Cold War Flashcards
Main parts about Tehran 1943 (Nov-Dec)
- Agreed about spheres of influence after the war
- Western allies agreed to launch attack on Germany from the West (D-Day)
Main parts about Yalta 1945 (Feb)
-Mostly agreements to do with what happens after the war
-Russia to help US defeat Japan
Work for ‘democracy’ in Europe. Set up UN
-Disagreed about definition of democracy
Main parts about Potsdam 1945 (Jul-Aug)
- Mostly agreements to do with Germany Ban -Nazi party and prosecute war criminals
- Reduce size of Germany
- Divide Germany and Berlin into 4 zones (USSR, Britain, France, USA)
What were the key features of the marshall plan?
- The USA gave $13 billion in ‘Marshall aid’ to 16 Western European countries
- The USSR criticised the Marshall Plan as an attack on them
What were the key features about the Truman doctrine?
-USA had to stop the spread of Communism
-To do this it should provide troops and money
to countries in danger of communist takeovers
What was the effects of trizonia?
- Led to the formation of East and West Germany
- Led to the Berlin Blockade
What were the key features of the Berlin Blockade 1948-49?
- The USSR blocked all supplies to Berlin to show it had the power to stop Germany from working
- The USA, couldn’t pull out of Berlin or it would look weak so instead it responded with an airlift
What was the aim of cominform?
To control Communist Parties and ensure loyalty of Eastern European governments
What was the aim of comecon (1949)?
To encourage economic development of Eastern Europe (Stalin’s answer to the Marshall Plan)
What was the impact of the Berlin blockade on the USA?
- Made US look peaceful and generous
- US took more agressive stance against USSR
What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade on the USSR?
- Made USSR look agressive and threatening
- Problem of western presence in Berlin not solved.
What was the ‘Iron Curtain’ (1946) speech and its effects?
- Churchill implies Communism is a threat to Europe
- Greater tensions between West and the East.
What was the effect of the Long and Noviak telegrams (1946)?
Confirmed distrust between the West and the East
What is NATO?
NATO is a defensive alliance set up between Western Countries in 1949 to counter Soviet millitary threat.
What was the Warsaw pact?
In response to West Germany joining NATO the Warsaw pact was set up in 1955. It consisted of the USSR and other E.European countries.
What was De-Stalinistation?
Stalin died in 1953 and Russia’s new leader Khrushchev promised a more liberal and less oppressive approach to ruling USSR
What caused the Hungarian uprising(1956)?
De-Stalinisation and Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’ gave Hungarians hope that there would be reform in Hungary.
What were the key features of the Hungarian uprising(1956)?
- Khrushchev made Imre Nagy Prime Minister,
- Nagy then announced he wanted to leave the Warsaw Pact
- This led to Khrushchev sending in 200,000 troops and 1,000 tanks.
What were the effects of the Hungarian Uprising(1956)?
- USA condemned the invasion.
- Showed West wouldn’t get involved with helping satellite states break free.
- Sent strong message to countries that were thinking of leaving.
What was the cause of the Berlin wall?
It was to stop the Refugee crisis where people of high inteligence would move to west Germany.
How was the Berlin wall a sucess to Khrushchev?
- It allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with the USA but still look strong.
- Stopped refugee crisis.
How was the Berlin wall unsuccessful to Khrushchev?
- Unable to force the West out of Berlin.
- Humiliation to the soviets
How was the Berlin wall a sucess to Kennedy?
- Avoided war
- Propaganda victory
How was the Berlin wall unsuccessful to Kennedy?
- Limited freedom to the American people looked a bit weak.
What was the effect of Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech?
- Became a symbol of freedom in West Berlin.
- Kennedy praised freedom of West and contrasted with controlling of the East.
- Worsened relations between West and East.
What was the Berlin Ultimatum?
1958 Khrushchev gave Western powers 6 months to agree to withdraw from Berlin and make it a free, demilitarized city.
What caused the Cuban missile crisis?
- In 1959 a communist revolution in Cuba but Fidel Castro in to power.
- America did not like having a communist neighbour so close to its borders and within missile range of its cities.
What were the effects of the Bay of Pigs incident: On 17th April 1961?
- It was a complete failure and America looked very bad in the eyes of the other countries in the world.
- Castro knew about the invasion in advance and had the support of his people.
Why did USSR send missiles to Cuba?
- USSR were annoyed that the USA had missile bases in the UK and Turkey that could bomb its cities, they wanted to be able to retaliate against the USA
How was the Cuban missile crisis solved? 1962
- Kennedy setup naval blockade and the soviet ships turned around.
- USA and USSR agree to secret deal that will remove US missiles from Italy and Turkey if USSR remove missiles from Cuba.
What were the consequences of the Cuban missile crisis?
- Direct communication lines were set up between Moscow and Washington.
- Outer Space treaty between USA and USSR so millitary could not be used in Space.
- Test ban treaty
- Nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
What caused Prague spring?
- Czechoslovakia’s economy and living standards had declined
- Any opposition to Communism was crushed
- Communist rule had become very unpopular
What was Dubcek’s ‘Socialism with a human face’?
- Relax press censorship
- Make it legal to have more than one political party
- More trade with West.
What happened during Prague spring? 1968
- Breznhev sent troop to Prague to arrest Dubcek who was taken to Moscow to reverse his reforms.
- Innocent people were killed/harmed.
What were the effects of the invasion of czechoslovakia?
- The Brezhnev doctrine was established where USSR claimed the right to invade any Eastern European country that was threatening the security of the whole of Eastern Europe
What was détente?
A period of comparitive reduction in tension in super power relations.
What were some effects of detente?
- Apollo-Soyuz Mission (1975) saw USA and USSR co-operation in space
- Helsinki Agreements (1975) saw agreements between USA and USSR on Security, Co-operation (economic and scientific) and Human Rights.
Wahat was so significant about the Kabul Revolution (April 1978)?
gave Brezhnev an opportunity to extend his power by invading Afghanistan
What effect did the invasion of Afghanistan have on the Cold war? 1979
- The Carter Doctrine severely increased tensions between USA/USSR
- Led to the ‘Second Cold War’ and Reagan’s ‘Evil Empire’ Speech and Reagan’s Star Wars policy.
- War lasts 10 years and 1.5 million are killed including 15,000 Russian soldiers
What was SALT 1 1972?
Imposed limitations of nuclear capability of both super powers.
- No further production of Strategic ballistic missiles.
- Agreements on nuclear submarines.
First agreement to limit nuclear weapons.
What was the carter doctrine?
US would not allow the Soviets to gain control of territory in the middle west.
What were some consequences of the Invasion of Afghanistan?
US led boycott of the Moscow Olympics 1980 and USSR retaliated at LA in 1984.
Carter withdrew support for SALT II.
What caused the Soviet Union to collapse in 1991?
Gorbachev’s Glasnost (transparency) and Perestroika (restructing Soviet economy) led to increased desire for change across E.Europe and this made communist regimes collapse.
