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Cold War Flashcards

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1
Q

Capitalism

A

-Private business/ enterprise allowed.
-Needs of the individual govern

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2
Q

Communism

A

-Government controls the economy
-No class divide
-Everyone is equal
-People get things according to their need

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3
Q

Cold War

A

-Period of hostility between USA and Soviet Union 1945-1990
-instead of open confrontations, the cold war was a war of propaganda, spying, competition

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4
Q

The Grand Alliance

A

-Name given to alliance formed between USSR, USA and UK during WW2 in order to defeat Germany & Japan
-Formed after Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941
-Leaders of these countries met 3 time during the war

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5
Q

Tehran - November 1943

A

-Meeting of leaders of the Grand Alliance (USA, Soviet Union and UK)
-come up with strategy to win the war
-agreed to open up a second front against Germany in Western Europe
-Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan once the war in Europe had been won
-Agreed USSR could keep its land in Poland
-International peace keeping body would be set up

Winston Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt

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6
Q

Yalta - February 1945

A

-met to discuss what to do with Germany after the war
-agreed to divide Germany and Berlin into 4 zones
-agreed to put Nazis on trial
-agreed for the USSR to join war against Japan
-agreed for the USSR to have a sphere if influence in Eastern Europe

Winston Churchill, Stalin and an unwell Roosevelt

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7
Q

Potsdam - July 1945

A

-after war ended
-more rivalry due to changed personalities and personnel
-USA announcement of the atomic bomb
-Divisions of Germany confirmed
-Nazis put on trial

Churchill (had just lost an election), Truman, Stalin

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8
Q

Truman

A

-US president after Roosevelt
-Anti-Soviet
-determined to get tough with Soviets

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9
Q

Roosevelt

A

-President of USA during WW2
-Had a good relationship with Stalin

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10
Q

Sphere of Influence

A

-UK and USA agreed to vague Soviet influence in eastern Europe

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11
Q

Truman Doctrine

A

-outlined USA’s approach to foreign policy
-introduced because of fear of communism spreading and UK’s plea for help in Greek Civil War.
-didn’t mention communism by name but promised to help any country facing subjugation from external powers

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12
Q

Iron Curtain

A

-term used in a speech by Churchill in 1947
-Metaphorical curtain to division between east and west Europe

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13
Q

Containment

A

-US foreign policy to stop communism from spreading further

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14
Q

Marshall plan

A

-Truman Doctrine in action
-provide Europe with financial assistance to ensure they didn’t turn to communism
-By 1953, USA had provided 17 billion dollars to help European countries recover from war
-Soviet union saw this as ‘Dollar Imperialism’

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15
Q

Soviet expansion

A

-post WW2, the red army remained in the countries they had liberated from the Nazis
-gradually increased influence from members of coalition governments by arresting opposition leaders, killing them or rigging elections

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16
Q

Greek Civil War

A

-internal war between monarchists and communists.
-Britain was funding the anti-communist forces and when they were running out of finances, appealed to the USA for help
-this crisis led to the introduction of the Truman Doctrine

17
Q

Berlin Blockade

A

-1st crisis of the Cold War, 1948-1949
-When Stalin blocked all routes into West Berlin: attempt to force Western power out of Berlin
-caused by long-term tensions over how to treat Germany after WW2
-The 1947 decision of Bizonia (merging US and UK zones) added to suspicions
-angered Stalin by giving Marshall aid to West Berlin, planning to create a West German state & introducing a new currency

18
Q

Berlin Airlift

A

-Began 28th June 1948 & lasted for 10 months - called ‘Operation Plainfare’
-Planes took off and landed every 90 seconds
-averaged 4,000 tons of supplies a day
-275,000 flights made to get supplies to West Berlin
-Stalin backed down & called it off 12th May 1949

19
Q

NATO

A

-set up 1949
-confirmed Truman’s commitment to containment
-defensive alliance aimed to stop the spread of communism
-seen as aggressive by Stalin, intensified the arms race

20
Q

Cominform

A

-set up 1947 in response to the Truman Doctrine
-coordinated communist parties across Europe - so they followed soviet economic and foreign policies

21
Q

Warsaw Pact

A

-set up 6 years after NATO.
-prompted by West Germany joining NATO
-military alliance of 8 nations headed by USSR
-designed to counter NATO
-Europe divided into 2 rival alliance systems, which increased rivalry & the arms race

22
Q

Hungarian Uprising

A

-1956
-after Khrushchev’s secret speech, harsh leader, Rakosi, removed
-student demonstrations demanding free elections, free press and withdrawal of Soviet troops
-statue of Stalin pulled down - Tanks sent in & Nagy made PM
-Nagy introduced reforms - released political prisoners & spoke of withdrawing from Warsaw Pact
-prompted Khrushchev to send in 6,000 tanks and 200,000 soldiers
-20,000 Hungarians killed, 200,000 fled
-Soviet control reimposed
-Kadar became the new leader and Nagy was killed

23
Q

Berlin wall: 1961

A

CAUSES:

-continued soviet determination to get the West out of Berlin
-the West received Marshall Aid & had joined NATO, seen as a threat by soviets who wanted to keep Germany crushed
-Summit was organised but a U2 spy plane incident prevented it from going ahead
-Rapid increase in number of refugees leaving Berlin - 20,000 a month -drain of labour and a potential economic output

WHAT HAPPENED?
-Auguest 1961, Khrushchev decided to close border between East and West, barbed wire placed along border
-Concrete wall built within a day

