Cold War 1945 - 1972 Flashcards
What is the political status in the USA?
Capitalist
What is the political status of USSR?
Communist
What were USA ideologies?
People are free to start own business and property’s
Make as many products as can be sold
Freedom and opportunity for all
Variety of political parties to choose from
What were USSR ideologies?
Fairness and equality for all Only one political party Strict censorship Only make as many products as needed Everyone works for the state
When did relations between USA and USSR turn sour?
End of WW2 - only bond between them dissolved (common enemy was defeated)
When was the Yalta conference?
February 1945
Who was involved in the yalta conference?
Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
What agreements were made at yalta?
Stalin to join war against japan
Germany was to be divided into four zones
Join United Nations organisation
Eastern Europe would be a soviet sphere of influence but have free elections
When was the Potsdam conference?
July 1945
Who was present at the Potsdam conference?
Attlee, Truman and Stalin
What was the disagreement at yalta?
Stalin wanted to move USSR border further into Poland
What caused the disagreements at Potsdam?
Starlings armies controlled a lot of Eastern Europe
Stalin had set up a soviet government in Poland and wanted to do it in other countries
Stalin demanded $10 billion from Germany
Why was there mutual distrust between the two superpowers?
USSRs previous alliance with hitler
Russia lost 27 million in WW2, USA lost way less
What happened in May 1945 that led to the dropping of the bomb?
Japan clearly losing war - requested peace was refused
Japan was asked to surrender unconditionally during the Potsdam conference
What happened on 3 August 1945that led to the dropping of the bomb?
Japan offered to surrender but was rejected as it wasn’t unconditional
What happened on 6 August 1945that led to the dropping of the bomb?
America dropped first bomb (nicknamed ‘little boy’) on Hiroshima
Everything in a 2 mile radius was flattened
How many people are said to have died from the Hiroshima bombing by AMERICA?
117000
How many people are said to have been killed by the Hiroshima bombing by JAPAN?
250000
What happened on 9 August 1945that led to the dropping of the bomb?
America drop another bomb on Nagasaki
What happened on 14 August 1945that led to the dropping of the bomb?
Japan surrender and WW2 is officially over
What was the traditional justification for dropping the bombs?
To end war in Japan quickly and Savin millions of American casualties
How do revolutionists explain the dropping of the bomb?
Truman wanted to end war before USSR could enter to scare the soviets from trying to fight USA and seem a threat as they have developed nuclear bombs
What is a satellite state?
Officially independent but in reality controlled by another more powerful country
By 1946 what countries were under heavy soviet influence?
Poland, Albania, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
What did Churchill describe the border between these countries and Western Europe?
An iron curtain
What is containment?
Stop communism spreading to Eastern Europe
What is dollar imperialism?
America controlling other countries by making them dependant on money
What so the Truman doctrine?
March 1947 America’s job to stop growth of communism
Triggered by crisis in Greece
What is Marshall aid?
1948 $17 billion dollars to help rebuild Europe
Majority accepted except those in Russia’s sphere
What is cominform?
1947 to unify communist countries as he thought the Truman doctrine was a threat to communism
What is Comecon?
1949 to coordinate industries and trade in Eastern Europe to rival Marshall plan
Favoured USSR produces goods
Did not have enough funds to provide financial assistance to countries
What did the allies introduce in Berlin to help build the economy of their side?
Changed currency to Deutschmark - this became more valuable the soviet zone mark
Why did Stalin introduce their Berlinger blockade?
West Berlin was thriving and many people were trying to escape from east to west as communism looked bad compared to capitalism
What was the Berlin blockade?
In June 1948 staking closed all the road, rail and canal links to West Berlin stopping goods from entering of leaving the city in the hope that it would eventually lead to starvation as they only had enough supplies for 6 weeks and therefore force the allies out of Berlin.
What did Truman do o combat the Berlin blockade?
Berlin airlift
What was the Berlin airlift?
Food and raw materials were taken by aircrafts to Berlin through 3 airports
How often were planes sent?
In the first 3 days there were 500 landings - this rose to 600 a day for over 10 months
Who were brought out of Berlin on the planes?
Sick children
How did China become communist?
1927 - communists revolt gov
From 1937 - 1945 they work together against Japan
1946 - fight again
1949 - mao declares China as communist
Who is Mao?
Chinese leader
What is the US national security resolution? (NSC - 68)
A top secret document repeating American commitment to containing communism in 1949
How do America react to China becoming communist?
Unhappy and scared
- lose trade
- failed containment
- had to put more money into containment (NSC-68)
- worried about balance of power
What was Russia’s reaction to China becoming communist?
Happy
- communist ally
- recognised China as a republic
- sign treaty of friendship with China (USSR give $300 million in aid)
Who recognises China as communist?
USSR
UN refuse under US influence
How do USSR public ally show their support for China?
Boycotted the UN
When was the Korean War?
1950 - 1953
What three proxy wars did US and USSR engage in?
Afghanistan war 1979-89
Vietnam war 1955-75
Korean War 1950-53
Who was Korea owned by during WW2?
Japan but they had to surrender their empire after WW2
What was the Korean boarder called and who spilt it?
UN temporarily split Korea through the 38th parallel
Who controlled Korea?
North - USSR
South - US
What was the situation in North Korea?
Refused to hold free elections
Communist state
Funded by USSR with weapons
What was the situation in South Korea?
Syngman rhee leader Republic of Korea established Took control over from US military All US military leave in 1949 US give weapons but no tanks - ill-equipped for war
Describe the Korean War.
Stalin directed the north to cross the 38th parallel in 1950
He expected no objections from the US as they had already left and didn’t interfere with China
US got involved through mutually assured destruction MAD
Why did America get involved in the Korean War?
The proposed it during UN meeting
USSR not there to veto it
Resolution passed
Who led the UN forces?
General MacArthur
How did relations between USA and USSR worsen during the Korean War?
- both used it to test new weapons (advanced jet aircraft and faster tanks)
- became a stalemate (peace treaty signed in ‘53)
- UN proved it could take effective actions
- USSR returned to seat in UN council and didn’t miss any other important votes
Why couldn’t the French (and USA) defeat the Viet Minh in the Vietnam War?
Terrain
Help from Chinese
Motivation
Guerilla tactics
Why was terrain a problem for France in the Vietnam War?
French not well equipped with Vietnamese land
Forests and mountains made it had to locate armies
Why was the help from the Chinese a problem for France in the Vietnam War?
- It gave more support to the viet minh to make a more efficient fighting force
- ranch struggled to target the supplies effectively
Why were guerilla tactics a problem for France in the Vietnam War?
- viet Minh couldn’t fight head on as ranch were well- equipped
- viet Minh hid in jungles and randomly attacked isolated units (scared French, unable to strike back)
Why was motivation a problem for France in the Vietnam War?
Viet Minh fighting for family and independence whilst French were tired from WW2 and didn’t see point
What was the domino theory?
US justification for their involvement
Communism would spread like dominos once Vietnam was communist
How was Vietnam split?
17th parallel
- North = Ho Chi Minh with support from China and USSR
- South = Diem with support from USA
Who were the Vietcong?
Formed in 1960 - hated Diem, were communist
Started a civil war between them and capitalist southern army
What was the Ho Chi Minh trail?
The paths taken by the Viet Minh across the 17th parallel to help the Viet Cong
In what ways was Diem a good leader?
Helped over 1 million fleeing the north to safe refuge
Set up bank of Vietnam to help economy
Built factories for economy
In what ways was Diem a bad leader?
Anti-buddhist (Buddhists persecuted in 1963)
Imposed catholic laws
No democracy vote in 1956
Had communist opponent arrested in 1959m
Killed 12000 and arrested 40000 political opponents between 55 and 58
Why did the US continue to support Diem in South Vietnam?
Didn’t care about human rights in Vietnam, cared about stopping communism spreading and domino theory
What was NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was signed by 12 western countries to halt the spread of communism in 1949
What did NATO provide?
