Cold War

Question 1

what happened at the Tehran conference BUGS

Answer 1

1943
Britain and America would invade nazi controlled France
United Nations organisations would be set up after war.
Generals and military bosses would keep in close touch
Stalin would fight Japan once Germany was defeated (with the allies)

Question 2

what happened at the Yalta conference GREW

Answer 2

1945
1. Germany would be divided into 4 zones that the allies would occupy after the war and Berlin
2. Russia would join the United Nations
3. European countries freed by the nazis would be democratic and independent Stalin agreed to to allow free elections in the countries of eastern Europe with had been occupied by the soviet army
4. war criminal trials set up to try nazi leaders

Question 3

what happened at the Potsdam conference BREAD
1945

Answer 3

1. Ban the nazi party sand all nazi laws 2. Reduce germanys size by 25% compared to 1937 borders.
2. establish the 4 part division of Germany into British French s and soviet zones.
3. Allow Russia to take reparations (fines) from soviet government of Germany
4. destroy all factories producing military goods in Germany.

Question 4

what were some disagreements had at Potsdam ARGUE

Answer 4

1. Arrest of non communist polish leaders by Stalin.
2. Reparations to be paid- Stalin wanted more
3. Germanys future- Stalin wanted to cripple it. Truman wanted to help it
4. The USA had a secret atomic bomb that Stalin found out about
5. Eastern European communists were coming to power

Question 5

what is a satellite state

Answer 5

‘Satellite states’ are countries that are officially independent, meaning they make their own rules and laws like any other country. However in reality they are influenced or controlled (politically, economically and/or militarily) by another country. This control can be a lot or a little.

Question 6

what was the Truman doctrine

Answer 6

In March 1947, President Truman made a speech to the US Congress in which he promised that the USA would provide aid to any country taking a stand against communism. This was developed into The Truman Doctrine. The USA was now fully committed to a policy of containment, or stopping the spread of communism.

Question 7

what was the Marshall plan.

Answer 7

Marshall recommended spending a lot of money - over $12 billion to be exact. This Marshall Aid. money would be spent to help the economies of Western Europe recover after World War Two and make them less likely to fall prey to communism.

Question 8

what was the long telegram

Answer 8

The Long Telegram (February 1946)

In 1946, George Kennan, an official at the US Embassy in Moscow, was asked to provide a summary of what the Soviets were up to. His response became known as The Long Telegram because at 8,000 words, it was indeed long!
In much fewer than 8,000 words, what Kennan’s telegram said was that the USSR was heavily armed and feared the outside world. It was determined to spread communism and therefore there could be no peaceful co-existence between the USSR and the USA. However, the USA was stronger than the USSR and so communism could be ‘contained’.

Question 9

what was the Novikov telegram

Answer 9

The Soviet response to The Long Telegram was The Novikov Telegram, in which the Soviet ambassador to the USA, Nikolai Novikov, warned that the USA had emerged from World War Two economically strong and bent on world domination. As a result, the USSR needed to secure its buffer zone in Eastern Europe.

Question 10

what was significant about the long and Novikov telegrams

Answer 10

These two telegrams set the scene for the Cold War in Europe. The USSR would attempt to dominate Eastern Europe and spread communism where possible. The USA would commit to a policy of ‘containment’.

Question 11

what was the USAs main focus over the Cold War

Answer 11

containment
An American policy to try and stop communism from spreading, to restrict it from spreading to other countries.

Question 12

What was Comecon

Answer 12

In January 1949 it (USSR) also established Comecon – the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance – to administer its own Molotov Plan of financial aid to keep the Eastern Bloc countries on side. Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania all joined the Soviet Union in this group and were joined by Albania and East Germany shortly after. The group was not as successful as it might have been as the USSR dominated in terms of industrial production and total economy size, however all countries were committed to Communist economic theory such as state-ownership and state-planning of the economy. The group became more important after Cominform disbanded in 1956.

Question 13

what was the Berlin Blockade

Answer 13

On 24th June 1948, Stalin cut all land access to Berlin for the Allies. This became known as the Berlin Blockade.

This meant:

Berlin could now only be accessed by air, resulting in a restriction on the freedom to travel outside Berlin for all Germans.
A shortage of food - West Berlin only had enough food for 36 days.
A lack of basic goods like fuel and medicines.

Question 14

what is NATO

Answer 14

Military Pact Alliance between the west

It was formed in April 1949

Aims

To resist an attack by the USSR on the USA or its Allies in Western Europe, based on the principle of collective security and that an armed attack on one of its members was an attack on them all
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Question 15

What was the Warsaw Pact

Answer 15

Created in May 1955

Aims

To resist an attack on the Soviet bloc by the USA or its NATO allies. This group, along with Comecon, would become even more important in keeping the Soviet bloc together after 1956 when Cominform disbanded

Question 16

what was the grand alliance

Answer 16

Made up of the big 3 USA ussr uk they were united by the desire to defeat nazi Germany

Question 17

Hiroshima and Nagasaki bomb details

Answer 17

On 6 August 1945, the USA dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The blast devastated an area of five square miles, destroying more than 60 per cent of the city’s buildings and killing around 140,000 people. Three days later the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people.

Question 18

what is the iron curtain

Answer 18

A phrase used by Winston Churchill to describe the division in Europe between the communist east and capitalist west.

Question 19

what was the Truman doctrine

Answer 19

In March 1947, President Truman made a speech to the US Congress in which he promised that the USA would provide aid to any country taking a stand against communism. This was developed into The Truman Doctrine. The USA was now fully committed to a policy of containment, or stopping the spread of
communism.
.

Question 20

what is Cominform

Answer 20

In September 1947 it set up Cominform – the Communist Information Bureau – which had as its aim to tighten Soviet control in Eastern Europe, to build collective heavy industry in those countries and to create a trade network between Communist countries. It published its own newspaper to spread Communist ideals and held conferences in the Eastern Bloc. However, its effectiveness was limited, as demonstrated when Yugoslavia left the group in June 1948.

Question 21

what is Comecon

Answer 21

In January 1949 it also established Comecon – the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance – to administer its own Molotov Plan of financial aid to keep the Eastern Bloc countries on side. Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania all joined the Soviet Union in this group and were joined by Albania and East Germany shortly after. The group was not as successful as it might have been as the USSR dominated in terms of industrial production and total economy size, however all countries were committed to Communist economic theory such as state-ownership and state-planning of the economy. The group became more important after Cominform disbanded in 1956.

Question 22

what was the usa’s relationship with Cuba until 1959 like

Answer 22

Cuba is an island just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Until 1959, it was closely allied to the United States under the leadership of the right-wing dictator, General Batista. There was considerable American investment in Cuba and the USA was the chief consumer of Cuba’s sugar and tobacco.

Question 23

what happened in 1959 between Cuba and USA

Answer 23

In 1959 Batista was overthrown in a revolution led by Fidel Castro. One of Castro’s first moves was to go to the USA to secure support for his new state, but President Eisenhower refused to speak with him. At the United Nations office in New York, Castro talked with representatives of the Soviet Union, and they offered their support for his new government. Castro had not been a
communist before 1960, but was drawn to communism by the friendship and support offered by Khrushchev and his government. Castro nationalised all American-owned companies in Cuba, and refused to pay compensation. The USA then had a communist state ‘in its own backyard’.

Question 24

what was the usa response to the cuban revolution

Answer 24

Trade embargo: The US imposed a trade embargo on Cuban goods, depriving Cubans of a market for their sugar and tobacco and the income to import oil and other essential goods.

This backfired badly on the Americans as it meant the Cubans then looked to the USSR for a market for their sugar. The Soviets were only too happy to oblige and were soon supplying Cuba with oil and weapons.

Question 25

What was the bay of pigs

Answer 25

The Bay of Pigs: In April 1961, just after he was installed as President of the USA, John F Kennedy approved a plan to invade Cuba and overthrow communism. The CIA landed 1,400 Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba with the aim of provoking an anti-communist uprising. Almost at the last minute, Kennedy cancelled an order that had promised the Cuban resistance US Air Force support for their coup d’etat. The lack of air support meant the rebels were easily defeated when they were met by 20,000 heavily armed Cuban troops. All were captured or killed.

Question 26

when did the usa discover missiles on Cuba and what did this mean for the us

Answer 26

On 14 October 1962, an American spy plane flying over Cuba took pictures that showed the construction of Soviet missile launch sites. Experts estimated that they would be ready to fire in seven days. Meanwhile, another American spy plane discovered 20 Soviet ships carrying nuclear missiles in the Atlantic Ocean heading for Cuba.

Cuba was only 90 miles from the coast of Florida meaning that the USA, including many of its biggest cities like Washington DC and New York, would be well within range of these missiles. The lives of 80 million Americans were at stake.

Question 27

what was the reaction to the Prague spring from the rest of Europe

Answer 27

As Brezhnev had anticipated, the USA was too involved in Vietnam to do anything about the situation in Czechoslovakia. The US government condemned the Soviet invasion but offered no military assistance. This lack of action from the USA was mirrored by other NATO and Western European countries.
However, the reaction of communist parties in Western Europe was more surprising and they showed their disapproval by distancing themselves from the Communist Party of the USSR.
The Yugoslav and Romanian governments also condemned the Soviet invasion and began to foster closer links with China. This was significant because it showed a weakening of the Soviet Union’s
ideological power in Eastern Europe.

Question 28

what were the causes of the Prague spring

Answer 28

1968
1. The hard-line communist leader, Antonin Novotny, was unpopular. His rule was characterised by
censorship of the press and a lack of personal freedom for ordinary citizens.
2. The Czech economy was weak and many Czechs were bitter that the
USSR controlled their economy for its own benefit.
3. Czech farmers had to follow Communist Party guidance on what to produce and efforts to modernise farming were discouraged.
4. Some Czechs thought the USA would come to their assistance if they stood up to Moscow.

Question 29

Basic overview of the Prague spring

Answer 29

Czechoslovakia had been a
communist country, controlled by Moscow, since the end of World War Two. In 1968 the Czech people attempted to exert some control over their own lives and reform the communist system to create ‘Socialism with a human face’. That meant keeping the socialist model of government but guaranteeing a better delivery of goods, services and freedoms to the Czech people. This attempt, known as the Prague Spring, lasted for four months until it was crushed by the Soviet
Red Army.

Question 30

what was the brain drain and why was it a reason the Berlin Wall was built

Answer 30

The Brain Drain: throughout the 1950s thousands of East Germans had fled to the West through Berlin, leaving behind the harsh political climate and economic hardship of life under communism. Many of those who defected were educated or highly skilled workers and the East German authorities could not afford to lose their best and brightest citizens.

Question 31

what are some of the reasons the Berlin Wall was built

Answer 31

The Brain Drain: throughout the 1950s thousands of East Germans had fled to the West through Berlin, leaving behind the harsh political climate and economic hardship of life under communism

Lure of the West: during the 1950s travel was relatively easy between the Eastern and Western sectors of Berlin. People living under communism in the Eastern sector could visit the West and see what
capitalism offered. There was better housing, shops full of goods and relative freedom: all provided by the Western Allies.

Espionage: Berlin was a Western island in a communist sea – an ideal place for American spies to gather intelligence on the Soviet military.

Question 32

what were results of the Paris summit

Answer 32

There was no agreement on a Test Ban Treaty.

America was embarrassed as it was shown to have lied about the U2 plane’s mission, and to be using methods of espionage which were morally suspect. They no longer held the ‘moral high ground’ in the Cold War. This would lead the young John F Kennedy to campaign as a tough anti-communist warrior in the 1960 presidential election campaign.
Nothing was resolved on the issues of Berlin and Cuba. Both would remain major sources of tension in the Cold War.

The relationship between the USA and the USSR deteriorated even further, heightening Cold War tensions.

Question 33

what was on the agenda for the Paris summit

Answer 33

Nuclear weapons and the need for a Test Ban Treaty: both sides knew the potential destructive power of nuclear weapons and were keen to avoid turning bits of the planet into
radioactiveno-go areas.

Berlin: the Soviets were exasperated that East Germans were continuing to escape to the West.

Cuba: the Americans were concerned that the recent revolution in Cuba had created a communist government on their doorstep.

Question 34

what is salt 1

Answer 34

In 1972 SALT I. (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) was signed by Nixon and the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev. The agreement restricted the number of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) both sides could have, but was criticised by some for not limiting the production of new nuclear weapons.

Question 35

what is the Helsinki agreement

Answer 35

In 1975, the Helsinki Agreement was signed by 35 countries including the USA and the USSR. These countries were signing up to recognise the European borders established after World War Two as well as to some basic human rights such as freedom of speech. This effectively meant that the Western Allies recognised Soviet control over Eastern Europe. It also meant that, after decades of communist dictatorship, the Soviet Union had signed up to a basic human rights agreement.

however the ussr didn’t stick to its word and did not grant freedom of speech or movement the undermined the agreement and made the usa distrust the ussr

Question 36

what is salt 2

Answer 36

was due to be signed in 1979. The treaty would ban the usa and ussr from launching new missile programs and limited the number of MIRVs that each country could have

however due to the soviet invasion of Afghanistan it was never signed

Question 37

what was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 37

In September 1979 the Afghan politician, Amin, arranged for the murder of the communist Prime Minister, Taraki, and Amin seized control. Amin entered into discussions with the US.
This alarmed the USSR who didn’t want American influence on their Southern border. On 24 December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. Amin was assassinated and a pro-Moscow leader, Babrak Karmal, was installed in his place.

Question 38

what challenges did the soviet red army face in Afghanistan

Answer 38

The Soviet Red Army was ill-prepared for the desert and mountain landscapes of Afghanistan.
The Mujahideen had expert local knowledge and used the deserts and mountainous terrain to their advantage.
The Mujahideen were extremely motivated as they were fighting for their homeland and their religion against a foreign invader.

Question 39

what is the Carter doctrine

Answer 39

The Carter Doctrine: Believing that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan might lead to threats to US interests in the Persian Gulf, in January 1980 the US President, Jimmy Carter, announced in his State of the Union Address that the US was extending its policy of containment to the
Middle East. The Carter Doctrine stated that the USA was prepared to use force to stop any country from gaining control over the oil rich states of the Middle East.

Question 40

what was the USAs response to the soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 40

Seeing the situation in Afghanistan as an extension of the Cold War, the US supported the Mujahideen against their old enemy, the USSR, and refused to sign SALT II.

Alongside this, Carter formed an alliance with China and Israel to support the Mujahideen rebels against the USSR, and the CIA secretly provided the Mujahideen with weapons and funds. The USA also imposed economic sanctions on the Soviet Union and abolished most US-Soviet trade, which led to deterioration in diplomatic relations between the superpowers.

In 1980 the USA boycotted the Moscow Olympics in protest at the invasion of Afghanistan. The USSR would return the favour by boycotting the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles!

Question 41

when and how did the soviet invasion of Afghanistan end

Answer 41

Afghanistan became the Soviet Union’s Vietnam: an expensive, embarrassing war with little hope of victory, where they were beaten by local guerrilla forces.

It dragged on until 1988 when the Soviet leader, who by then was Mikhail Gorbachev, signed a deal to end the war and the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989.

Question 42

who was Ronald Reagan

Answer 42

In 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States (his matching number in Moscow was still the ailing Brezhnev). Reagan was a committed Republican and anti-communist who, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals, referred to the Soviet Union as ‘that evil empire’.

Question 43

what was the strategic defence initiative

Answer 43

The Strategic Defence Initiative
(SDI), nicknamed ‘Star Wars’ after the popular film, was a plan to create a system using satellites and lasers to shoot down any missiles that might be launched by the USSR against the USA. This plan, had it been initiated, would have swung the nuclear balance strongly in the USA’s favour.

Question 44

Reagan increased US defence spending by $32.6 billion but what did he spend it on

Answer 44

The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), nicknamed ‘Star Wars’ after the popular film

The US military developed a
neutron bomb. The Soviet Union described the neutron bomb as ‘a capitalist weapon’ because it was designed to destroy people while leaving their property intact. While the USSR did not have a neutron bomb of its own, it did upgrade the armour on its tanks and armoured personnel carriers in order to deal with the threat.

Question 46

What is the in curtian speech

Answer 46

5 March 1946, the by-now former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, condemned the Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe in his famous
Iron Curtain
speech. In that speech he famously noted that from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.
In a nutshell, what Churchill meant by this was that the Allies had spent six years fighting for the freedom from Fascism in Europe, only to have half the continent now under Soviet dictatorship.