Cold/Korean/Vietnam Wars Test Flashcards
1
Q
what was the Cold War?
A
- lasted from 1945 to early 1990s
- a conflict and period of distrust and tension between Soviet Union and United States
2
Q
what happened during the yalta conference?
A
- Big 3 met, goals set
1. provide world peace
2. provide emergency relief for relief
3. help from interim governments based on the will of Europe
3
Q
what we’re the outcomes if the yalta conference goals?
A
- split into 4 parts controlled by allies (zones of occupation)
- pay damages to USSR
- Eastern European countries could have free elections
4
Q
after ww2, nations around the world gathered and did what?
A
- formed the UN
- formed by US, Soviet Union, and Great Britain
- voluntary organization dedicated to finding peaceful ways to end conflict
- based in New York
5
Q
what was the security council?
A
- has power to investigate and settle disputers
- 5 permanent members: US, Soviets, Britain, France, and China
- 10 non permanent members elected for two year terms
6
Q
what we’re the goals of the us for the Cold War?
A
- democracy
- gain access to raw materials/markets for industry
- rebuild European governments to promote stability
- reunite Germany to stabilize it and increase security in Europe
7
Q
what we’re the goals of the Soviet Union during the Cold War?
A
- communism
- rebuild soviet economy using eastern europes raw materials/equipment
- control Eastern Europe to protect soviet borders
- keep Germany divided to prevent another war
8
Q
what happened soon after the creation of the UN?
A
Soviet Union installed communist governments all around Europe
9
Q
what happened to our allies in ww2 in the Cold War?
A
they became our enemies
10
Q
how was Germany split?
A
- east Germany- zone held by USSR(communist)
- west Germany- zone held by allies(democratic)
- Germany’s Capitol, Berlin, was also split (Berlin Wall)
11
Q
what was the iron curtain?
A
division of democratic west Europe between a communist Eastern Europe
12
Q
describe the Berlin airlift
A
- soviets cut off highway, water, rail-traffic, and electricity off to secure West Berlin
- Stalin thought allies would surrender
- planes landed every 3 minutes in Berlin to drop off gifts and supplies
- allies bright 2.3 million tons of gifts to Berlin
13
Q
what was NATO?
A
- North Atlantic treaty organization
- ten Western European nations, US, and Canada
14
Q
what was the Warsaw Pact?
A
-made up of Soviet Union and Eastern Europe communist countries
15
Q
describe the Berlin Wall construction
A
a barbed wire border was constructed in 1962 to prevent east and west Berliners from traveling back and forth
16
Q
what was the red scare?
A
fear of foreign communists influencing society or involved in the federal government
17
Q
describe McCarthyism
A
- most famous examples include the speeches, investigations, and hearings of senator McCarthy
- thousands of Americans we’re accused of being communists or communist sympathizers and were investigated and questioned by government or private industry commitees, like House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)
18
Q
what types of people were targets of McCarthyism?
A
- government employees, those in entertainment (Hollywood blacklist), educators, and union activists
- many suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and imprisonment
- most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned
19
Q
what is McCarthyism?
A
the practice if making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard or evidence
20
Q
what was the arms race?
A
competition between US and Soviet Union to develop more destructive weapons
21
Q
what were some new weapons/technology in the Cold War?
A
- hydrogen bomb
- ballistic missiles
- spy planes
22
Q
what is Sputnik?
A
- worlds largest artificial sattelite
- launched by Russia
- launch of Sputnik set off space race
23
Q
describe the the US involvement in the space race
A
- creates NASA
- launches Explorer 1 (first US sattelite)
24
Q
how did Americans prepare for a nuclear war?
A
- practice drills for nuclear bomb (DUCK AND COVER!!!)
- build fall-out shelters
25
describe the Cuban missile crisis
-1959- Fidel Castro overthrows Cuban gov and announces adoption of communism
-US cuts off all trade with Cuba
-1961- US launches invasion of the bay of pigs
-attempt to overthrow Castro failed
1962- soviets began building missiles aimed at US
October 1962- president JFK demanded soviets to remove missiles
-US and Soviets on brink of a nuclear war
26
what was brinkmanship?
- showing willingness to engage in war, on the brink of war
- Soviet Union agreed to remove missiles
- US agrees to leave Cuba alone
27
what is "war by proxy"?
- opposing powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly
- used in..Korean + Vietnam Wars, and the Cuban missile crisis
28
describe the occupation of North Korea before the Korean War began
- in 1945, Korea was occupied by soviets in the north and Americans in the south
- line that was chosen to separated was the same one japan and Russia had used
- called 38th parallel
29
why was Kim il Sung important?
- early 1946- soviets chose him to lead the provisional government
- named the premier of the democratic peoples Republic of Korea
30
what happened under Kim's rule? (NK)
- over 2 million acres of land we're redistributed in a month
- women we're guaranteed equality under law
- political action groups formed to educate population
- North Korea became economically stronger
31
what happened on the brink of the Korean War?
- president syngman rheel (South Korea) started brutal campaign against suspected communists
- Kim (North Korea) turned to Stalin for support
- Stalin advised him to get support from nlao zedong
32
what were the causes of the Korean War in the US?
