8.3 Flashcards
Effects of the Cold War
What were the three main effects of the cold war?
- new military alliances
- proxy wars
- proliferation of nuclear weapons
Explain the formation of new military alliances as a result of the Cold War.
- Western nations responded to the expansion of communism throughout the Soviet Bloc by forming NATO, a mutual military alliance against the Soviets and communism
- USSR created the Warsaw Pact, designed to strengthen the presence of communism in Eastern Europe
What is NATO?
NATO is a mutual military alliance formed against the USSR during the Cold War in response to the establishment of communism in the Soviet Bloc. It was formed in 1949, and included Luxembourg, USA, Great Britain, Canada, France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands.
What is the Warsaw Pact?
It is a pro-communism military alliance created in 1955 between the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Albania, and Bulgaria
What are some examples of proxy wars during the Cold War?
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Angolan Civil War (1975-2002)
- Contra War in Nicaragua (started 1979)
What are proxy wars?
Local wars that developed global significance as the US and USSR took sides
Explain the Korean War.
The Korean War was a proxy war from 1950-1953. After WWII, Korea was divided into north (Soviet occupied) and south (US/UN occupied)
- 1950: North invaded south in an attempt to create a single communist state. UN (mostly the US) aided South Korea, USSR supplied guns and artillery to North Korea.
- UN pushed Soviets to Chinese border, which made the Chinese worry that the UN would invade China. China sent troops to aid North Korea, and pushed back successfully
- Conflict ended in a stalemate in 1953, with country lines drawn similarly to where they were prior to the war
Explain the Angolan Civil War.
The Angolan Civil War was a proxy war from 1975 to 2002.
Angola was a Portuguese colony, and borders had been drawn that united rival groups under single local governments.
- groups fought colonial government and won independence in 1975, then rivaled each other for political power of the now independent Angola
- South Africa supported one group
- US supported another
- USSR supported another
Explain the Contra War.
The Contra War was a proxy war in Nicaragua beginning in 1979.
- 1979: Sandinista National Liberation Front (outspoken socialists) seized political power
- in response, the US supported a group of rebels called contras who attempted to overthrow the Sandinistas, who were supported by the USSR
- Contras violated human rights in their coup attempts
- Conflict ended with ceasefire, but the Sandinistas were defeated in the following election
What treaty was created as the result of nuclear proliferation?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968, which encouraged nuclear countries to prevent non-nuclear nations from developing nuclear weaponry and capabilities due to its destructiveness.
Explain the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 1962 conflict resulting from nuclear proliferation.
- the US unsuccessfully attempted to get rid of Cuba’s communist leader, Fidel Castro
- USSR leader Nikita Khrushchev sent nuclear missiles to Cuba to deter US from invading, which was discovered by US spy planes in 1962
*SIDE NOTE: US did the equivalent, by sending Turkey, who bordered Russia, nuclear missiles before this entire conflict happened
- Kennedy ordered a naval blockade to surround Cuba, led to extreme tension and fear for 13 days, until the US and the USSR compromised
- the compromise was that the US wouldn’t invade Cuba, and the USSR would retract their nuclear weapons from Cuba
