Cold War Flashcards
What ideology did the Soviet Union follow?
Communism
What ideology did the USA follow?
Capitalism
What are communist principles?
Egalitarian: all people were regarded as equal and deserved equal opportunities.
What are capitalist principles?
Being run by a Democratic government of elected representatives chosen to serve the country by the majority.
What are some major criticisms of communism?
Individuals have no freedom and human rights. There are no proper elections. Only one political party is allowed. The government has to much control.
What are some major criticisms of capitalism?
Wealth is distributed unevenly. Too many people are rich and too many people are poor. There is no real equality because people are not treated equally.
What does capitalism include?(12)
Regular elections. Personal/individual freedom. Production is privately owned. Free enterprise. Prices determined by market competition. Wide variety of goods. High standard of living. Properties and companies owned by individuals. Individuals goal is to make profit. Workers choose their employer and occupation. Freedom of the press. Quality education.
What does communism include? (13)
Voters can only vote for members of the Communist Party.
Emphasis on good of society.
Production is state owned.
No class division.
Prices determined by the state.
Lower standard of living, but low-cost housing, free medical care and education.
Government owns land, factories, machinery.
Equitable distribution of resources.
Trade + industry controlled by government. Profits not allowed.
State determines employer and employment.
No freedom of press.
Free education-being educated is about serving the state.
What did the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki result in?
Th end of WWII and kickstarting the Cold War.
How did the USA and Soviet Union compete for supremacy?
By harnessing the devastating power of the atomic bomb and nuclear warfare.
What did President Truman reveal to Stalin at the Potsdam conference?
That the USA had made great advances in its Manhattan Project.
What was the Manhattan project?
A project under a team led by J Robert Oppenheimer, to develop the first ever atomic bomb.
What were Stalin’s vast network of spies called?
Espionage
How has the development of the first nuclear bomb been described?
“So top secret that there were no formal meetings about it, there was no official discussion about what to do with it.”
Why did America decide to drop the atomic bomb
The Japanese continued to fight furiously even after Germany had been defeated, and refused to surrender.
What was the aircraft carrying the bomb from the USA to Japan called?
Enola Gay
What was the bomb dropped on Hiroshima nicknamed?
Little Boy
When was the bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
6 August 1945.
What was the second bomb, dropped on Nagasaki nicknamed?
Fat Man
When did Japan surrender?
14 August 1945
When did Emperor Hirohito announce his country’s unconditional surrender in WWII?
15 August
What has been suggested about the underlying reasons the USA dropped the bombs?
An intimidating warning to the Soviet Union about the USA’s military might and capacity for attack.
What did the bombing of Hiroshima result in for the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union became tenacious and determined to develop their own nuclear bomb.
When did the Soviet Union construct their first atomic bomb?
1949
How and when did the USA respond to the Soviet Union’s development of its first atomic bomb?
They responded in 1952 by testing the highly destructive hydrogen “superbomb”
When did the Soviet Union test its “superbomb”?
1953