Cold War Flashcards
What was the Cold War?
A political struggle/war between USA and Soviet Union:
Democracy/Capitalism vs. Communism/Totalitarian
What were the 2 reasons as to why the USA and Soviet Union were uneasy allies?
- USA felt betrayed because the Soviet Union made a nonaggression pact with Germany
- The Soviet Union felt betrayed because the Allies delayed attacking Europe
What 2 things happened in the Yalta Conference?
- Agreement to divide Germany into four between the Allie Powers but give it back later
- Stalin promises to give Eastern European countries a free election after the war
What happened in the San Francisco Conference?
United Nations established: an international piece keeping organization, replacing the League of Nation.
What are the 2 post war goals of the Soviet Union?
- shield itself from invasion from the west by using Eastern Europe as a buffer/shield
- Spread Communism
What are the 2 post war goals of the USA?
- Stop the spread of communism
- Spread democracy
What 2 things happened in the Potsdam Conference?
- Stalin breaks his promise of free election in Eastern Europe
- Official beginning of the Cold War as Stalin declares that communism and capitalism could not exist in the same world
What are the names of East and West Germany when they were divided?
East - German Democratic Republic
West - Federal Republic of Germany
Iron Curtain
Coined by Winston Churchill which represented the division of Europe into west and east
Containment
US foreign policy to contain communism and spread democracy.
Truman Doctrine
Gave military aid/support to any countries that reject communism; particularly Turkey and Greece
Marshall Plan
Economic assistance to rebuild western European countries if they stay away from communism
George Marshall
US Secretary of State who came up with the Marshall Plan
What did the soviets do to West Berlin and why?
They set up a blockade and demanded West Berlin be theirs
Berlin Airlift
*First major conflict in the Cold War
Americans airlifted food/supplies to West Berlin in response to the blockade by the Soviets
Two rival alliances formed
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization, led by USA, Canada, and Western Europe
Warsaw Pact - led by Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
What was always present in the Cold War?
The threat of a Nuclear War
H-Bombs
Nuclear bomb stronger than the atomic bomb
Brinkmanship
Willing to go to the brink of a nuclear war which created tension between the US and the Soviet Union
Arms Race
Build up of Nuclear weapons
Space Race
Race to control space and to launch nuclear weapons
What 4 things did the Soviets do in the space race?
- created 1st ICBM - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
- launched Sputnik I - first unmanned satellite
- launched the first living creature in space - a dog
- launched first man in space -* Yuri Gagarin*
What 5 things did the USA do in the space race?
- launches Explorer I - 1st communication satellite
- launched the 1st spy planes
- launched Allen Sheppard into space
- John Glen 1st to orbit the Earth
- USA launches Neil Armstrong - 1st to moon
Red Scare and who led it?
The fear of the infiltration of communism which was led by Joseph McCarthy
Berlin Wall
A wall built overnight by the Soviets in Berlin that divided West and East Berlin
Why did the Soviet build the Berlin Wall?
To stop people from fleeing to West Berlin, especially the young and talented ones
Who led the communist take over in Cuba?
Fidel Castro
Bay of Pigs
Invasion of Cuba to over throw the communist approved by President John F. Kennedy