” and how did it influence U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War?

A

The Domino Theory posited that if one country in a region fell to communism, neighboring countries would soon follow. This fear justified U.S. intervention in conflicts such as the Vietnam War to prevent the spread of communist influence in Asia.

75
Q

What was the “Red Scare,” and how did it impact American society?

A

The Red Scare was a period of intense anti-communist hysteria in the United States, led by figures like Senator Joseph McCarthy. It resulted in aggressive investigations, blacklisting, and violations of civil liberties against alleged communists in government and society.

76
Q

Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty:

A

A 1972 treaty between the U.S. and USSR limiting the deployment of missile defense systems.

77
Q

Carter Doctrine:

A

A U.S. policy (1980) stating that any attempt by an external force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region would be met with U.S. military intervention.

78
Q

Civil Rights Act of 1964:

A

Landmark U.S. legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

79
Q

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty:

A

A 1987 agreement between the U.S. and USSR that eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons from Europe.

80
Q

Iron Curtain:

A

A term used by Winston Churchill to describe the ideological and physical division of Europe during the Cold War.

81
Q

Leninist International Communism:

A

An ideology focused on global proletarian revolution, state control of the economy, and collective justice.

82
Q

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A

A doctrine based on the idea that the use of nuclear weapons by one country would result in the destruction of both sides.

83
Q

National Security Council (NSC)

A

A U.S. government body that advises the president on national security issues.

84
Q

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization):

A

A military alliance of Western nations formed in 1949.

85
Q

NSC-68:

A

A 1950 top-secret policy paper advocating for a massive U.S. military buildup to counter the Soviet threat.

86
Q

Operation Rolling Thunder:

A

A sustained strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam from March 1965 until March 1968.

87
Q

Paris Peace Accord:

A

A 1973 peace agreement ending the Vietnam War.

88
Q

Sino-Soviet Split

A

The deterioration of political and ideological relations between China and the USSR in the 1960s.

89
Q

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI):

A

A U.S. missile defense system proposed by President Reagan, often called “Star Wars.”

90
Q

Truman Doctrine:

A

A 1947 U.S. policy of providing military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, particularly Greece and Turkey.

History - state exam (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions