Cold War Flashcards
Basic freedoms in the U.S.?
Freedom of speech; freedom of the press; freedom of business; freedom of religion
Means of production
The facilities and resources for producing goods (farms, mines, factories)
Why is the Yalta Conference important in terms of the Cold War?
Stalin made numerous promises that he didn’t keep
Why was the UN founded?
FDR believed that a new international political organization could prevent another world war
When was the UN founded?
April 1945
How is the UN different from the League of Nations?
The UN held actual power
Who are the permanent members of the UN?
The winners of WWII; America, Britain, France, China, Russia
What did Stalin do at the Potsdam Conference that angered the others?
He refuses to acknowledge the promises he mad at Yalta
Who was put on trial at Nuremberg?
24 top Nazi officials who were to be blamed for the war crimes committed in WWII
What were the 4 charges at the Nuremberg Trials?
Crimes against peace; war crimes; waging aggressive war; crimes against humanity
What precedent came from the Nuremberg Trials?
If you commit war crimes and lose the war, you will be made to pay for said crimes
Why did Stalin not allow free elections?
He knew he would lose and he wanted to stay in power
When was the Truman Doctrine?
1947
What 2 countries did the Truman Doctrine initially apply to?
Greece and Turkey; America gave them $400 million each to rebuild their countries
What did the Truman Doctrine illustrate to the rest of the world?
The U.S. would pay any country willing to stop the spread of communism
Who came up with the containment policy and when?
George Kennan; 1946
What was the Marshall Plan?
A plan for the U.S. to rebuild Europe to help American economy and stop the spread of communism
When was the Marshall Plan?
1947
When was the National Security Act? What was the purpose?
1947; to protect the U.S. and streamline the government
What was established by the National Security Act?
NSC; CIA; Air Force; DOD
When was the Berlin Airlift?
June 1948
What was the Berlin Airlift?
Stalin closed off West Berlin. To maintain the troops, America sent supplies via airlift every 3 minutes for 11 months
Why did the U.S. agree to acknowledge Israel as a nation so quickly?
Truman wanted to stop the spread of communism as well as gain the Jewish vote
When did China fall to communism?
1949
Who led the revolution in China?
Mao
What happened to the Nationalists in China?
They fled to Taiwan
Who was Alger Hiss?
He was a top member of the U.S. state department that was accused of being a soviet spy
What are “pumpkin papers”?
Evidence that chambers had against Hiss which he hid in a pumpkin on his farm
What was the Hollywood 10 being accused of?
Spreading communism with their strong influence in the media
What did the NSC 68 do?
Increased military spending budget to control communism
When was the Korean War?
1950-now
What mistake did McCarthy make at the end of the trials?
He accused the American military and Eisenhower of being communist
Who were the Rosenbergs?
Americans accused of being communists and releasing atomic information to Russia; they were executed by electric chair
What does NATO stand for?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
