Aftermath of WWII and Beginning of the Cold War Flashcards

1
Q

What are two ways that the wartime experiences of the US and the Soviet Union were greatly different?

A

1) The US were capitalists and Societs was a Dictatorship
2) The US ended WWII with 40,000 people dead while the Soviets ended with over 2 million dead

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2
Q

What are 2 reasons why the Soviet Union distrusted the US after WWII?

A

1) The US refused to recognize the USSR until 1933
2) The US was the most powerful nation in the world

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3
Q

The Soviet Union established a series of Communist “satellite” nations in Europe following WWII. What is a “satellite” nation?What was his goal in creating them?

A

An independent nation under the control of the more powerful nation. To guarantee security for the Soviet UNion against potential future security threats from the West.

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4
Q

List some of these Communist “satellite nations:

A

Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany

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5
Q

What was the geographic problem faced by free West Berlin throughout the Cold War?

A

Berlin was located far within Russia’s East Germany.

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6
Q

This term refers to government by one or a few that exerts nearly total control over many aspects of people’s lives:

A

Communism

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7
Q

Who owns the means of production in Capitalism?

A

People

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8
Q

Who owns the means of production in Socialism/Communism?

A

Government

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9
Q

What political system goes along with Capitalism?

A

Democratic

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10
Q

What political system goes along with Socialism/Communism?

A

Totalitarian

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11
Q

Goals of Capitalism?

A

Peace and Prosperity

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12
Q

Goals of Socialism/Communism?

A

Protection from future attacks

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13
Q

Distribution of Wealth in Capitalism?

A

Every individual has to work for himself to create wealth

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14
Q

Distribution of Wealth in Socialism/Communism?

A

Wealth is distributed as per needs and ability

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15
Q

What was the term used by Winston Churchhill to describe the seperation between free Western Europe and Communist Eastern Europe?

A

Iron Curtain

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16
Q

Why did the Soviet Union choose not to hold free elections in the countries it occupied during WWII?

A
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17
Q

The idea that the US should supprt “free peoples who resist subjugation by outside pressures was known as the ________ Doctrine.

A

Truman Doctrine

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18
Q

Which two countries recieved aid from the ______ Doctrine?

A

Greece and Turkey

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19
Q

The US plan to provide economic aid to European nations following WWII was known as the _______ Plan.

A

Marshall Plan

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20
Q

The term for the primary US strategy during the beginning of the Cold War, that of using steady pressure to prevent the Soviet Union and Communism from expanding was known as?

A

Containment

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21
Q

Why did the Soviets want a “weak” and divided Germany following WWII?

A

So that it could not rise to its former strength to threaten European peace and security again

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22
Q

The military alliance formed by the Western free nations following WWII was known as:

A

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

23
Q

That military alliance’s Communist counterpart in Eastern Europe was the:

A

Warsaw Pact

24
Q

Where is the headquarters of the United Nations?

A

New York

25
Q

List five permanent countries on the UN Security Council

A

1) France
2) United KIngdom
3) United States
4) Russia
5) People’s Republic of China

26
Q

What is the Berlin Blockade?

A

The cutting off all land and river transit between West Berlin and West Germany

27
Q

How did the US supply West Berlin in 1948-1949 when the Soviets blocked road and railway transport to the city?

A

Airlifting food and fueal to Berlin from Alied airbases in Western Germany

28
Q

What precedent was set by the Nuremburg Trials?

A

all of humanity would be guarded by an international legal shield and that even a Head of State would be hel criminally responsible and unished for aggresion and Crimes Against Humanity

29
Q

Who was the US General in charge of the occupation of Japan?

A

Douglas MacArthur

30
Q

List three provisions of the new Japanese constitution put in place after WWII?

A

1) granted universal suffrage
2) stipulated a bill of rights
3) outlawed Japan’s right to make war.

31
Q

Describe the role of the Japanese emperor following WWII:

A

Emperor Hirohito renounced the divinity of the emperor and signed a new constitution drafted by the occupying US forces

32
Q

In the Korean War, North Korea supported by:

A

China

33
Q

South Korea was supported by the United Nations, most of whoose tropps were provided by?

A

United States

34
Q

What event began the Korean War?

A

North Korea breaking the 38th parallel and invading South Korea

35
Q

Describe MacArthur’s daring plan for turning the tide of the Korean war.

A

MacArther believed he had attack turn it in order to defeat North Korea against Truman’s orders

36
Q

President Truman fired General MacArthur during the Korean War for insubordination after MacArthur argued to:

A

push further north toward China

37
Q

How did the Korean War end?

A

A Stalemate at the 38th parallel

38
Q

Why is the Korean War reffered to sometimes as the forgotten war?

A

The war was never actually finished with a traditional winner and loser so it has been forgotten

39
Q

How did US foreign policy change under the Eisenhower Administration?

A

Eisenhower spent more money on nuclear weapons instead of troops

40
Q

Explain the strategy of “mutually assured destruction” (aka massive retalliation):

A

The threatening to use force in response to aggression

41
Q

What is a disadvantage of usng “massive retalliation” as a primary military strategy?

A

Both sides will be destroyed

42
Q

Describe the Hungarian uprising of 1956:

A

University students appealed to the civil populace to join them at the Hungarian Parliament Building to protest aganst the USSR’s geopolitical domination of Hungary

43
Q

What was the result of the Hungarian uprising?

A

Thousands were killed and wounded and nearly a quarter million Hungarians fled the country

44
Q

What was Sputnik?

A

The USSR’s first satellite to go to space

45
Q

Why did Sputnik panic Americans?

A

USSR beat America in the space race

46
Q

What governments did the CIA help overthrow during the Eisenhower Years to help “fight communism”?

A

Iran and Guatemala

47
Q

Describe the Suez Crisis?

A

The Egyptian Governmant seized control of the SUez Canal from Britan and France

48
Q

How did the Suex Crisis affect the Cold War tensions between the US and the USSR?

A

damaged their relationship with the United States and nearly brought the Soviet Union into the conflict

49
Q

Explain the Eisenhower Doctrine?

A

US foreign policy promising military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting communist aggression

50
Q

What are the “Duck and Cover” drills?

A

practice teaching children in schools how to protect thenmselves from a potential nuclear attack

51
Q

What was the purpose of the “Duck and Cover” drills?

A

So that if there was an attack everyone would be prepared

52
Q

What organization within the UN has the authority to punish aggressor nations?

A

The Security Council

53
Q

What was the U2 incident

A

An United States spy plane was shot down by soviet and the pilot was captured, Francis Gary Powers and the US didnt get him back until they traded a Soviet spy for him.