Cold War Flashcards
1
Q
What countries were in the Grand Alliance?
A
USA, Britain, USSR
2
Q
When was the Tehran Conference?
A
1943
3
Q
What was agreed at Tehran?
A
- USA and Britain would open a second front and launch an attack on Germany from the West
- Stalin would declare war against Japan
4
Q
What impact did this have on international relations?
A
- Stalin was pleased the USA and Britain were opening a second front
- Britain was annoyed and wanted the second front in the Balkans
- Good relations between the USA and USSR
5
Q
Which leaders met at Yalta Conference, Feb 1945?
A
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin
6
Q
What was agreed at Yalta?
A
- Germany and Berlin would be divided into zones of occupation between USA, USSR, GB, and France
- USSR would join the war against Japan
- UN to be set up after WW2
- Eastern European countries could hold free elections after the end of the war
7
Q
What did the Allied leaders disagree on at Yalta?
A
Stalin wanted to move the border of Poland westwards into German territory - Roosevelt was unhappy but agreed since Stalin promised not to help Communist rebels in Greece.
8
Q
Which leaders met at Potsdam Conference, July 1945?
A
Truman, Attlee, Stalin
9
Q
What was agreed at Potsdam?
A
- Germany and Berlin would be divided as agreed at Yalta
- Poland’s eastern border moved west - this would give the USSR more territory
- Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals
10
Q
What were the disagreements at Potsdam?
A
- Truman blocked Stalin’s demand for crippling fines to be placed on Germany
- Truman refused to allow the USSR to occupy Japan once it was defeated
- Truman and Attlee opposed Stalin’s demand that he set up pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe
11
Q
Why was Potsdam less successful?
A
- Stalin’s troops remained in Eastern Europe - hopes of free elections seemed very distant now
- Truman informed Stalin that the USA now possessed the atom bomb - Stalin feared that the USA might use this weapon in the future against the USSR - weakened relations
- Truman adopted a far more hard-line approach to Stalin than Roosevelt had - less willing to negotiate
- GB and US were suspicious of Stalin who had now set up a pro-Communist government in Poland
- Stalin was suspicious as to why USA wanted Germany to ‘recover’ economically
12
Q
When did the USA drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
A
August 1945
13
Q
How did the development of the atom bombs make the USA/West feel?
A
more confident/ secure. Could use it to persuade Stalin to hold free elections in Eastern Europe
14
Q
What did Stalin do in reaction to the bomb?
A
- he made a buffer zone between Eastern European countries and the West
- tested their own atomic bomb in 1949
15
Q
How did the development of the atom bomb affect USA/USSR relations?
A
- increased cold war tensions as the bomb was so powerful
- made both sides reluctant to go to war
- arms race between USA and USSR
16
Q
What was the Kennan Long telegram?
A
- telegram that discussed US-Soviet relations
- sent by George Kennan - US ambassador in Moscow
- said Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but that the USSR would back down if threatened by the USA
17
Q
What was the Novikov Telegram?
A
-telegram sent by Nikolai Novikov - Soviet diplomat in Washington that said that the USA wanted to dominate the world
18
Q
How did both telegrams affect American Soviet relations?
A
- increased distrust of the other side
- eventually led to America’s policy of containment as the USA felt the USSR was now looking to spread communism and led to the Soviet desire to protect itself
19
Q
Why did Stalin ensure that every government in Eastern Europe was pro communist?
A
-he wanted to create a buffer zone between east and the west. The USSR had suffered two invasions in the last thirty years - if Eastern Europe was under his control, this would make any invasion less likely
20
Q
How did the USA interpret this move by Stalin?
A
Believed it was part of Stalin’s aim to spread communism throughout the world - in particular they thought countries in Western Europe were under threat
21
Q
What was the Iron Curtain speech?
A
In March 1946 Churchill visited the USA where he made a speech in which he declared that Europe was being divided by Soviet policy. In the West were free and democratic states, but in in the East countries were living under the domination of communism and the USSR - an ‘iron curtain’ separated the two
22
Q
How did the Iron Curtain speech affect American Soviet relations?
A
It increased tension and mistrust and led the USSR to step up its campaign of anti-Western propaganda. Intensified hostility.
