Cold War Flashcards
WWII was a victory over ____. Explain
Fascism, not authoritarianism
The Americans and British couldn’t have defeated Hitler without the USSR
Balance of power
National security is enhanced when military capabilities are distributed so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others
Stability in Soviet-American relations was prized above all else
Truman Doctrine
American foreign policy to stop Soviet imperialism during the Cold War
Foundation of American foreign policy, led to the formation of NATO
Containment
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed to coordinate defense against USSR
America, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal
Marshall Plan
American initiative to aid Europe
US gave $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild European economies
The goal was to rebuild war-devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, make Europe prosperous again, and prevent the spread of communism
Iron Curtain
Ideological conflict and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of WWII until 1991
East Germany, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria were satellite nations of the Soviet Union
Coined by Winston Churchill
Manhattan Project
Most secret wartime project in the US
Scientists worked in isolation in different parts of the US, unaware of the magnitude of the project. It was later centralized and moved to an isolated area. Scientists carried out the first trial of the atomic bomb
Soviet Union’s atomic bomb
Stalin authorized no public announcement of the successful test, which happened in the Kazakhstan desert
Espionage for the Soviet Union
Helped make it possible for the Soviet Union to succeed so quickly in making its own atomic bomb. Some scientists were spying for Russians while working on the atomic bomb
Massive retaliation
US Secretary of State announced that any major Soviet attack would be met with a massive nuclear response
Why was it significant when the Soviet Union built an atomic bomb?
The US no longer had an atomic monopoly, so the Truman administration would have to consider upgrading conventional forces, possibly permanently stationing them in Europe
Had to build more atomic bombs to maintain a quantitative and qualitative lead over the USSR
Tested the first hydrogen bomb, over 1000 times more powerful than atomic bombs
Yugoslavia and Tito
Not all communists fell within Stalin’s sphere of influence
Yugoslavia had been one of the Soviet Union’s most reliable allies but its leader, Tito, came to power on his own. He didn’t depend on Stalin’s support to remain in power, and openly broke with Moscow
Non-alignment
Provided a way in which leaders of third world states could tilt. The idea was to commit to neither side but leave open the possibility of commitment
If pressure from one superpower became too great, a smaller power could defend itself by threatening to align with the other superpower
Colonel Gabel Nasser - Egypt
Skillful practitioner of non-alignment
Played all sides
Americans funded the construction of the High Dam, received arms from Czechoslovakia, extended diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China
Mao Zedong
Proclaimed information of the People’s Republic of China
Marked the end of the Civil war between the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists
Nationals will be fleeing to Taiwan, Communists would be preparing to govern the most populous nation in the world
Sino-Soviet Treaty
Mae Zedong was ready to be the head of the international communist movement. After Stalin’s death, China became more of an opponent than an ally to the USSR
In the early stages of Mao’s reign, Mao went to Moscow to meet with Stalin and work out a common strategy. The visit lasted for two months and produced the Sino-Soviet Treaty. Two communist states pledged to assist each other in case of attack (similar to NATO)
Warsaw Pact
Organization of communist states in central and Eastern Europe. Established in response to NATO
Albania (later left)
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
Poland
Romania
USSR
East Germany
Korean War
Began when thousands of soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel (boundary between the Soviet-supported north and pro-Western south)
First military action of the Cold War
Vietnam War
Long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of the north against south Vietnam and the US. The divisive war ended with the withdrawal of US forces and unification of Vietnam under Communist control
U2 Spy plane
American spy plane intended to take pictures to gather intelligence
The Soviets eventually gathered the intelligence to improve their anti-aircraft missile
The first satellite was about to go into orbit, which would make the plane obsolete
East German Uprising
Workers in East Berlin rose in protest against government demands to increase productivity
Nearly a million joined the protests and began rioting
Collectivization produced severe food shortages. The communist system violated their basic rights, including freedom of speech and personal legal security
Polish Uprising
Demonstrations by workers demanding better conditions at factories
