8.2 Flashcards
The Cold War
Explain why the US and USSR were in a conflict.
They had opposing economic and political structures, both of which had the desire to expand and spread their influence globally.
US:
- Capitalist
- democratic
*free elections
USSR:
- communist
- authoritarian
*dominated by one political party, led by strong, tyrannical leader
Who were the countries in the Cold War?
USSR and the USA
Definition of capitalism
An economic system characterized by the private ownership of capital goods. Capital goods are goods used to make other goods, like machines and tools.
Definition of communism (as is played out historically in the USSR)
An economic system characterized by government ownership of capital goods, distributed to the people evenly.
Explain how the Cold War was fought without direct military action.
The USSR and the US made countries economically dependent on themselves.
US:
- Marshall Plan: provided 12 billion dollars in aid to Western European countries to rebuild their cities and infrastructure. USA was worried that their unstable economies after WWII would encourage them to adopt communism as a last resort.
*was part of the policy of containment
USSR:
- occupied Eastern European nations in the Soviet Bloc
*Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and more
- Stalin introduced 5-year plans in these countries
*collectivization, developed industry, outlawed political parties other than the communist party, shifted economies to serve the Soviet economy rather than the needs of their own people
These policies led to proxy wars between the US and USSR.
Explain the policy of containment
The US’ policy of containment was introduced by George Kennan, and was designed to limit the spread of communism. Later, Truman would establish the Truman Doctrine, which offered aid to any country threatened by the spread of communism. The Truman Doctrine was especially aimed towards Greece and Turkey, who were at the time on the brink of adopting communism.
These policies instigated proxy wars between the US and USSR.
How did the US and the USSR compete during the Cold War?
Arms race: the race to build more destructive bombs
-1945: US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-1947: USSR tests their first atomic bombs, more powerful than US’ bombs
-Early 1950s: both USA and USSR develop hydrogen bombs (about 1,000 times more powerful than atomic bombs)
-1959: USSR develops intercontinental ballistic missile with the capability of sending nukes to mainland USA
These weapons were never used because of both countries’ understanding of MAD.
Space race:
-1957: USSR put the first satellite in space, called Sputnik
-1958: US launches their own satellite into space
-1961: USSR sends the first man ever into space, named Yuri Gagarin
-1961: One month after the USSR, the US sends the second man into space, Alan Shepard
-1969: the peak of the space race - the US lands a capsule with men on the moon and essentially claim it
What is MAD?
Mutually Assured Destruction
The realization that if one country sends nukes to another who is also armed with nukes or defended by a country with nukes, it would essentially mean the obliteration of both countries, and no one would emerge victorious.
It is the realization that kept the USA and the USSR in check and out of direct military conflict during the Cold War.
Explain the significance of the dominance of the Cold War on the global stage, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Cold War resulted in it being exceedingly difficult for smaller countries to not be influenced by either the US or the USSR, or to not be involved in the war at all. This resulted in the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Non-Aligned Movement was founded in 1961 as a movement that represented the interests of developing nations in Africa and Asia that didn’t want anything to have to do with the Cold War. Many of these nations were emerging out of colonial rule and wanted no ties with the world’s superpowers.
Leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement include:
- Kwame Nkrumah from Ghana
*led Ghana to independence from Great Britain
*created the Organization of African Unity, which advocated for the unification of all Africans regardless of their country of origin
- Sukarno from Indonesia
*was the first president of Indonesia
*organized the Bandung Conference in 1955, which was the origin of the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961
Explain the significance of the Bandung Conference.
The Bandung Conference took place in 1955 and was organized by Sukarno from Indonesia. It was responsible for the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement of 1961.