23
Q
What were satellite states?
A
Countries that were freed from Nazi rule by the Red Army. These included: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania
24
Q
How did Stalin set up pro-Communist governments?
A
He held rigged elections to ensure communists won
- politicians from other parties were beaten, intimidated, or even murdered
- after the war, 6 million troops remained to stamp out opposition
25
How did Stalin ensure these states relied on the USSR?
He set up Cominform in 1947 - an alliance of Communist countries, which restricted their contact with the West - done in response to the Marshall Plan
Later he set up Comecon to coordinate trade between these countries
26
How did Stalin ensure these states relied on the USSR?
He set up Cominform in 1947 - an alliance of Communist countries, which restricted their contact with the West - done in response to the Marshall Plan
Later he set up Comecon to coordinate trade between these countries
27
Why did events in Greece change US policy?
Truman was informed in 1947 that GB could no longer afford to keep troops in Greece and Turkey. If GB withdrew, these countries could well come under the influence of Stalin. Truman therefore paid for the troops to be kept there and gave financial backing to the two countries. This was the beginning of the US policy of containment.
28
What was the Truman Doctrine?
- speech that indicated a change of policy from isolationism to containment
- March 1947
- made it clear that the USA was prepared to assist any country under the threat of communism
- said choosing democracy over communism was like choosing good over evil
- The USA would send troops and money to stop communism spreading.
29
What was Marshall Aid?
Truman believed poverty and hardship were the breeding grounds for communism - he therefore provided billions of dollars for the wrecked economies of Europe
Between 1948 and 1952 the USA gave $12.7 bn to West Europe
-wanted these economies to recover so that they could provide a market for US produced goods
30
What was the Soviet response to the Truman doctrine?
Stalin thought it showed that the USA was trying to extend its influence in Europe. He argued that the MP was a way of using economic strength to divide Europe in two - he called it dollar imperialism
31
What impact did the Truman doctrine have on international relations after 1947?
- the USA was now in direct opposition to the USSR
- Stalin's suspicions of the West were reinforced
- Europe was now divided into two economic and political camps
32
What did Stalin set up to rival the MP, and when?
Comecon, 1949
33
What did Comecon allow?
Aimed to support economic development in member states / trade and industrial planning across Eastern European countries. Trade with the West was discouraged
34
What was cominform and when was it set up?
set up in 1947 in response to the Truman Doctrine. Political organisation, included the USSR, Czeckoslovakia, Hungary, Romani, and Poland
-it directed and controlled the governments of satellites states and made sure they took orders from Moscow
35
How did the USA's actions help to cause this crisis(berlin blockade)?
- West Germany + West Berlin were benefitting from Marshall Aid
- GB and USA had combined their parts of west Germany to form Bizonia, then Trizonia
- they introduced the Deutschmark across Trizonia
36
How did Stalin interpret these actions?
The USSR believed that this was part of the USA's plan to rebuild Germany into a strong nation once more and to leave the Soviet zones in poverty. Now two Germany's had been created - the East and the West
37
Why did Stalin decide to impose a blockade on Berlin in June 1948?
- blockaded road and rail links from West Germany into West Berlin
- hoped to test the strength of the USA and to force them into surrendering West Berlin where two million people lived free from Soviet rule
38
Why did US and GB decide to fly in supplies to West Berlin?
they could not break the blockade with force as this would be seen as an act of war
- nonstop flights (275,000) ensured that 1000 tons of food and other necessities came to West Berlin each day
- Operation Vittles
39
Why did Stalin not shoot down the planes?
would be seen as an act of war
| -US had also stationed b29 bombers in GB, capable of dropping the atom bomb on the Soviets
40
What were the consequences of the blockade?
- Stalin gave in and ended the Blockade in May 1949 - he was humiliated
- The USA, GB and FR combined their zones to form West Germany
- Stalin set up East Germany in 1949. West Germany refused to recognise it until 1970's
- NATO was set up in 1949 to ensure that any future attack by Stalin would be met with force. West Germany joined in 1955
- Stalin set up the Warsaw Pact in 1955 - a similar alliance of Eastern European countries
41
When were nukes developed by both sides:
1945 USA atomic bomb
- 1949 USSR atomic bomb
- 1952 USA hydrogen bomb
- 1953 USSR hydrogen bomb
- 1957 USA + USSR ICBM
42
What were the effects of the arms race on both sides?