Collective security for members
US funded
Nuclear weapons held by US, Britain and France
What was the Warsaw Pact?
1955 - USSR response to NATO, made of 8 countries from behind the iron curtain
What did the Warsaw Pact provide?
- Collective security organisation - way of controlling Eastern Europe, giving USSR direct control over their militaries
- nuclear weapons held by USSR
When did USSR develop their own atomic bomb?
1949
How much money did the USA spend from defence on airforce?
40% of us defence spending went on airforce
What happened in 1952 to add to the arms race?
US develop a new hydrogen bomb - 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb
When did USSR develop a hydrogen bomb?
1953
When did the USA develop a hugeeogen bomb that could be stopped from a plane?
1954
How long after the US did it take the USSR to make a hydrogen bomb that could be dropped from a plane?
A few months
What a divide was given to American children surfing the arms race?
Duck and cover drills were held to teach people how to survive
How did the US government prepare for nuclear war?
Secret underground shelters were made so that the government could still function
What was Dr Strangelove?
A US film pointing out the absurdity and danger of the situation through the story of an accidental nuclear strike
What did the ca,pain for nuclear disarmament want?
It wanted to show that nuclear weapons were morally wrong and campaigned to ban bombs
What is unilateral disarmament?
Doing it in every country
What were the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- direct phone line from White House to Moscow (molink)
- partial test ban treaty signed limiting nuclear testing and reduced weapons on each side
What was the first satellite launched into space called?
SPUTNIK by soviets in 1957
Who launched the first dog into space?
Soviets launched Laika As the first living thing in space in 1957
Who was the first man in space?
Yuri Gagarin - soviet in 1961
How did the USA catch up with the space race?
1961 - launched first successful space flight
1969 - sent Neil Armstrong as first man on moon
Why was there a space race?
Propaganda - to show superiority
Fear of soviets launching nuclear missives in the same way as rockets, US needed this technology too
Desire to dominate
What did krushchev build as a cause of the space race?
A top secret rocket base called baykonyr
What happened in 1957 with dangerous missiles?
USSR launched worlds first intercontinental ballistic missile which could be fired into space and brought down on target anywhere in world
What did America develop in 1960 during the Space Race?
Polaris missiles which could be fired from subs,Raines making them harder to detect
What did the US report in 1960?
A missile gap between US and USSR which caused panic x Eisenhower knew there wasn’t but couldn’t reveal this due to secret intelligence
What was the importance of the Apollo-Soyuz project?
First steps towards Russia and USA working together and allowed quicker advancements in technology and science
How was Krushchev different from Stalin?
Talked about peaceful coexistence
Planned to reduce spending on USSR military
Followed a policy of de-stalinisation
What was Hungary like prior to 1956?
Land was distributed to Eastern European countries Coal, oil and wheat shipped to Russia Hungarians were food deprived Non-communist parties abolished Russia controlled their gov.
How did cominform affect Hungary?
Started a reign of terror - popular leaders executed
Who was Leader of Hungary in 1949 - 1956?
Martyas Rakosi was dictator
Known as Stalin’s best pupil and bald butcher
What were salami tactics?
Dealing with opponent slice by slice - imprisoned nearly 100000 people
Why was Rakosi replaced as leader?
Riots demanding free speech and withdrawal of soviet troops
Describe the events in Budapest?
The crowd toppled a monument of Stalin
Armed civilians prevented soviet tanks from entering
Who was Nagy and what did he do?
New leader of Hungary after 1956
Soviet troops hoped that Nagy would be able to restore communist authority
He backed Hungarian revolutionists who wanted liberation from USSR
He was executed
When did the soviet troops re Enter Budapest?
4 November 1956
How long did it take for the soviets to win the Hungarian rebellion?
2 weeks
What was USSRs response to the Hungarian uprising?
Used force and violence
Executed Nagy
200000 Hungarians field to Austria
What was the USAs response to the Hungarian uprising?