- Truman wanted to show off power and wealth
- Domino effect- belief that if one country fell to communism, rest would follow
- Truman doctoring stated that the USA would lend aid to any country not wishing to be suppressed by communism
33
what were the causes of war for the Soviet Union?
1. Stalin wanted to prove strength after Berlin airlift
| 2. Stalin encouraged spread of communism as long as it did not result in war with US
34
what did Douglas MacArthur do when North Korea invaded South Korea?
-effectively cut the North Korean army in half and pushed them out
35
describe MASH units
- Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals
- designed to get experienced personnel to the front
- if a person could reach a MASH unit, they stood a 97% of survival
- increased survival rate by 80%
36
describe how china enters the Korean War
- UN forces cross 38th parallel and approach Yalu river and border of china
- Mao Zedong did not tolerate foreign forces on Chinese border
- Chinese send 180,000 of people's volunteer army and pushed UN forces out
37
describe the Korean War armistice
- July 27, 1953
- end warfare in Korea until a permanent peace is achieved
- provided stop of open hostiles, fixed demarcation line with 2.4 mile buffer zone- the demilitarization zone
- Korea is still split
38
describe the impact of French indochina on the Vietnam war
- Vietnam was apart of French colony (Cambodia and Laos)
- France grew economically but Vietnam suffered greatly
- Vietnamese people wanted independence
39
who is Ho Chi Minh?
- revolutionary communist leader
- called for independence in Vietnam
- organized protests against French rule
40
what was the viet Minh?
- communist organization
- formed during ww2
- purpose was to make Vietnam independent of all foreign rule
- led by ho chi Minh
- August 1945- Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam
- France soon tried to regain control if Vietnam
- 1946- war broke out between the Vietminh and France
41
describe how the us enters Vietnam war conflicts
- containment policy
- domino theory
- US needs French to help opposing Soviet Union in Europe
- 1950- US have $10 million in military aid to France
42
what were the Geneva accords?
- may 1954
- held in Geneva, Switzerland
- divided Vietnam along 12th parallel
- DMZ surrounded border
- meant to be temporary (2 years-1956)
- north and south would hold elections for a single government
- reunite the country
43
how was Vietnam divided?
- north Vietnam- communist, led by Ho Chi Minh
| - south Vietnam- anti communist, led by Ngo dinh diem
44
what happened when it came time for the national election in Vietnam?
1956- diem refused to hold national election
- he had little support from south Vietnamese
- he knew he was going to lose
45
who was viet cong?
- Vietnamese communist in south Vietnam
| - fought to overthrow government and unite country under communism
46
describe the Ho Chi Minh trial
- viet cong supported Ho chi Minh and north Vietnamese people
- created network of paths used to move solider sand supplies to viet cong
- went through parts of Laos and Cambodia
47
how does the diem government fail?
- opposition to diem grows
- military overthrows and assassinates diem
- south Vietnamese go into chaos
- by late 1964, Vietcong and Vietminh control much of south Vietnam
48
describe the conflict at the gulf of Tonkin
- August 2-4, 1964
- north Vietnamese attacked USS Maddox patrolling the gulf of Tonkin
- gulf of Tonkin is considered international waters
- congress passes the gulf of Tonkin resolution, which allows the president power to use military force in Vietnam
49
describe the escalation in the war
- march 1965
- president Johnson began sending combat troops to Vietnam
- general westmoreland continued to ask for more troops
50
how was the Vietnam war a "frustrating war"?
- limited warfare (the US didn't want to involve china)
- most solider a we're young and inexperienced
- no definite frontlines
- enemy mixed with civilians, they attacked everywhere using Guerilla warfare
- suffocating heat, constant rain, tangled jungles, flooded rice paddies
51
describe the tet offensive
- jan 30-31, 1968
- tet- Vietnamese new year
- Vietminh and Vietcong launch surprise attack on south
- attacked major cities and killed soldiers, gov officials, docs, etc
- well planned attack, hiding their weapons and dressing as civilians
- major turning point- many thought us couldn't win
- military defeat for north vietnam
52
what was agent orange?
- chemical weapon that destroys jungles
- helped destroy hideouts and food of Vietcong
- many Vietnamese and US soldiers we're harmed by exposure
53
what was NAPALM?
jellies gasoline used to burn
54
describe how US hunts Vietcong
- burned/bombed buildings thought to be sheltering them
- terrorized Vietnamese people
- only a temporary solution, Vietcong would come back
55
what kinds of Americans opposed the Vietnam war?
teachers, religious leaders, students, journalists
56
who were the doves? (Vietnam war)
those who opposed the war
57
who were the hawks? (Vietnam war)
those who supported the war
58
describe Vietnamization
- July 1969
- strategy announced by president Nixon
- gradual withdrawal of troops
- slowly turned fighting over to south Vietnamese
59
what was the legacy of the Vietnam war for Vietnam?
- more than 1.2 million Vietnamese died
- US bombing and chemical spraying caused lasting damage to farmland and forests
- Vietnam remains communist
60
what was the legacy of the Vietnam war for Americans?
- 58,000 died
- 300,000 wounded
- troops sent home faced nightmares and stress related problems
- returned home to a country who treated them coldly
61
what did the 28th amendment state?
lowered voting age from 21 to 18, if old enough to be drafted, old enough to vote
62
what was the war powers act?
- limited presidents war making powers
| - showed that US were willing to get involved in overseas wars