- each side became more powerful
- USA and USSR spent huge sums of money on developing conventional and nuclear weapons and armies
- led to a change in thinking about war - acted as a deterrent to war
43
Which president took over from Truman in 1953?
Eisenhower - fiercely anti-communist but open to talks
44
When Stalin died in 1953 who took over leadership of the USSR?
Krushchev in 1956 - followed a policy of de-Stalinisation
45
Why were people in the satellite state of Hungary unhappy by 1956?
- lack of political freedoms
- fuel shortages
- poor harvests
46
Who replaced the Hungarian Prime Minister Rakosi in 1956?
Imre Nagy (Khrushchev hoped he would improve things in Hungary)
47
What did Nagy do?
He re-organised the government to include non-communists, released political prisoners and persuaded Khrushchev to withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary
48
What did Nagy announce on 1 November 1956?
He would withdraw Hungary from the Warsaw pact.
49
What happened during the Hungarian uprising?
- Khrushchev could not accept that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact
- On 4 November 1956 his Soviet army invaded Hungary - 1000 tanks rolled into Budapest
- Nagy begged the West for support but none came
- Up to 20,000 Hungarians were killed
- a new pro-communist government was set up under Kadar
- Despite being offered safe passage out of Yugoslavia, Nagy was tried and executed in 1958
50
How did other countries respond to the Soviet invasion?
Although Radio Free Europe, a US government funded radio station had been urging people of Eastern Europe to rebel against communism, no military support was offered by the USA. The USA was not prepared to interfere in the affairs of an existing communist country
51
What was the impact of the invasion in international relations?
- Khrushchev's position in the Soviet Union was more secure
- Warsaw Pact members now knew they had to do what the USSR said
- Khrushchev was more confident dealing with the USA as he knew they would probably not take military action
- The West looked bad - they had not offered military support to Hungary
- Relations between the USA and USSR got worse again as the USA condemned the invasion
52
How many Germans had left East Germany by 1958?
Three million. -over a sixth
53
What kind of people were leaving East Germany during the 'Brain Drain'?
Skilled workers who were essential to the East German economy, such as engineers, technicians and teachers
54
What did Khrushchev demand in his 'Berlin Ultimatum'?
-Western countries should officially recognise East Germany as an independent country
55
What were the names of the 4 summits held to discuss the Berlin Ultimatum?
- Geneva, May 1959
- Camp David, September 1959
- Paris, May 1960
- Vienna, June 1961
56
Why did these summits do badly?
On 1st May 1960, as the various countries prepared for the peace talks, an American U2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Eisenhower was embarrassed by this but refused to apologise Khrushchev walked out the meeting.
57
Who was president of the USA at the beginning of the Berlin Crisis and who was president at the end? What was the effect of this change?
Eisenhower was replaced by Kennedy in Jan. 1961. At the Vienna summit in June 1961, Khrushchev believed that as Kennedy was inexperienced in foreign affairs, it would be possible to get the better of him. However, Kennedy refused to make any concessions and, after Vienna, decided to increase spending on American armed forces by over $2bn
58
What was the result of the failure of the summits to find a conclusion to the Berlin Ultimatum?
Concerns over the Berlin Ultimatum talks caused an increase in East Germans deciding to cross to the West, just in case Khrushchev decided to close the border. Then, on 12th August 1961, East German troops put up a barbed wire fence between East and West Berlin.
59
What were the negative impacts of the building of the Berlin Wall on both the USA and the USSR?
Khrushchev had to abandon plans to unite Germany under Soviet control. The Berlin Wall also showed how the Soviet Union had to lock people into socialist countries. For the USA, the Soviet Union had put up the wall without asking the USA and people who wanted to escape from communism could no longer do so.
60
What were the positive impacts of the building of the Berlin Wall on both the USA and the USSR?
The wall stopped large numbers of people leaving, to some extent solving the problem of the Brain Drain. It also showed the West that communism would survive in Berlin. On the other hand, it also showed that Khrushchev had been forced to accept Western control in West Berlin. West Berlin became a symbol of freedom.
