Cold War Flashcards
What was the grand alliance? How was it weakened and tension began forming?
• Alliance between Britain, USA, USSR
Tension as east and west had different ideas on what to do w Germany
East - Germany should be rebuilt to make Europe stable (Churchill)
West - Germany should pay respirations and be communist.
When was Yalta? What was discussed?
February 1945
Agreement with what to do w Germany
- it would pay $20b in respirations
- divided into 4
Also when Germany was defeated, USSR would go to war w Japan.
When was Potsdam?
What was it?
July 1945
Council of foreign ministers set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe
Nazi party banned
Berlin divided:
- France
- Britain
- USA
- USSR
How did Roosevelt’s death increase tension?
Because Harry Truman, his replacement, was much more distrustful of the USSR
Date of both atomic bombs and where?
What was the outcome of it?
First:
6 august 1945
Second:
9 august 1945
Japan surrendered
How did the atomic bombs dropped in Japan lead to an increase in tension between the east and the west?
Stalin wanted to close the technology gap between USSR and USA
Truman’s secrecy about the bomb raised fears the user may be the next target.
What was The Iron Curtain? When did it start and why?
• March 1946
Secret report from us ambassador in Moscow to Truman in feb 1946 said the ussr saw capitalism as a threat to be destroyed.
Churchill have a speech in the USA about soviet relations and described an iron curtain separating east and west
How did the iron curtain speech lead to an increase in tension?
Stalin saw the speech as an unfair attack
What did Churchill describe the ussr like in his iron curtain speech?
A threat to world peace and freedom
What happened in September 1946 that lead to an increase in tension?
A telegram from a soviet ambassador to the USA told Stalin the USA wanted world domination and was building up military strength
What were disagreements at Potsdam?
Stalin - punish Germany and keep it week
USA - help Germany to recover to avoid future conflict
How did Poland lead to an increase in tension?
Stalin wanted to secure a buffer zone
Britain wanted to defend Poland’s independence
Britain and USA didn’t want Stalin to gain more ground
What salami tactics did Stalin use to ensure communism won at ‘free’ elections?
He fixed and rigged elections
Shut down opposition parties
How did soviet expansion increase tension?
The west saw it as a betrayal of Yalta agreements
When was the Truman doctrine and what was it?
1947
Stopping the spread of communism
What was Marshall aid and when was it?
1947
$13B of aid from the USA to help rebuild Europe
To receive this money they must be trading with the US
How did Marshall aid increase tension
The ussr saw it as an attack on them as it threatened communist control
How did Stalin react to things such as Marshall aid?
Cominform
Comecon
When was comiform set up and what was it?
1947
Got rid of any opposition to ussr control in satellite states
Encouraged communist parties in western countries to block marshal aid
Organised all communist parties in Europe and their leadership so they did as Moscow told
What was Comecon and when was it set up?
1949
Built trade links between Comecon countries
Prevented them from signing up to marshal aid
Which countries were part of Comecon?
USSR
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Poland
Romania
Albania
East Germany
Which countries took Marshall aid?
16 western countries including
Britain
France
West Germany
What was the Berlin blockade and when was it?
June 1948
Soviets physically trying to block supplies going into West Berlin
How did the formation of west Germany increase tension?
Because Stalin wasn’t consulted and he thought it went against Potsdam agreements
What did Stalin hope to achieve from the Berlin blockade?
He wanted the west to leave their Berlin zones
June 1948 he closed all railroads and Canal links into west berlin
what was the wests response to the Berlin blockade and when was it?
The Berlin airlift - supplying things via planes
26th June 1948 - 30th sep 1949
How did the Berlin airlift make the west look better?
Made them look more peaceful and supportive and the east look aggressive.
Increase in tension as this was not stalins plan
What was NATO and when was it formed?
April 1949
To counter soviet military threat
What was the Warsaw pact and when was it formed?
May 1955
Counter military threat from NATO
When did Mao’s Chinese communist party take control of China?
1949
When did China and Russia sign a treaty on friendship?
Feb 1950
How did the death of Stalin worsen relationships w China and Russia?
Mao did not get on with Khrushchev
How much did the soviets promise in aid to China?
$300M
When was the Korean War? Why?
1950 -1953
After WW2, Korea was divided in 2. The north communist and south capitalist. Kim (NK) leader attempted to invade the south
When was the Vietnam war?
1955 - 1975
What was agreed on and Geneva? When was it?
July 1954
Vietnam to be divided into a communist north and French south
What was the domino theory?
Eisenhower said if Vietnamese became communist, nearby countries would follow.
when did the use make the atomic bomb and how did the ussr respond
1945
by making their own atomic bomb in 1949
when did the use drop bombs on Japanese cities
1945
when did the usa develop their h bomb
1952
when did the ussr develop their h bomb
1953
how did the development of atomic and h bombs increase tension after 1949
because up to 1949, the use thought it could use its advantage in nuclear weapons to discourage soviet attack. us figures like Lemay and MacArthur decided that the best strategy in the event of war with the ussr was to use nuclear weapons. but by the 1950’s, nuclear weapons had been developed to included bigger warheads and missile delivery systems. this meant any nuclear war would destroy both sides (MAD). this meant that any confrontation would lead to nuclear war and world destruction.
what are some examples of brinkmanship
1948 - stalin hoped his Berlin blockade would not risk pushing the usa into using nuclear weapons.
1951 - truman sacked MacArthur for repeatedly calling nuclear weapons to be used against North Korea.
effects of the arms race on normal people
defence costs increased for both sides as use feared they were falling behind ussr
duck and cover campaigns taught attack responses drill in the usa
in Britain the protect and survive booklets were issued to people
reasons for the space race
propaganda - both countries wished to demonstrate that their country and ideology was better than the others
military rivalry - there were military benefits to developing technology.
the sputnik satellite - when was it launched
1957
the sputnik satellite - how did it increase tension
Communists had a technological advance over capitalists. but Kennedy insisted the race wasnt over. he promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.
who was the first person in space and when
1961 - Gagarin
from the ussr
when and who was the first man on the moon
1969 - armstrong
from usa
what was the Apollo space programme and when was it launched
1961
dedicated to space exploration. it achieved its first manned flight in 1968 and then landed Armstrong on the moon in 1969.
when was nato set up
1949
why did nato lead to increase in tension and how did they respond
soviets saw it as a threat and in 1955 formed the Warsaw pact
countries in nato
usa Britain canada italy Belgium france netherlands portugal Luxembourg iceland Denmark and norway
west germany joined in 1955
what was principle of nato
if one country was attacked, the others must assist it. collective security.
this was to prevent military attacks from ussr and save Europe from communist
impact of nato on rivalry
Stalin saw nato as an act of aggression aimed at the ussr. this meant the ussr began to strengthen its control over Eastern Europe - which resulted in the formation of the Warsaw pact in 1955.
usa promised to fund nato countries to improve on their military forces
impact of Warsaw pact on rivalry
the formation of to meant there were two opposing alliances in Europe sperated by the iron curtain.
both alliance planned for military action against the other.
what was the policy of ‘de-stalinisation’
Stalins successor Khrushchev suggested that soviet policy might thaw towards a more peaceful co existence
what was the impact of soviet rule on hungary
food and industrial products were shipped off the the ussr
any opposition to soviet rule was immediately wiped out (by early 1950s 5% of the population was imprisoned)
communist rule became very unpopular
soviet troops were permanently stationed In Hungary and dealt with any opposition
what was the protest movement in Hungary in the 1950s
when Stalin died, Khrushchev took over as soviet leader. in 1596, he hinted that soviet control would relax under the policy of desalinisation
but in October 1956, poor harvests and bread shortages meant Hungarians started demonstrating against communist control; statues of Stalin were pulled down and local communists attacked. in response, Khrushchev appointed a more liberal prime minister for Hungary - Nagy.
what reforms did Nagy want for Hungary and how did this lead to the return of harsher policies by the ussr
leave the Warsaw pact and become a neutral country
hold free elections leading to no more communist government
un protection from ussr
this was a problem for the ussr because if Nagy succeeded in Hungary other countries in easter Europe would follow. the Warsaw pact would collapse. fears of this meant the ussr returned its harsher policies
how did Khrushchev respond to nagy’s reforms and what were the consequences
1956 - soviet troops invaded Hungary.
at least 4000 Hungarians were killed and 1000 soviet troops. 200000 refugees fled across borders.
nagy was arrested and killed. Khrushchev did this to warn the other communist countries to not try and go against him
what was the international reaction and effects on the Cold War of the ussr invading hungary
united nation condemned soviet actions and some countries boycotted the 1956 Olympics
the use supported Hungary’s uprising - the use accepted 80 000 refugees from Hungary
the usa did not send troops as it may risk nuclear war w ussr
satellite states saw how the usa would not help them against the ussr so soviet controlled retightened across europe
what was the Paris peace summit
1960 - was meant to be time of peace but…
Khrushchev stormed out the meeting after the usa failed to apologise for having a spy plane over ussr
the u2 crisis
1960 - the usa used u2 spy planes for information gathering and photographing the ussr but the soviets found out and Gary powers was shot down and captured. the usa denied it was a spy plane.
what was khrushcehv’s Berlin ultimatum in 1958
all Berlin belongs to east Germany and occupying troops must leave within 6 months.
why did Khrushchev construct the Berlin Wall in 1961
to end the refugee problem in Berlin. thousands of East Germans were going to West Berlin and then to west Germany. this created a skills shortage in east Germany. it was also humiliating for Khrushchev as it showed people preferred capitalism over communism. it also reduced risk of war with usa
impact of the Berlin Wall:
kennedys response
western troops remained in berlin
number of military alerts in Berlin declined easing tensions
made West Berlin a symbol of freedom
1963 - Kennedy made a speech in West Berlin and said he was committed to fighting communism
impact of the Berlin Wall:
the ussr
the wall solved the refugee problem as East Germans couldn’t travel to west Germany
propaganda victory for the west - germans preferred to live in West Berlin and had to be forced to stay in the communist east.
Kennedys visit to West Berlin 1963
his speech was an expression of solidarity with the people of West Berlin. it demonstrated that the usa and nato were prepared to defend West Berlin from communist attack.
what was Castros revolution and when was it
a revolution in cuba 1959
to try and bring Cuba back into the sphere of influence
what was the bay of pigs and when was it
1961
a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by a cia-sponsered paramilitary group.
what was the impact of the bay of pigs
Kennedy was embarassed
Castro could claim a great victory against the usa
cuba and ussr could build closer ties
what was the cuban missile crisis
the soviet response to the cuban missile crisis.
building missile sites on cuba to deter us attacks. when the usa discovered these missile sights, it threatened to develop into a war.
what was Khrushchevs role in the developing of the cuban missile crisis
because the usa had missiles close to the ussr but the ussr didn’t have missiles close to the usa, he saw a problem so he wanted to use cuba to fix it.
because Kennedy had not reacted to the Berlin Wall and the failed bay of pigs incident, Khrushchev saw him as weak. so he thought he could bully him.
how did Kennedy react to the cuban missile crisis
he did not want to allow a communist country so close to the usa out of fear it may spread to the Americans, so he announced a blockade of cuba. no ships from any country were allowed through. any ships that tried to pass through would be fired at.
How did the cuban missile crisis calm down
Khrushchev offered to remove missiles if usa removes them from turkey. robert Kennedy sets up a deal where the usa would remove warheads from turkey.
short term results of the cuban missile crisis
- communist cuba survived as Kennedy gave assurances the usa wouldn’t invade again.
- ussr publicly withdrew its missiles from cuba to promote world peace.
- ussr looked weak as the world didn’t know the usa had removed missiles from turkey.
long term results of the cuban missile crisis
it showed how easily a nuclear war could start.
but, it mainly lead to an easing in tension
hotline created a direct link from Washington to Moscow
limited test ban treaty - both sides agreed to ban all nuclear weapon testing
1963 - Kennedy made a speech about working with the ussr to focus on their common interests
usa and ussr signed the outer space treaty in 1967 which limited the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.
signed the nuclear non profit treaty which prevented nuclear weapons being given to other countries
dangers of cuban missile crisis
brinkmanship - castro ordered soviet forces on cuba to be ready to fight. a soviet fleet approached the blockade
first shots - a us ship was spotted a soviet submarine close to cuba. it fired depth charges to force the submarine to surface. the same day, a u2 spy plane was shot down above cuba.
what lead to a challenge to soviet authority in 1968
a relaxation of control in Czechoslovakia
impact of soviet rule on Czechoslovakia
economy and living standards decreased
any opposition to communism was crushed and press controlled
communist rule became very unpopular
in mid 1960s - oat sik (a economist) called for an economic reform. his call was rejected. 1966 - he called for a full political reform with popular support.