CONSEQUENCES:
-Families were split
-Peace kept as JFK wouldn’t go to war
-Wall became symbol of division
-Soviet Union presented in the Western World as inhumane

24
Q

Bay of Pigs

A

-April 1961
-CIA backed attempt to overthrow Cuban revolution
-USA funded and trained Cuban exiles
-US planes bombed the Cuban air force ahead of invasion
-1500 exiles landed at the bay of pigs but they faced a force of 20,000
-defeated within 3 days- 100 killed and 1100 imprisoned
-Humiliation for the USA, led to increased Soviet links with Cuba

25
Q

Cuban missile crisis

A

-result of military build up in Cuba
-13 day crisis - response to Soviet construction of intermediate range missile bases capable of hitting any US city
-hot point of the Cold war - nuclear war seemed possible
-USA placed a naval blockade around Cuba
-24th Oct - Soviets backed off, avoid confrontation
-Khrushchev sent 2 letters. Missiles removed if blockade ended and promise not to invade
-Khrushchev backed down. JFK later removed US missiles from Turkey
-Crisis led to improved communications and some nuclear disarmament

26
Q

Prague Spring

A

-series of reforms introduced by Dubcek
-reforms became known as ‘Socialism with a human face’
-included greater political freedom, movement towards free elections
-greater links with West proposed, led to Soviet invasion
-Soviet’s concerned about impact on the rest of the satellite states, also did not want to seem weak
-invaded with thousands of soldiers from the Warsaw pact. The West did nothing

27
Q

Brezhnev Doctrine

A

-consequence of Prague spring
-said USSR had right to invade any country in Eastern Europe that threatened security of ‘Eastern Bloc’
-meant communism could not be challenged

28
Q

Détente - 1970s

A

-refers to improved relations during the Cold war brought about after the Cuban missile crisis
-e.g. Hot line, Helsinki accords, Nixon’s visit to Moscow, SALT 1
-5 summit meeting held between Nixon and Brezhnev between 1972-9
-although the détente was a step in the right direction, leaders motives were not as pure as they seemed
-human rights didn’t improve, USSR’s position in E.Europe was strengthened, arms and space race continued
-arms race continued in conventional & smaller weapons not covered by arms talks
-despite SALT agreements, neither side trusted each other enough to lower nuclear arsenal

29
Q

Second Cold war, 1979-85 - Détente breaks down - Invasion of Afghanistan

A

-USSR invade Afghanistan - 1979, aim was to keep a pro USSR govt in power
-USSR wanted to keep control (gas fields)
-Invaded with 50,000 troops
-Invasion condemned by UN - Ended Détente
-By 1988, Afghan resistance (Mujahidin) controlled 75% of the country, USSR forces withdrew
-USA (Carter) suspended ratification of SALT II, ordered US athletes to boycott 1980 Olympics in Moscow, stopped USSR buying US grain

30
Q

Reagan and his policies

A

-Replaced Carter in 1980
-believed that Détente had caused the USA to lose ground to USSR
-Launched aggressive anti-Soviet Foreign Policy (launched Strategic Defense Initiative)
-Star wars - expensive programme to develop anti-missile weapons using lasers, stop USA from taking 1st strike (NUTS), (MAD)
-USSR built nuclear ARSENAL further

31
Q

Ending of the cold war and why

A

-Impulse from East by Gorbachev
-Limited but significant from the West - role of Reagan
-Collapse of communism due to internal pressure

32
Q

Gorbachev’s aims - 1985

A

-Inherited stagnation - wanted to introduce reforms - needed to change soviet foreign policy
-AIMS:
1.Withdraw from Afghanistan - failure & cost
2.Improve relations with China
3.Seek Détente with the USA - reduce defence spending, -borrow money from Western banks to pay for food from abroad, - persuade Western firm to build factories in the USSR

-Introduced Perestroika (restructuring of economy and governments), Glasnost (openness and transparency of the government
-announced ban on nuclear testing and readiness to meet Reagan

33
Q

Reagan’s response

A

-took USSR military threat seriously & followed a strong defense policy
-responded positively to Gorby’s offer to Détente
-when they met, got on well, Reagan announced USA would keep to agreement of SALT II
-Geneva 1985 - good atmosphere, Gorby proposed a 15 year timetable for ridding world of nuclear weapons
-Talks in Reykjavik broke down over Star Wars (Oct ‘86)
-Geneva talks continued & brought success, by ‘87 there was pressure on US govt, Reagan wanted a place in history

34
Q

Achievements

A

-Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty - 1987, agreed to eliminate all intermediate missiles in Europe within 3 years - 4% of existing stocks of nuclear weapons & Reagan unwilling to give up Star Wars - turning point in affairs
-Progress made on reduction of NATO & Warsaw Pact on conventional forces
-Talks on long range missiles (SALT) renamed Strategic arms reduction talks (START)
-1991 - START treaty agreed a significant reduction in weapons

35
Q

Gorby and Reagan

A

-very important
-Gorby’s different approach brought change in Reagans attitude
-Gorby - very popular in USA
-Willingness to Co-operate, his withdrawal from Afghanistan and collapse of Eastern Europe, paved the way for the End of the Cold War

36
Q

GLOSSARY

A

Domino theory - once some nations fall to communism then others in the area will be knocked over in turn - caused US to adopt policy of containment - basis of Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

SALT - Strategic arms limitation talks - to decrease rate of nuclear arms build up 1972-77
SALT II - 1979, this wasn’t signed by the USA because of the USSRs invasion of Afghanistan

History (3 decks)

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