61
What was the impact of president Kennedy's visit to Berlin in 1963?
Thousands of West Berliners went to see him speak. Kennedy praised the freedoms of the West and contrasted them with communism in a famous speech
62
Who ruled Cuba before Castro?
Batista, an army officer, who had seized power with the help of the USA
63
When was the Cuban Revolution?
Jan. 1959
64
What reforms were introduced after Castro overthrew Batista in the 1959 revolution?
-he worked to end corruption in government + improve the conditions of agricultural and industrial workers
65
Why did the USA grow increasingly concerned by Castro's reforms?
Castro began appointing communists to his government and signed a trade agreement with the USSR in which Cuban sugar would be swapped for machinery, oil, and economic aid. Castro nationalised American industries in Cuba
66
How did the USA react?
In Jan. 1960 the USA stopped buying Cuban sugar, and then banned all trade with Cuba; by 1961 the USA stopped all diplomatic relations with Cuba
67
What effect did these reactions have?
This pushed Castro closer to the USSR - USA now planned something far more drastic, the Bay of Pigs invasion
68
What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?
- led by Cuban exiles, supported by JFK
- weapons, training and transport were provided by the CIA
- exiles hoped to establish a base for guerilla activities against Castro
- were confident that the Cuban people would support them
69
- force of 1400 exiles landed in Cuba but found themselves facing over 20,000 Cuban troops
- people did not rise up in support of the exiles
- most importantly both Cuba and USSR knew it had been planned by CIA - humiliated
70
What were the consequences of the invasion?
- convinced Castro that he needed more Soviet support to defend himself against possible US attacks
- in September 1961 Khrushchev publicly announced that he would provide arms to Cuba
- By 1962 Castro had a well equipped army with the latest tanks + missiles
- Castro now declared himself communist
71
What were the effects of the invasion on relations between the USA and USSR?
- Kennedy humiliated
- USA looked hypocritical as they were supporting an invasion of an independent country
- communism looked good - Cubans wanted a pro-communist regime, showing the popularity of the ideology
- stronger relations were established between Cuba and the USSR which made Kennedy feel threatened - what if USSR placed missiles on Cuba
72
Why did Khrushchev place missiles on Cuba?
NATO had missiles on Turkey - USSR could use missiles on Cuba as a bargaining tool
73
What did a U2 spy plane discover on Oct. 14 1962?
--took pictures of what appeared to be missile sites being built
74
What other worrying news was received by the Americans?
-a fleet of Soviet ships were sailing to Cuba, presumably carrying missiles for the sites
75
What did JFK decide to do on Oct. 22 1962?
-placed a naval blockade around Cuba, whilst also preparing troops for a possible invasion of Cuba; he called on the USSR to remove their missiles from Cuba
76
How did Khrushchev respond?
He replied there were no Soviet missiles on Cuba and that the USSR would ignore the blockade
77
What happened when Soviet ships reached the naval blockade on Oct. 24 1962?
They turned back - did not attempt to break blockade
| -Soviet missiles still remained on Cuba
78
What offer was made by Khrushchev in the letter sent on Oct. 26?
The USSR would remove their nuclear weapons if the USA lifted the blockade and promised not to invade Cuba - the USA was happy with this
79
What offer was made by Khrushchev in the letter sent on Oct. 27?
The USSR would remove their nuclear weapons if the USA removed theirs from Turkey
80
How did JFK react?
On the same day he received the second letter, a U2 spy plane was shot down over Cuba. JFK responded only to the first letter, saying he agreed with its terms, but if the missiles were not removed an attack would follow. The president's brother also informed the Soviet ambassador in Washington that the US would remove its missiles from Turkey
81
What did the USA gain from this crisis?
- nuclear weapons removed from Cuba
| - JFK no longer seen as weak and inexperienced - his decision to impose a naval blockade was justified
82
What did the USSR gain from this crisis?
- Cuba remained a communist country
| - missiles in Turkey removed secretly 6 months later
83
What did the USA lose from this crisis?
-missiles in Turkey - this angered some NATO allies
84
What did the USSR lose from this crisis?