Nothing - condemned brutality
More interested in Suez Crisis
When were the three summits?
Geneva 1959
Camp David 1959
Paris Peace summit 1960
What happened at the Geneva summit?
Discussed occupation of Berlin - allies to leave
No solution reached
What happened at the camp David summit?
Krushchev was welcomed to Eisenhower’s country house in USA
No solution was reached
What happened at the Paris peace summit?
Hope was dashed away a week before by the U2 incident
Krushchev was very critical of US - demanded and apology and punishment for those responsible for the deliberate violation of USSR
Eisenhower would only suspend flights so Krushchev storms out making relations worse
What was the U2 incident?
USA sent a military spy plane over USSR
USSR shot it down (military right as it was over their airspace)
US caught lying about spying as USSR captured pilot alive and with thousands of photos
Why did America need the U2 planes?
There was mutual distrust so it provided America with a view of what was happening in USSR
What do the US do when caught lying about the spy plane?
Instead of saying sorry they blamed the other countries for also spying in attempt to get blame off their backs
What was Krushchevs demand in 1958 regarding Berlin?
That West Berlin officially belonged to east Germany, gave the US 6 months to withdraw their troops from West Berlin
Why was Berlin import for the US?
Victory
- western influence behind iron curtain
- strategic and symbolic victory for capitalism
What was the importance of Berlin for the USSR?
Embarrassment
- 2.7 million fled to west Germany between 1949 and 1961 (including skilled workers)
- gave west Germany an opportunity to broadcast propaganda in Eastern Europe
How did Eisenhower respond to Krushchev demand over Berlin?
He did nothing and calls Krushchevs bluff
What were the positives of Eisenhower’s response to Krushchev demand over Berlin?
Still had control over west Germany
Tested Krushchevs limits
What were the negatives of Eisenhower’s response to Krushchev demand over Berlin?
Could’ve led to war
Affects Germany
Uncertainty
When was the Berlin Wall built?
13 August 1961 overnight
How did the Berlin Wall separate Berlin?
Links between east and west were closed off my armed guards and barbed wire
How many East Germans fled to west Germany during the buildin* of the Berlin Wall?
2100
How long was the Wall?
Measured 97 miles with designated checkpoints to enable passage through for example, checkpoint Charlie
What was the death strip?
A second Wall was built to give an no mans land between the two which was between 25m to 300m
How far away is Cuba from the US
90 miles away coast to coast - in America’s back yard
How were the US involved with Cuba in 1943?
They helped Batista a Cuban military officer to become leader
What was the Cuban revolution?
Batista was unpopular
1958 Fidel Castro defeated him and became leader
What did Castro do when he became leader?
Exiled many opponents - many fled to the Us
How did Castro’s leadership escalate the Cold War tensions?
Moved friendship away from USA and closer to USSR
Why did America dislike Castro?
Socialist leaning towards communist
Developing trade relationship with USSR
in americas backyard
What was the idea of starving Castro?
An economic sanction by America stopping trade deals with Cuba
Why did starving Castro fail?
USSR stepped in to make new and better trade deals to allow Cuba to build economy and bring literacy rates up
Why did America invade the bay of pigs?
Scared on domino theory spreading to Latin America
How did America invade the bay of pigs?
They gave money, weapons and military training to anti-Castro Cuban exiles who were preparing to invade Cuba
In 1961 the US helped 1200-1400 exiles to invade using guerilla tactics
What was the result of the bay of pigs invasion?
Castro’s communist government easily defeated the exiles with 20000 soldiers
Kennedy was left humiliated and angry as it had backfired and Cuba and USSR became even closer
Why did Krushchev decide to place a missile in Cuba?
Communist ally close to America (increase sphere of influence)
US had nuclear weapons pointing at Moscow
To convince US to leave Cuba alone
What did the US do when they found out about the missile?
A spy plane found it
He discussed how to respond with his advisors (Excomm)
Made a Naval blockade - no ships to Cuba from any country, anyone who refused was sunk
How did Castro respond to the quarantine of Cuba’s water?
