2.2 Cold War crises and confrontations 1961-90 Flashcards
what was the Berlin Wall?
- a barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating East Berlin from West Berlin
- the wall was erected by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) as a way to prevent defections and emigration from East to West
- it was also to test Kennedy and get him to withdraw troops from West Berlin
when was the Berlin Wall?
13 August 1961 - 9 November 1989
when was the cuban missile crisis?
1962
when was the bay of pigs invasion?
1961
what happened at the bay of pigs?
- Kennedy authorised a CIA-backed plan to help 1,400 Cuban exiles land in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba and overthrow him
- the plan was a disaster and only strengthened Castro’s hold on Cuba
- it also seemed to justify Khrushchev’s actions because it seemed Cuba did need protection from a possible US invasion
what was the cuban missile crisis?
- in October 1962, the USSR placed its own nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba and had been sending equipment there
- this significantly increased the nuclear anxiety in the USA so Kennedy ordered a naval blockade (Kennedy sent US warships to intercept the Soviet ships carrying the missiles)
- an incredibly tense period of 13 days followed but then Khrushchev backed down
what was the impact of the cuban missile crisis for Khrushchev?
- Khrushchev managed to keep Cuba communist and win a promise from the USA that Cuba would not be invaded
- he also managed to cause tensions between the USA and its allies, particularly Britain
- However, Khrushchev had been forced to back down about the missiles and the missile gap between the USA and USSR never narrowed
what was the impact of the cuban missile crisis for Castro?
- he was very upset by the deal Khrushchev made with the USA, but he had little choice
- Cuba stayed communist and highly armed, the nuclear missiles were removed but Cuba remained an important base for communist supporters in South America
- he also kept control of the American companies and other economic resources he nationalised during his revolution
what was the impact of the cuban missile crisis for Kennedy?
- Kennedy came out of the crisis well, he made Khrushchev back down and he also stood up to the ‘Hawks’ in his own government
- however, he had not managed to oust Castro and he removed US missiles from Turkey, although this part of the deal was kept secret
how did the cuban missile crisis improve international relations?
- a permanent hotline telephone link was set up between the White House and the Kremlin
- In 1963, they signed a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, it did not stop the development of weapons but limited tests
when was the Vietnam war?
1954-75
outline the events of the Vietnam war
- Vietnam was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam
- USA supported the South even though it was ruled by a corrupt and unpopular regime
- North Vietnam used a mix of conventional and guerrilla warfare against the south
- the USA poured in more and more support and eventually sent its own troops as well
- the USA effectively withdraw its forces in 1972 and South Vietnam fell in 1975
why did the USA withdraw its forces from Vietnam?
they became bogged down in a long and costly war that they were never able to win
what was the Viet Minh?
a strong anti-Japanese resistance movement that emerged under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh
who was Ho Chi Minh?
- leader of the Viet Minh
- he wanted freedom and independence for Vietnam
- he inspired the Vietnamese people to fight the Japanese
