1.1 What was the Cold War? Flashcards
When was the formal surrender of Japan and Nazi Germany at the end of WW2
Japan: September 2 1945
Nazi Germany: May 8 1945
When is VE (Victory in Europe) Day
8 May
Cold War def
The term used to describe the tensions between the Soviet Union and West between the Second World War and 1991
USSR definition
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a ‘Soviet’ is a workers’ council
Superpower def
A country that has more power than others, either military or economic, with which it can dominate and control world events
Propaganda def
Information used to promote a particular point of view; it often uses exaggeration or outright lies
Cult of personality def
When a leader (such as Stalin) uses the media to grate an image of themselves that makes them almost god-like
Regime def
A government
Proxy war def
- An indirect war between the superpowers where the USA or USSR fund the other enemy
- eg Korea, Vietnam and Angola
How was America a superpower after the war?
- the American economy was still strong after the war
- its military was still powerful
- it was the only country to possess an atomic bomb
- larger skilled population
- large armed forces
- vast reserves of raw materials (coal, iron, oil)
Why was the USSR a superpower after the war
- because of its growing control over Eastern Europe
- and Stalin’s drive to modernise and develop an industrial nation
- large skilled population
- large armed forces
- vast reserves of raw materials (coal, iron, oil)
When was Stalin born and when did he die
after the Russian Revolution, he held a number of senior positions in government
Stalin’s early years
- began to train as a priest at 16
- early into training began to reject religion and interest himself in the writing of Lenin
- joined the Bolsheviks when they were formed in 1903
What did Stalin do after he joined the Bolsheviks?
after the Russian Revolution, he held a number of senior positions in government
When did Stalin become party leader
1924
What did Stalin do when he became party leader
- removed and executed rivals
- planned propaganda and created a cult of personality around the leader
- hid the realities of his brutal regime
How many people did Stalin murder during his time of absolute power?
- 20 million opponents
- millions of others were tortured or sent to Gulags (prison camps) in Siberia
What does USSR stand for?
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
What countries were in the USSR?
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan
Why did tensions emerge between the two sides after WW2?
- hated each other’s political systems: saw each other as clear threats to world peace
- stakes were raised the Soviets also developed nuclear weapons
How was the Cold War carried out?
- diplomacy
- a race to develop the best weapons
- proxy wars
Who were the allies of the Soviet Union?
Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany
