Cold War Flashcards
What is a Cold War?
A Cold War is a war that has no physical fighting between the two sides
What is Capitalism?
It is where the factors of production are run for profit and owned privately
What is Communism?
It is where the factors of production are run for the good of the people and are owned and run by the state
This means everyone should be more equal and society should be more fair
Why did Stalin not trust Truman?
Stalin was angry that Truman had successfully tested the atomic bomb without telling him first
Why could Britain not act against the Soviet Union on its own?
Britain’s economy had been severely impacted by the war. As a result it allied more closely with the United States
What did the Allies decide about what should be done with the defeated Germany?
The allies agreed that Germany would be divided into four zones of occupation.
One would be run by each of the Allies
Why was their a conflict between the USA and USSR about what they wanted to happen to Germany?
-The USA wanted a united, capitalist Germany, while the USSR wanted Germany to be divided and under the communist sphere of influence(this would make sure that Germany could not attack the Soviet Union again)
What are satellite countries?
They are countries that are officially independent, however in reality, they are influenced or controlled by another country
When did the USSR develop an atomic bomb of its own?
1949
What was the ‘arms race’?
USA and USSR tried to gain an advantage over each other by building nee nuclear weapons over the years
What was ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’?
If there was a war between the USA and USSR, it was likely that both countries would be completely destroyed
What did US intelligence estimate?
They estimated that they if Russia attacked the US with missiles, 20m Americans would be killed and another 20m would be seriously injured
When was the hydrogen bomb successfully tested?
- 1952 by the US
- 1953 by the USSR
Why were hydrogen bombs so dangerous?
They were 2500 times stronger than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima
Why was NATO set up?
In case of a military attack by the Soviet Union on Western Europe