Met with violent repression
Hungarian Uprising
Thousands of protestors wanted a more democratic political system and freedom from Soviet oppression
Hungarian government announced that Hungary was withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact
Soviet tanks rolled in to crush the national uprising
Cuban Missile Crisis
Leaders of the US and Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles in Cuba, extremely close to the US
This would provide the USSR with first strike capability
Berlin Wall
Physical division between East and West Berlin to keep East Germans from fleeing to the West
Brezhnev Doctrine
Retroactively justified the invasion of Czechoslovakia that ended with the Prague Spring, and earlier military interventions like the invasion of Hungary. The interventions were meant to end liberalization efforts and uprisings that could potentially compromise Soviet hegemony
When forces against socialism try to turn a socialist country towards capitalism, it becomes a concern of all socialist countries
Prague Spring
Stalinist ruler of Czechoslovakia is succeeded by Alexander Dubcek, a Slovak who supported liberal reforms
Dubcek introduced far-reaching political and economic reforms, including freedom of speech. The efforts to establish communism with a human face and brief period of freedom was Prague Spring
The Soviet Union answered the reforms with invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops
Blacklist
In the US, people who were accused of being communists were often blacklisted. The individual was denied work or ostracized from society
Space Race
USSR launched the first artificial satellite into orbit and sent the first human into space
US felt a loss of prestige and increased funding for space programs and space education
Kennedy challenged America to land on the moon and return him safely
Detente
Period of improved relations between the US and Soviet Union
When President Nixon visited Brezhnev
Arms reduction
Slow Thaw - Nixon and USSR
Nixon began negotiations with USSR on SALT I, which froze the number of ballistic missile launchers at existing levels
First effort to stop increase of nuclear weapons
SALT II
Second round of talks which sought to reduce manufacture of nuclear weapons
First nuclear treaty seeking real reductions in strategic forces
Resulted in an agreement, but the US chose not to sign in response to the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Agreement expired and wasn’t renewed
Re-escalation of tensions
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet Union intervened in support of the Afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist Muslim guerrillas during the Afghan War
Became a long war with no clear victory possible. US supported Afghani rebels and the Soviets eventually withdrew
Final Act - Gorbachev
Gorbachev becomes premier and understands that the economy can’t compete with the West, partly because of Afghanistan and the costs of keeping up militarily
Recognizes there’s increasing unrest in the country
A nuclear disaster occurred because of an explosion at a nuclear power plant. Gorbachev deemed irresponsible and there would have to be glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring)
Rebellion against Soviet influence
Poland’s Solidarity movement breaks the Soviet Union’s hold
Hungary removed border restrictions with Austria
Riots and protests break out in East Germany. East Germans storm the wall and border guards don’t fight back. Wall is removed
Dissolution of the Soviet Union as a functioning state
Gorbachev removed as the president of the USSR, declaring the office extinct
The Supreme Soviet recognized the collapse of the Soviet Union and dissolved itself
Boris Yelsin
Abolished the Communist party
Installed a council of representatives from remaining republics
Recognized the independence of the Baltic states, so Ukraine, Armenia, and Kazakhstan proclaimed their independence
Dissolved the Soviet Union
Spheres of influence
Area of the world in which one superpower was dominant
Areas often became battlegrounds where the superpowers competed to expand their own influence or limit that of the other
Proxy battles
Smaller battles in other countries
Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia, Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan
How did the Soviet Union use the Warsaw Pact?
As a buffer zone between itself and Western Europe - the buffer zone was the Iron curtain
First use of NATO mutual defense clause
2001, after terrorist attacks on the US
Bay of Pigs invasion
Goal was to overthrow Castro and establish a non-communist government friendly to the US
CIA-backed, but failed - embarrassment for the US
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Only the US, Soviet Union, UK, China, and France were permitted to obtain nuclear weapons
Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty
Superpowers couldn’t build up defenses against ballistic missiles, which could have upset the balance of power and caused another expensive arms race
When did the period of detente end?
With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979
