cold war Flashcards

1
Q

D-day invasion date

A

6/6/44

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2
Q

nazi soviet pact date

A

1939

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3
Q

what leads to the marriage of convenience in 1941?

A

operation Barbarossa and pearl harbour

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4
Q

Yalta agreements (6 points)

A
  • Japan
  • free and fair elections
  • war criminals
  • GER into zones and Berlin into sectors
  • UN
  • Eastern Europe seen as soviet SoI
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5
Q

yalta date and who was there

A

feb 1945
Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin

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6
Q

potsdam date and who was there

A

July 1945
Clement Atlee, Truman, Stalin

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7
Q

yalta disagreements (one MAJOR point)

A

POLAND
- Stalin wanted to move USSR’s borders westwards into Poland and Poland’s boarders westwards into Germany –> Churchill didn’t approve but there was nothing he could do as Stalin’s red army was in total control of Poland and eastern Germany —> Roosevelt didn’t approve either but Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to accept it, as long as the USSR agreed not to interfere in Greece where the British were attempting to prevent the communists from taking over. Stalin accepted this.

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8
Q

potsdam agreements

A
  • Germany would be divided and reparations would be paid
  • Poland’s eastern border would be moved west
  • Denazification - Nazi party banned
  • Decentralization
  • Demilitarization
  • Democratization - bring democracy to Germany
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9
Q

potsdam disagreements

A
  • deindustrialization (deindustrialize germany, get everything from them) - Stalin yes brit and America no because they were trading partners
  • Stalin wanted to cripple Germany completely to protect the Ussr against future threats, however Truman did not want a repetition of the First World War and the T of V
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10
Q

what happened in potsdam that made Truman unhappy about Russian intentions?

A

Stalin had won agreement from the allies that he could set up pro-soviet governments in Eastern Europe.
he said: “If the slav (majority of Eastern Europe) people are united, no one will dare move a finger against them”. Truman adopted a ‘get tough’ attitude towards Stalin

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11
Q

What was Stalin convinced of after many western countries sent troops to fight the Russian revolution?

A

That the west would seize any chance, embrace any ally in order to destroy communism

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12
Q

Why did FDR manage capitalism?

A

For the public good. As a result of the Great Depression, American politics shifted to the left, and the West worried that a communist revolution (just like the Russian revolution) would take place

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13
Q

What did Stalin conclude from the Munich conference?

A

that the western democracies would never stand up to Hitler, therefore, he signed the nazi-soviet pact because he needed time to rearm

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14
Q

Positive and negative impacts on relations - D-day invasion

A

positive - took away German attention from eastern front
negative- took too long. mistrust and suspicion by USSR towards west

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15
Q

Where did Churchill’s ‘iron curtain’ speech take place?

A

Foulton, Missouri
Truman invited Churchill to speak in a college even though Churchill was no longer prime minister. Really showed Truman’s and Churchill’s alliance and shared hate towards communism.

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16
Q

What was the “iron curtain” speech

A

a metaphor used by Churchill in relation to the ideological separations in Europe. A ‘curtain’ that divided non- communist Europe to communist Europe. Churchill had to convince the American people that behind the ‘iron curtain’ lay an Europe which did not allow peace. The ‘iron’ symbolized an impenetrable division.

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17
Q

How did Stalin take over Eastern Europe? (timeline)

A

1-shared power in a coalition government after free elections
2- took over civil service, media, security and defense
3-forced their opponents out of office through threats and bribery
4- Outlawed all opposition parties
5- Fixed elections to ensure communist victory
6- Executed opponents to leave them in total control of communist puppet states in Eastern Europe

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18
Q

What was the Marshall Plan?

A
  • 17 billion dollars to Europe to aid countries so that they didn’t feel the need to turn to communism
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19
Q

What was Stalin’s reaction to the Marshall Plan?

A

Comecon. Soviet planned economy so that countries would become communist. Stalin thought the Marshall plan tore away his soviet sphere of influence

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20
Q

Why was Yugoslavia an unique case?