what was the Prague spring
1968 - Alexander dubcek was made Czechoslovakian leader. he was a friend of soviet leader Brezhnev who believed dubcek could calm calls for reform. he was a communist and supporter of Warsaw pact but wanted to make communism better and easier to live under. this programme was called socialism with a human face.
what were dubceks reforms
they resulted in the Prague spring, a period of increased political freedom. lots of communism criticism followed.
press censorship ended
freedom of speech allowed
other parties allowed alongside the communists, increasing democracy
more power given to Czechoslovakian parliament and soviet controlled was reduced.
secret police restricted
how did Czechs respond to the reforms
many students, workers, young members of the communist party welcomed the reforms. many writers wrote books which were highty critical of society style communism.
some people were not happy. the secret police was not happy and senior army officers because they lost power and status. older people thought it would lead to the collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia
effect of Prague springs on Warsaw pact
communist in Eastern Europe like Brezhnev were concerned. they feared the Prague spring would lead to demands for reform elsewhere in the eastern bloc and threaten communist rule there.
polish students wanted their own dubcek to protest against their government.
Brezhnev had a dilema: dubcek was a friend and military action would damage the ussr reputation. if he did nothing, expectations of further reforms would rise and eastern bloc may collapse
what was the ussrs response to dubceks reformed
invaded czechoslovakia in august 1968. dubeck arrested.
Brezhnev established the Brezhnev doctrine in order to defend the Warsaw pact countries from any future security threats
Brezhnev failed to connive dubcek to stop the reforms so he had to act or he’d look weak.
what was the Brezhnev doctrine.
Brezhnev made it clear the ussr was determined to maintain communist governments in Europe and elsewhere. it would use force if necessary to protect communism.
ussr declared the right to invade any eastern bloc country which threatened the security of the eastern bloc of a whole.
effect on west of Brezhnev doctrine
usa and germany condemned the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Brezhnev doctrine. this meant talks about improving relations ended
they offered no military support or assistance to he Czechs.
other communists leaders such as those in France and italy were horrified by the invasion. France and italy began to end their links with the ussr
effect on the east of Brezhnev doctrine
invasion and Brezhnev doctrine limited reforms in other Warsaw pact countries who feared Soviet Union.
countries such as Poland followed policies that ignored public opinion which increasingly demanded change. this led to public protests
invasion strengthened soviet control over eastern bloc as they could use military force to ensure their dominance.
it highlighted differences in the eastern bloc: Romania and Yugoslavia condemned the invasion and signed alliances with communist china.
protests in china and far of soviet interference there increased the division between china and ussr.
what were some conflicting ideologies in vietnam
usa wanted to stop communism spreading there and in neighbouring countries
Communists resented the usa for forcing their capitalist ideologies on Vietnamese who were communist
the war continued throughout the 1960s costing 60 000 American lives. this made improving relations with ussr difficult.
when did the usa withdraw from Vietnam war
1973
when was the whole of Vietnam communist
1975
what showed the world that human rights was not a concern for the ussr
invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia
soviet people were jailed or exiled if they spoke out against soviet ideology
this increased tensions because there was concerns over human rights
what was détente and SALT 1
by the 1970’s, tensions between the USA and USSR began to relax. this easing of tension led to a period of closer cooperation. both sides tried to reduce the chance of nuclear conflict
reasons for détente
arms race:
cuban missile crisis marked start of attempts to reduce tensions and avoid nuclear war. 1963 the partial test ban treaty and the hotline began the process.
domestic:
the costs was billions and billions. ussr would have experienced bankruptcy. usa faced social issues and protests.
vietnam:
the war showed that military dominance did not guarantee victory.
china-soviet split:
relations between Mao’s and the ussr broke down under Khrushchev and Brezhnev. made both countries willing to cooperate with the usa.
when was SALT
what was it
1972
was the most serious attempt between the superpowers to limit nuclear weapons
no further productions of missiles
no increase in number of intercontinental ballistic weapons
no nuclear missile launchers
how did the roles of Brezhnev and Nixon reduce tension
from 1968 there was regular summit meetings between them. they placed a key role in making SALT happen.
their experience helped them to make progress
they had both seen the worst days of the Cold War so they had a surprising amount in common.
how effective was SALT 1
it lead to salt 2 in 1979
slowed down arms race
superpowers still had nuclear weapons and competed for dominant influence over the world.
