cold war Flashcards
1
Q
What was the Grand Alliance?
A
UK, USA and USSR against Nazi Germany
2
Q
What happened at the Tehran Conference?
A
- 2nd front agreed in France
- USSR to fight Japan
- United Nations discussed
- Germany to be punished
- Poland gets land from Germany
- Soviets will have a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe
3
Q
What were the consequences of the Tehran Conference?
A
- Stalin happy at 2nd front in France
- Germany to be de-Nazified
- Churchill unhappy due to no 2nd front in the Balkans
- USA and USSR emerging as the only 2 superpowers
4
Q
What happened at the Yalta Conference?
A
- Germany to be split into 4
- Germany to pay reparations
- Nazi party banned
- UN to be set up
- Free elections in Europe
- USSR to fight Japan
5
Q
What happened at the Potsdam Conference?
A
- Germany defeated
- Truman is new US President
- USA tested atomic bomb
- USSR not leaving Eastern Europe
- Berlin divided in 4 zones
- Reparations taken from own zone
6
Q
What were the consequences of the Potsdam Conference?
A
- Relations worsen
- Truman outwardly dislikes communism
- Ending of Grand Alliance
- USSR felt threatened by atomic bomb
- USA felt USSR was taking over Eastern Europe
7
Q
How did the Cold War develop between 1945-47?
A
- Kennan Long and Novikov telegrams
- Iron Curtain Speech
- Creation of satellite states
- Truman Doctrine
- Marshall Plan
- Comecon and Cominform
8
Q
What was the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?
A
- Named after the American President who came up with the idea
- It was simply to contain Communism
- The Marshall Plan was how it would work
- Marshall Plan was to give money to Western Europe to stop it going Communist
9
Q
What were Comecon and Cominform?
A
- Soviet Union’s reaction to Marshall Plan (called it Dollar Imperialism)
- Comecon was all communist countries to share their economy for the benefit of each other
- Cominform was an alliance of sharing information between communist countries (it allowed the USSR to further control its satellite states)
10
Q
What happened during the 1948 Berlin Crisis?
A
- Allies combine zones (Trizonia)
- Stalin feels ganged up on
- West Berlin could be used as a base against communism
- Stalin angry at Marshall Plan
- USSR blockades Berlin
- USA airlift goods in
- Stalin gives in and ends blockade
11
Q
What were the consequences of the 1948 Berlin Crisis?
A
- West and East Germany formally established
- NATO and Warsaw Pact created
- Arms race intensifies
- Space race with US and USSR
- Tensions worsen
12
Q
What happened during the Hungarian Uprising?
A
- Khrushchev’s De-Stalinisation speech encouraged Hungarians to resist
- Hungarians unhappy at poor living conditions
- New Hungarian leader Imre Nagy reforms Hungary
- Nagy says Hungary should leave Warsaw Pact
- New USSR leader Khrushchev wants to stop this
13
Q
What were the consequences of the Hungarian Uprising?
A
- Soviets invade and end Hungarian Uprising
- Nagy killed
- Khrushchev appears strong
- USA weak as they only complain
- USA won’t risk nuclear war (MAD)
- UN do nothing
- Satellite states won’t look to USA for help anymore
14
Q
What was the backdrop to Berlin Wall? PART 1
A
- East Germans have low standard of living
- Many leave for West Berlin (refugee crisis)
- Khrushchev gives ultimatum (demand backed by threat) for Western troops to leave Berlin
- Threatens another blockade
15
Q
What was the backdrop to Berlin Wall? PART 2
A
- USA and USSR meet at summit meetings to negotiate and no agreement is reached
- Khrushchev orders Berlin Wall to be built
- Berlin cut into two Communist East & Capitalist West
16
Q
What were the consequences of the Berlin Wall?
A
- Wall stopped people leaving
- Communism continues in East Berlin
- Physical symbol of the divide between USA and USSR
- Kennedy appeared strong
- Wall actually stopped a nuclear war
17
Q
What was the background to the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A
- Castro sends sugar to USSR in return for weapons
- Castro turns Cuba communist
- USA send Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro (Bay of Pigs) which fails
- Khrushchev now sees US leader Kennedy as weak
- Khrushchev begins to send nuclear weapons to Cuba
18
Q
What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis? (The 13 days)
A
- USA U2 spy plane spots nuclear sites on Cuba and USSR ships approaching
- Khrushchev did it to even score (USA had nuclear bases in Turkey)
- Kennedy announces crisis to nation
- Kennedy does a naval blockade of Cuba to stop more nuclear weapons arriving
- 2 telegrams sent between Kennedy and Khrushchev
- USA accepts 2nd telegram (missiles removed from Cuba & Turkey)
19
Q
What were the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A
- Missiles removed on Cuba & Turkey
- Khrushchev loses job
- Kennedy comes out looking strong
- Hotline between USA & USSR set up
- Test Ban Treaty signed (not to test nuclear weapons in atmosphere, underwater etc)
- Outer Space Treaty signed
- Nuclear-Proliferation Treaty (prevent spread of nuclear tech)
- (all above about reducing nuclear
weapons in some way) - Brinkmanship ends (gaining an advantageous outcome through dangerous actions)
20
Q
What happened during the Prague Spring?
A
- Czechs unhappy at living standards
- New Czech leader Alexander Dubcek reforms Czechoslovakia
- Dubcek wants people to have more freedom and to bring in capitalist elements to the economy
- Dubcek wants free elections
- New USSR leader Brezhnev wants to stop this (especially free elections)
21
Q
What were the consequences of the Prague Spring?
A
- Soviets invade and end Prague Spring (Dubcek removed)
- Brezhnev appears strong
- Brezhnev Doctrine introduced (any threat to socialist rule was a threat to all countries under such rule)
- USA weak as they only complain
- USA won’t risk nuclear war and were distracted by Vietnam
- UN do nothing
- Some communist countries angry at USSR’s actions
22
Q
Why did the USA and USSR follow a policy of Detente?
A
- Means a policy of better relations
- Worried about MAD
- USA and USSR also did it due to wanting to focus on own issues at home (Viet. war)
23
Q
What happened during SALT 1?
A
- Only USA and USSR at SALT 1
- Means Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
- Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed
- Interim Treaty signed
- Basic Principle Agreement made
- Mainly about reducing nuclear weapons
- Although, most up to date technology not covered
24
Q
What happened at the Helsinki Accords?
A
- All NATO and Warsaw Pact countries attend this time
- Agreements broken into baskets
- BASKET 1: Borders of Europe accepted
- BASKET 2: Share technology
- BASKET 3: Basic human rights in all countries
25
What happened at SALT 2?
- USA and USSR met to cover areas missed in SALT 1
- More weapons reduction agreed
- Détente ends when USSR invades Afghanistan
- USA believes USSR are spreading communism again
- USA wants to look tough after problems in Iran
26
What happened during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
- USSR worried about hardline Islam coming from Afghanistan into their country
- New Afghan government appears pro USA
- USSR invades to stop these threats
- Pro USSR government set up
- Détente officially ends
27
What were the consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
- USA impose sanctions on USSR
- US President Carter introduces his Carter Doctrine
- USA gives weapons to Afghan rebels
- USA boycotts 1980 Moscow Olympic Games
- USSR responds and boycotts 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games
28
What role did US President Ronald Reagan play?
- Reagan very hostile to communism and introduces the Reagan Doctrine
- Increases spending on weapons
- Reagan calls USSR an evil empire
- Announces the USA have the SDI Programme (known as Star Wars)
- USA do not really have this technology yet
- Done to trick the USSR who panic as they can’t keep up
- Leads to Gorbachev’s ‘new thinking’
29
What problems did new Soviet leader Gorbachev and USSR face?
- No industrial growth
- Near bankruptcy
- Poor living standards in USSR
- Satellite states not happy with USSR control
- Previous poor leadership in USSR (2 leaders had died in quick succession)
- Expensive war in Afghanistan
30
What was Gorbachev’s New Thinking?
- Restructuring means more capitalist features
- Glasnost means more freedom of speech
- Drop the Brezhnev Doctrine (More freedom to satellite states)
- Was meant to end money troubles and keep the people happy
31
What were the consequences of Gorbachev’s ‘new thinking’?
- USA now soften approach to the USSR
- USA and USSR meet at summit meetings to try to end Cold War
- Soviets lose control of satellite states
- Berlin Wall comes down
- Warsaw Pact ends
- Cold War declared over at Malta Conference
- Gorbachev falls from power and USSR breaks up
