Chapter 7 - The Cold War

Question 1

What period does post-WWII international relations cover, and which two superpowers were involved?

Answer 1

From 1945 to the early 1990s, involving the US and USSR.

Question 2

Describe the nature of the conflict between the US and USSR during the post-WWII period.

Answer 2

An all-out economic, political, and social power struggle affecting almost every aspect of foreign policy globally.

Question 3

What ideologies were in conflict during the Cold War?

Answer 3

Communism vs. Liberalism (Capitalism/democracy)

Question 4

What is a Cold War?

Answer 4

A state where combatting countries never actually declare war against one another.

Question 5

Why was a “Hot War” avoided during the Cold War?

Answer 5

To prevent the possibility of a nuclear war.

Question 6

What methods were used by superpowers during the Cold War instead of direct military engagement?

Answer 6

Propaganda, military alliances, threats/brinkmanship, proxy wars, politics, and economics.

Question 7

When and how did WWII lead to the start of the Cold War?

Answer 7

The Cold War began as WWII was ending and political lines in Europe were being redrawn around 1945.

Question 8

Who were the main leaders responsible for the post-WWII reorganization of Europe?

Answer 8

Roosevelt (US), Churchill (Britain), and Stalin (USSR).

Question 9

What were the main points of disagreement among the Allies at Yalta Conference 1945?

Answer 9

The future of Germany, reparations, and creating a buffer state in Poland.

Question 10

What is the significance of the term “Iron Curtain”?

Answer 10

It represents the division in Europe between self-governing Western countries and Eastern European countries under Soviet control.

Question 11

Define ‘Containment’ as it was applied during the Cold War.

Answer 11

A strategy to prevent a nation’s expansionism through means other than direct warfare, like the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan for the USA.

Question 12

What were NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and why were they formed?

Answer 12

NATO, formed in 1949, was a defensive alliance against Soviet expansion. The Warsaw Pact, formed in 1955, was a defensive treaty among the USSR and its satellites.

Question 13

What triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis according to the notes?

Answer 13

Brinkmanship by the superpowers, particularly the USSR’s placement of missiles in Cuba and the US’s naval blockade.

Question 14

What was ‘Détente’, and what period did it cover?

Answer 14

Détente was a period of reduced tensions between the superpowers from the late 1960s to 1979.

Question 15

Describe the outcome and historical significance of the Vietnam War.

Answer 15

It ended in 1975 with North Vietnamese forces capturing Saigon, leading to the unification of Vietnam under communist rule.

Question 16

What did Stalin seek at the Yalta Conference, and how did his views differ from Roosevelt and Churchill?

Answer 16

Stalin wanted reparations to weaken Germany and create a strong Poland as a buffer state, which differed from Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s plans.

Question 17

Explain the significance of the Potsdam Conference held in July 1945.

Answer 17

The conference discussed peace settlements, German disarmament and demilitarization, and steps to promote democracy in Germany.

Question 18

Describe the goals of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine under the containment strategy.

Answer 18

To provide economic aid to rebuild European economies and prevent communist expansion.

Question 19

What was the purpose of the Warsaw Pact and which countries were involved?

Answer 19

To provide mutual defense among the USSR and its satellite states, formed in response to NATO.

Question 20

Explain the role of NORAD during the Cold War.

Answer 20

To provide aerospace defense for North America, including early warnings and missile defenses.

Question 21

What were the strategic implications of the Vietnam War for the US and USSR?

Answer 21

The war was a pivotal part of the US containment strategy to prevent communist expansion in Southeast Asia, with the USSR supporting North Vietnam.

Question 22

Discuss the impact of the Korean War on international relations during the Cold War.

Answer 22

It reinforced the division between North and South Korea, involved UN forces led by the US, and exemplified the global reach of the Cold War.

Question 23

What led to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and what were its consequences?

Answer 23

The Soviets invaded to support a pro-Soviet regime, leading to a costly conflict that contributed to the Soviet Union’s eventual collapse.

Question 24

What was the significance of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I and II)?

Answer 24

These were agreements between the US and USSR to limit the number of nuclear weapons, aiming to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Question 25

Define ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’ (MAD).

Answer 25

A doctrine of military strategy where full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.

Question 26

How did the Cold War influence American society and culture in the 1940s to 1960s?

Answer 26

It led to the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and a culture of fear and paranoia about communism infiltrating American society.

Question 27

What is the Red Scare?

Answer 27

The Red Scare refers to the intense fear of communism in the United States, marked by two major periods of paranoia and suspicion. The first wave occurred in the 1940s after World War I, and the second wave in the late 1950s, fueled by Soviet espionage, the rise of Communism in China, and the USSR’s testing of an atomic weapon.

Question 28

What is McCarthyism?

Answer 28

McCarthyism is an anti-communist movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy during the early 1950s in the United States. It involved aggressive investigations and accusations aimed at exposing supposed communist infiltration of various parts of the U.S. government and other sectors.

Question 29

What is the Marshall Plan?

Answer 29

The Marshall Plan, officially known as the European Recovery Program, was an American initiative passed in 1948 to aid Western Europe. The United States transferred over $12 billion to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II, aiming to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism.

Question 30

What is the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 30

The Truman Doctrine was a policy set forth by U.S. President Harry S. Truman in 1947, stating that the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. It primarily aimed at containing the spread of communism.

Question 31

What is the Warsaw Pact?

Answer 31

The Warsaw Pact, formed in 1955, was a collective defense treaty among the Soviet Union and seven Soviet satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was established in response to the formation of NATO and served as a military alliance for these communist countries.

Question 32

What is Communism?

Answer 32

Communism is a socio-economic political ideology that advocates for a classless society in which all property and resources are communally owned, without private ownership. It was a central ideology to the Soviet Union and opposed to the capitalist democratic ideologies of the Western countries during the Cold War.