2 The features of the Cold War

Question 1

The features of the Cold War

Answer 1

1. buildup of armed forces (arms race)
2. massive growth of spying operations
3. propaganda inside and outside the two countries
4. the offers of economic and military aid to their “friends”

Question 2

the arms race

Answer 2

US alone had the tech + secrets -> atomic bomb -» military most powerful in world
cold war develop -> wanted to stay in first place (ahead of SU)

SU wanted to make country into a great power -> nuclear capability to compete with America

Postwar arms race begins -> both sides spend huge sums of money to develop effective ways of targeting each other -> knew missile attack on other country destroy their own (MAD, mutual assured destruction)
justified building of arms as way of deterring the enemy

Question 3

arms race development: 1945

Answer 3

US the only country with secret of making atomic bombs

Question 4

arms race development: 1949

Answer 4

USSR exploded first atomic bomb -> nuclear power

Question 5

arms race development: 1952

Answer 5

US made first hydrogen bomb

Question 6

arms race development: 1953

Answer 6

USSR caught up with US -> exploded first hydrogen bomb

Question 7

arms race development: 1957

Answer 7

USSR ahead in rocket development
ICBMs (inter-continental ballistic missiles) could be fired from thousands of miles away

Question 8

arms race development: 1958-1961

Answer 8

US developed more ICBMs and warheads -> both sides capable of direct attack on each other’s cities

Question 9

spying operations

Answer 9

from start of Cold War -> powers engaged in spying operations -> vital source of stolen information on each others actions and plans
two superpowers set up spy organisations:
US: CIA (central intelligence agency) by president truman in 1947 -> perform duties relating to intelligence affecting national security
USSR: KGB (committee of state security) in 1954 -> gather intelligence on foreign countries

both sides condemned each other’s spying actions -> worsened relations

Question 10

CIA

Answer 10

US central intelligence agency by president truman in 1947 -> perform duties relating to intelligence affecting national security

Question 11

KGB

Answer 11

USSR committee of state security in 1954 -> gather intelligence on foreign countries

Question 12

propaganda in the cold war

Answer 12

cold war -> war of words -> both sides made great use of propaganda to:
1. generate support for own political system
2. attack other political system

every form of media used (etc. radio, books, newspaper, posters, films, speeches

Question 13

economic and military cooperation in the cold war

Answer 13

during cold war -> economic + military coop developed in each bloc

West: cooperation:
1. launched Marshall plan
2. different organisations

East (European communist bloc):
1. COMECON (council for mutual economic assistance)
2. Warsaw Pact -> counterbalance influence of capitalist bloc

-> competition between capitalist and communist blocs

Question 14

Berlin Blockade date

Answer 14

23 june 1948

Question 15

Berlin Blockade

Answer 15

1948 june 23 -> SU cut all land routes linking Berlin + Western zones of Germany -> berlin blockade begins -> 2 and a half million people in west Berlin cut from vital supplies like food + fuel -> only enough food + fuel for 6 weeks
SU aim -> starve population -> force Western powers to withdraw from West Berlin

Question 16

Berlin Airlift

Answer 16

Britain + US decide to airlift massive supplies to West Berlin along 3 narrow air corridors june 1948 -> may 1949
-> tons of supplies etc food and fuel -> expensive + difficult to operate -> it worked -> west Berlin able to get supplies from western zones of Germany -> stalin dare not stop airlift by direct action -> fear shooting down plane -> us reaction + nuclear weapons -> blockade FAIL -> reopened land routes to West Berlin in May 1949

Question 17

Germany’s 4 occupation zones

Answer 17

1. soviet (east)
2. american
3. british
4. french
   berlin divided the same way

Question 18

results and significance of the Berlin Blockad

Answer 18

1. showed USSR the blockade could not force western Allies out of Berlin
2. revealed unity and determination of Allies in checking Soviet expansion

Su relations worsened over crisis -> reunification of Germany impossible -> three Western zones formed Federal Republic of Germany (west Germany) -> capital at East Berlin
1961 -> wall built to separate East + West Berlin -> German reunification did not come until 1990

Question 19

Berlin wall daters

Answer 19

1961

Question 20

The Berlin Wall

Answer 20

after Berlin Airlift-> berlin still divided
east Germany allowed not cross