- USSR was publicly seen to have backed down - this angered many Soviet politicians
- Khrushchev was removed from office in 1964 - the military felt they had been forced into a humiliating withdrawal
85
What did the world gain from this crisis?
- a direct hot line phone link was set up between Washington and Moscow to prevent future escalations
- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was set up in 1963
86
What did Cuba gain from this crisis?
-Cuba independence had been secured - free from US interference
-
87
What reforms was Alexander Dubcek making in Czechoslovakia?
- from April 1968, he introduced:
- less censorship
- trade union powers increased / worker's rights
- more power for regional government
- trade with the west was increased
- Czechs given greater freedom to travel abroad
88
What did Dubcek promise Khrushchev that meant the USSR were initially happy to accept him as a leader?
-he was committed to the Warsaw Pact and support for the Soviet Union
89
What happened to change the USSR's opinions on Dubcek?
Brezhnev disapproved of many of the reforms being made by Dubcek - saw them as a threat to Soviet control
90
Describe the events of the Soviet invasion.
20th August 1968 - 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia and ended the 'Prague Spring'.
-some brave resistance eg. blocking roads/attacking individual tanks
-
91
What impact did the Soviet invasion have on Czechoslovakia?
- Dubcek arrested, sent to Moscow and ordered to reverse the reforms
- Replaced in 1969 by a hardliner loyal to Moscow
92
What was the Brezhnev doctrine?
-Brezhnev said that the actions of any individual communist country affected all other communist countries. This meant other communist countries could take action to prevent reforms
93
What was the impact of the Prague Spring on USA/USSR relations?
- soviet response to the prague spring outraged western governments
- there was an attempt to pass a formal resolution condemning the invasion in the UN
94
Why did USA and Soviet Union follow a policy of detente?
- Vietnam war had killed 58,000 Americans + was extremely costly - arms race costing a lot as well - funds low
- US government wanted to focus on social problems and inequalities
- Soviet Union facing economic problems - wanted to cut weapons spending so that it could improve living standards
95
When was SALT 1 and when did it take place?
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty - May 1972 - agreed to limit ICBMs, and anti-ballistic missiles between both countries
96
What did SALT 1 agree to?
- limit number of ICBMs each country could have
| - limit SLBMs to 740 each
97
What were the Helsinki accords and when were they signed?
-signed 1975 - NATO and Warsaw Pact countries met to build on SALT 1 and make agreements on 3 areas
98
What were the three areas of the accords?
European borders, international cooperation, human rights
99
When did SALT 2 happen?
talks towards SALT 2 continued until 18th June 1979
100
What were two agreements at SALT 2?
restrictions on missile launchers and strategic bombers
| -ban on testing or deploying new types of ICBM
101
What events occurred in the late 70's that meant SALT 2 was a failure?
-some US politicians called for a stronger stance against the Soviet Union in response to an increase in Soviet support in countries such as Nicaragua - also, invasion of Afghanistan
102
What were the consequences of SALT 1?
- symbolic of improved relations
- USA visited Moscow
- Brezhnev came to washington
103
what were the two reforms introduced by Gorbachev to improve the Communist Party?
Perestoika
| Glasnost
104
Describe Glasnost
- more openness and less corruption in government
| - would allow opposition to the government and give the people a better understanding of how the country was run
105
Describe Perestoika
the soviet state and economy should be reformed in order to include to include some of the practices that made capitalism successful
106
How did USSR attempt to reduce tension?
signed arms agreements
| stopped Soviet interference in Eastern European satellite states such as Poland and Czechoslovakia
107
What was a successful summit meeting that took place 1985-90 to discuss arms limitations
Washington, Dec 1987
108
What did the INF treaty 1987 eliminate?
nuclear and ground launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500-5500km - intermediate and short range missiles
109
What were both USA and USSR allowed to do under the INF treaty?
inspect each others military installations
110
Why was the treaty significant
-first treaty to reduce the number of nuclear missiles they possessed
111
What happened in afghanistan?
- pro soviet government took control in Afghanistan and recieved assistance from Moscow
- this government became unpopular - pro muslim factions tried to overthrow the leader - in 1979, USSR invaded afghanistan