Ordered soviet troops to be ready for war
How did Krushchev respond to the quarantine of soviet waters?
Halts a ship but doesn’t turn it back
What were the consequences of Cuba’s response to the Cuban missile crisis?
DEFCON 3 (defence system to get army ready for nuclear war)
What happens on the 25 October 1962?
USSR ship crosses quarantine zone
US stops ships as an act of war
What were the problems in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s?
Society tightly controlled
Answered to Moscow as member of Warsaw Pact
Gov. control press
Few opportunities to seek life outside of communist bloc
Who was the leader of Czechoslovakia?
Antonin novonty who was corrupt
Why did people in Czechoslovakia want a change in 1966?
Didn’t like how communist control had developed
Weak economy
Who replaced novonty in 1968?
Dubček
What reforms did Dubček propose?
Less censorship
More freedom of speech
Political opposition
Reduce activities of secret police
What did Dubček want to be removed?
Totalitarian aspects of communism
What was the Prague spring?
Period of new ideas, opposition and change led by intellectuals (students)
What was the Brezhnev doctrine?
Justification of invasion - had a right to invade any Eastern European country whose actions threatened security of entire eastern bloc
Describe the soviet invasion of Prague.
1968 - soviet army entered Czechoslovakia, Dubček order his army not to fight back
Dubček arrested and forced to reverse reforms
100 protesters killed and 500 wounded
What happened to the leadership of Czechoslovakia after the Prague spring?
1969 - new government loyal to Moscow established
Describe the events leading to the decline in communism.
Red army angry at leaders - lied to about how Hungarians felt
Protests in China distance them from USSR
Yugoslavia and Romania publicly condemn Brezhnev and distance themselves from USSR
Western European parties declared themselves independent from USSR
Alabama withdraws from Warsaw Pact
Soldiers told people that they had been manipulated
What is detente?
A release from tension - a period in which USA and USSR tried to resolve their problems between 1967-79
Describe the china-soviet split.
Chinese leader didn’t share views of Krushchev
Communism no longer one force
USA improve relations with China
USSR worried about USA-China relation, so improve relations with USA
What were the lessons of conflict during the Cold War?
Vietnam War - possession of arms didn’t mean victory
No one wanted war so talking was logical
What was the nuclear issue?
Cuban missile crisis showed neither side willing to use nuclear weapons
Partial test ban treaty 196established hotline between leaders
China test a bomb in 1964 - USA and USSR concerned
What was the economic issue?
Billions of dollars spent on fighting Cold War - 20% of USAs entire budget was spent of defence
Trade increased - USA sold wheat cheaply to USSR
What was the outer space treaty 1967?
Space was only for peaceful purposes
What was the nuclear non proliferation treaty 1968-70?
Prevent spread of nuclear weapons from smaller countries
What was the strategic arms limitation treaty 1969-72 (SALT1)?
Limited building missiles for 5 years but didn’t reduce existing stock of weapons
What was the Helsinki conference 1975?
A declaration of human rights promised to every person in soviet bloc
What was SALT2 1979?
Limited number of long-range missiles
How is the outer space treaty diffuse tensions?
Eased space race
Reduced nuclear advancement so less fear
How is the nuclear no proliferation treaty diffuse tensions?
Promoted peace - less fear of nuclear war
Less unpredictability
Trust
How did SALT1 diffuse tensions?
Limited fear of nuclear advancement and conflict
Built trust
How did the Helsinki conference diffuse tensions?
Gave soviet control over east through civil rights
Had agreement together - trust
How did SALT2 diffuse tensions?
Less fear of nuclear advancement
Built trust
Who were the key individuals during detente?
Nixon and carter (US presidents)
Brezhnev (USSR president)
What were the limitations of SALT1?
During Helsinki agreement, the USSR continued to build medium- range nuclear missiles and aimed them at Western Europe
What were the limitations of the Helsinki agreement?
Promise wasn’t kept, trust was lost
What were the limitations of SALT2?
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan stopping SALT abruptly