A

Yugoslavia became communist without help from Moscow. Yugoslav leader Tito became ally with Stalin but Stalin thought Tito had too much power so he expelled him from the common form. Tito turned to the West and requested American economic assistence. In 1950 he signed an agreement with the US. Yugoslavia had emerged from behind the iron curtain. 150 million dollars worth of aid to Yugoslavia

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21
Q

What was ‘Bizonia’

A

In January 1948, US and Britain merge their parts of Germany, which contained 75% of German population and most of industry

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22
Q

why was the role of the west against the Berlin blockade significant?

A

it showed Stalin that the west was willing to fight for democracy - they were prepared to resist communism

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23
Q

trizonia

A

France then merged its zone with Bizonia in April 1949

24
Q

events between yalta and potsdam

A

12 April 1945: Roosevelt dies. Succeeded by vice-president Harry Truman
16 April: Soviets attack Berlin
30 April: Hitler commits suicide
2 May: Forces in Berlin surrender
8 May: V-E day (victory in Europe) - Germany surrenders
16 July: US tests atomic bomb
17 July: Beginning of Potsdam conference

25
Q

why did the wartime alliance begin to break down in 1945? (6 points)

A
  • the conflicting beliefs of the superpowers
  • long-term distrust
  • misunderstandings between the leaders
  • personalities of the leaders
  • actions by the USA
  • actions by the USSR
26
Q

What was the Cold War?

A

a propaganda war. no direct fighting. indirect fighting through puppet states (eg. Vietnam, Korea). indirect provocations and the on-going threat of an actual war breaking out.

27
Q

what was the Berlin blockade and the US airlift.

A

Stalin blocked all railways, roads and access to Berlin in hopes Berliners would become desperate because of their empty pockets and tummies and turn to communism. US’s response was to send necessities and goods by airlifts. This showed the West’s commitment to Berlin and the west’s will to fight against communism.

28
Q

results of Berlin crisis

A
  • germany divided into 2 sectors
  • nato set up in April 1949
  • any chance of reconciliation seemed lost
  • Berlin became a symbol of the Cold War
  • Berlin became a potential flashpoint
29
Q

Berlin blockade date

A

june 1948

30
Q

what impact did NATO and the Warsaw pact have on relations?

A

increased tension. beginning of an arms race that led the public to believe a war would break out, or else why would they be arming?

31
Q

why did Stalin not like the Marshall plan?

A

he called it ‘dollar imperialism’, meaning that the US was trying to control countries in Europe economically for their own benefit. he thought it tore away his soviet sphere of influence

32
Q

The Korean war

A

1945- Korea was split along the 38th parallel (a communist north led by Kim il sung and a non-communist south)
1950- Kim il sung invaded south korea
September 1950- the NKPA (North Korean people’s army) had conquered almost the whole of South Korea
USA went to the UN and got them to send troops to defend south korea
Russians couldn’t veto because they were boycotting the UN
september 1950- UN troops led by US General Macarthur landed in Korea and drove the NKPA back
October 1950- UN forces had conquered almost all of North Korea
november 1950- Chinese people’s volunteers drove the Americans back, recaptured North Korea and advanced into South Korea.
Americans landed more troops and drove the Chinese back to the 38th parallel. war went on to 1953 when president Eisenhower offered peace but threatened to use the atomic bomb if china did not accept

33
Q

domino theory

A

theory developed by the US
the idea that if one country fell to communism, others would follow like a row of dominoes

34
Q

Cuban revolution

A

1959- castro overthrew batista and established a communist government
April 1961- Bay of pigs:
1. Kennedy supplied arms and equipment to cuban exiles in order to overthrow castro
2. They landed at the Bay of Pigs, and were humiliated by cuban forces- captured or killed within days
3. soviet president, Khrushchev saw Kennedy’s attempts at overthrowing castro as weak

35
Q

cuban missile crisis:

A

May 1962- USSR publicly announced it was supplying cuba with arms
Kennedy warned Khrushchev that he would not tolerate nuclear weapons on cuba
14 October 1962- American U2 spy planes saw evidence of nuclear missile sites being built on Cuba
Kennedy’s military advisors wanted to launch a full military invasion of Cuba
20 October 1962- Kennedy decides on a blockade on Cuba, to prevent nuclear weapons reaching Cuba, and threatens to fire on any soviet ship that breaks blockade
28 October- Khruschev agrees to withdraw arms from Cuba. and Kennedy agrees not to attack Cuba

36
Q

what impact did the cuban missile crisis have on relations between the USA and the USSR

A

relations actually improved as a result, as they both realized how close they’d come to starting nuclear war

37
Q

Why did the USSR put nuclear weapons on Cuba?

A
  1. bargaining tool against the US
  2. test Kennedy’s resolve strength (Khruschev saw him as a weak leader)
  3. to prevent US launching their weapons against USSR (US had nuclear weapons in Turkey at this stage)
  4. to defend the new communist regime in Cuba

note: also, cuba was basically the US’s backyard, a missile launched in cuba could reach Miami in 20 mins

38
Q

Cuban missile crisis outcomes

A
  • cuba remained communist, but without nuclear weapons
  • both leaders emerged stronger: Kennedy seen as having stood up to Khruschev, and Khruschev had protected communist regime in Cuba
  • relations between the two countries began to thaw
  • possible dangers of containment seen, and public opinion in US changes- they had been scared by the prospect of nuclear attack
39
Q

Warsaw pact

A

1955
political and military alliance
collective defense treaty
established by the Soviet Union and seven other soviet satellite states
East’s NATO

40
Q

successes of the Korean war

A
  • South Korea remained out of communist hands
  • sends a clear message to Stalin, China, American people, America’s allies and the rest of the world that the US is willing to fight for democracy
  • no nuclear weapons used
41
Q

failures of the Korean war

A
  • 1.4 million deaths
  • American military leaders thought Truman was weak
  • tension between politicians and military
  • North Korea still communist
  • china still communist
  • increased tension- both sides have nuclear weapons
42
Q

USA and USSR defeat Germany - date + impact on relations

A

May 8th 1945
Negative- marriage of convenience was no longer convenient

43
Q

yalta conference - date + impact on relations

A

Feb 1945
positive- marriage of convenience= more agreements

44
Q

potsdam conference - date + impact on relations

A

Jul 1945
Negative-no longer marriage of convenience = less agreements

45
Q

Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs -date + impact on relations

A

Aug 1945
Negative- altered the balance of power - security dilemma

46
Q

Soviet expansion Inyo Eastern Europe - date + impact on relations

A

1945- 1948
negative- millions of Russian soldiers “before the armies of democracy melt away”

47
Q

Truman doctrine and Marshall Plan - date + impact on relations

A

1947
Negative USSR saw it as a threat to their Soviet Sphere of Influence

48
Q

Berlin blockade- date + impact on relations

A

june 1948
negative- potential flashpoint

49
Q

Formation of NATO - date + impact on relations

A

1949
Negative- excluded the USSR. Stalin saw it as an offensive alliance

50
Q

USSR has the atomic bomb - date + impact on relations

A

1949
positive- balanced security

51
Q

Korean war- date + impact on relations

A

1950
Negative- they fought indirectly

52
Q

Death of Stalin - date + impact on relations

A

1953
Positive- USSR weakened: less tension

53
Q

Warsaw pact formed - date + impact on relations

A

1955
Positive - balances security dilemma

54
Q

Geneva conference - date + impact on relations

A

1864- 1949
positive- willingness to talk and fix things

55
Q

Khrushchev talks of peaceful co-existence

A

1956
positive- no one worse than Stalin took charge, good for ending the Cold War - destalinization

56
Q

NATO

A

1949
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
military alliance
signed in Washington