Cold War 2 Flashcards
- What were the contrasting views between USA and USSR?
USA-Private business and making profits were allowed, multiple political parties, great gaps in wealth but most have reasonable standard of living
USSR-All businesses and profits owned by state, one party, lower average standard of living but more fair
- Why did propaganda lead to mistrust?
In the west governments and media spread fear about communists to people(red scare)and in the USSR western governments were seen as a threat to the revolution.
- Why did the first world war lead to mistrust?
Russians withdrew from the war so Britain and France would find it hard to trust them.
- Why did Stalin’s regime lead to mistrust?
Brutal and ruthless in his rule of the country and the secretive nature of the regime and murders of high profile people led people in the west to not trust them.
- How did the Russian civil war lead to mistrust?
Western countries sent troops to help the whites against the reds.
- How did the Nazi-Soviet pact lead to mistrust?
Signed a non-aggression pact in 1939.
- What was the grand alliance?
Halters invasion of the USSR in 1941 brought east and west together and the two sides united to fight the Nazi army.
- What were the aims of the west in the Yalta conference 1945?
East west co-operation should continue and Germany should be rebuilt as an independent democratic country. Countries in the Eastern Europe should have freedom and the united nations should be formed.
- What were the aims of the USSR in the Yalta conference in 1945?
Co-operation should continue, Germany should remain weak, and German industry should pay for the rebuilding of the USSR.
- What were the aims on Churchill in the Yalta conference in 1945?
Wanted close relationship with the US, mistrustful of Stalin and did not understand Stalin’s pov.
- What were the aims of Roosevelt in the Yalta conference in 1945?
Wanted to work with USSR, believed that only a capitalist Europe would prevent a war.
- What were the aims of Stalin in the Yalta conference in 1945?
Wanted to ensure USSR could not be destructed again, thought that creating a sphere of influence around the USSR would be best way to ensure security and recognised need for co-operation with the USSR.
- What happened in-between the Yalta and Potsdam conference?
Grand alliance dissolved as Truman and Atlee wanted independence for countries of Eastern Europe.
- What were the aims of Attlee at the Potsdam conference?
Worried about soviet expansion, wanted a secure Germany and saw Britain as weaker and needing American friendship.
- What were the aims of Attlee at the Potsdam conference?
Worried about soviet expansion, wanted a secure Germany and saw Britain as weaker and needing American friendship.
- What were the aims of Stalin at the Potsdam conference?
Saw America as a rival and wanted security, thought he was powerful as the red army occupied eastern Europe. Did not trust USA as it had the atomic bomb.
- What was the impact of the atomic bomb?
Stalin was informed about this by his spied but not officially which added to tension and distrust. Surrender of Japan removed need for Soviet troops in the Pacific so there was no need for the grand alliance.
- What was the long telegram in response to soviet expansion?
Confirmed Truman’s fears and had a large influence on his future approach to the USSR.
- What was Churchill’s iron curtain speech in response to soviet expansion? (On 6th March 1946)
While visiting USA he made a speech about the situation in Europe. He said that the USSR was attempting to spread it’s influence and a line had split Europe in two called the iron curtain.
- What was the Truman doctrine in 1947?
American policy towards communism after second world war. Truman said the USA would support any country that was under threat from comunism and that the focus must be on containing communism.
- What was the Marshall plan?
Putting the Truman Doctrine into plan. Countries behiind the Iron Curtain turned the aid down.
- What was the purpose of the Marshall plan?
To aid economic recovery in Europe to stop people from turning to communism and to create a market for American goods to build up American economy.
- What was the plan of the Marshall plan?
$13.5 billion was divided among the countries that were willing to accept aid.
- What were the results of the Marshall plan?
Allowed economies to rebuild and standard of living started to rise. American economy benefited and Communism became less popular and line became clear as Stalin refused countries under his influence of accepting the aid.
- What was cominform?
Stalin saw Truman Doctrine as direct threat to communism and he created Cominform to ensure unity in Eastern Europe.
- What was comecon?
Stalin saw the Marshall plan as ‘dollar imperialism’ and he thought that USA gained power over countries that accepted the aid. He made it clear that Eastern European countries should not accept aid and countries who signed up were agreeing to work together and share resources and union of equal partners. In reality all decisions were made in Moscow.
- Why was Yugoslavia a problem for Stalin?
No loyalty to Stalin and they were unwilling to follow Stalin’s instructions and Tito accepted Marshall aid.
- What were the causes of the Berlin blockade and airlift in 1948-49?
Western allies united their parts of Berlin and Stalin’s goal was to make them withdraw. New currency was introduces on both sides. They formed Bizonia and then Trizonia in the west.
- What was the blockade?
Military supply routes and traffic restrictions to Berlin by Stalin. No food, fuels or medical supplies could reach the people in the non-Soviet part of Berlin and electricity was cut. For the 2.5 million inhabitants of West Berlin, the situation became serious.
- What was the western response to the Blockade?
The Berlin Airlift.
They launched a counter blockade that stopped trains travelling out of West Berlin and British and American planes delivered supplies to West Berlin and a plane was arriving every 3 minutes and 4000 tonnes of supplies were delivered daily. Neither side wanted to back down but on May 12th Stalin gave in and ended the blockade.
- What was the communist revolution of china in 1949?
China became communist.
- What was the relationship between China and the USSR like?
Treaty of friendship signed:
$300 million sent to China but 95 percent would have to be repaid and 8000 students from China could travel to the USSR to study science and technology. China gave two of it’s major ports to the USSR.
- What was the relationship between China and the West like?
Communist takeover of China was seen as a disaster and the West refused to even recognise the new government. Victory to Stalin and failure of the Truman Doctrine and containment. Threat to rest of Asia.
- What were the rising tensions that led to the Korean war?
Both sides wanted to unite Korea with their own party.
- What was the invasion of South Korea?
Stalin sent weapons and equipment to Kim and USA already had 7,500 troops stationed and in 1950 North Korean troops invaded South Korea.
- What was the response of the United nations to the Korean war?
UN voted for withdrawal of North Korean troops but USSR boycotted UN and UN sent troops that were mainly American but they were officially UN soldiers so USA could not be accused of fighting alone.
- When and What was the Korean war?
From 1950-1953.
Chinese troops helped push Americans back but stalemate was reached and a ceasefire was agreed with the division looking exactly the same.
- What were the consequences of the Korean war?
Showed USA was willing to go into war to contain communism and showed the power the USA and UN had. Became first proxy war and both sides did not want conflict.
- Explain the American involvement in Vietnam.
In the 1950s, the USA government devised the domino theory and i thought that if south Vietnam fell to communism, the ideology would spread to nearby countries. USA initially only sent money, equipment and experts but then joined the war.
- What was NATO?
Formed in 1949 in response to Berlin blockade and was a collective leadership. USA, Canada, France, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Luxembourg, Norway, Belgium and Germany later on. France UK and USA had nuclear weapons.
- What was the Warsaw pact?
Formed in 1955 in response to West Germany joining NATO.
USSR had most power and it included Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
- What happened in the Space race?
1957, USSR sends first manmade satellite into orbit called Sputnik.
1958, USA send first commination’s satellite into space
1961, Yuri Gagarin first person in space.
1969, Neil Armstrong is first man on moon.
1975, joint space mission - Apollo-Soyuz.
- Explain the development of nuclear weaponry.
After the Americans producing one at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 the Soviets detonated first A-bomb in 1949 and the Americans responded by building the hydrogen bomb in 1952. Defence budgets rose on both sides.
- What was MAD?
Mutually assured destruction was when both sides knew that launching a nuclear weapon would lead to the destruction of both sides.
