Cold War Flashcards
Truman Doctrine
The United States will support any people under attack from communist forces, whether internal or external.
Containment
American foreign policy; don’t go to war with soviets but contain its influence and make sure it doesn’t spread
Marshall Plan
The United States government will grant funds to all European states; the only condition is that it must be used for mutual benefit not military needs.
**not a loan, free money
Cominform
Established in 1947
Communist information federal bureau, basically the Comintern all over again.
Ends the popular front.
Hegemony
A person or country that is in a dominant state in the world system
Tension between Soviet Union and U.S
Truman didn’t think highly of Stalin.
America has a monopoly on nuclear weapons, Soviet Union concerned.
Conflicting ideology.
Yugoslavia and Albania
Independent communist states
Jan Masaryk
Czechoslovakian political leader
“committed suicide” (assassinated by Soviet agents)
Stalin takes over.
Tito
Successfully maintained independence in Yugoslavia
Purge Parties
Stalin eliminates communist parties that opposed him.
Tension between Soviet Union and U.S
Truman didn’t think highly of Stalin.
America has a monopoly on nuclear weapons, Soviet Union concerned.
Conflicting ideology.
Yugoslavia and Albania
Independent communist states
Jan Masaryk
Czechoslovakian political leader
“committed suicide” (assassinated by Soviet agents)
Stalin takes over.
Tito
Successfully maintained independence in Yugoslavia
Purge Parties
Stalin eliminates communist parties that opposed him.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATO
First time the US enters a overseas treaty that involves the military.
Defensive and preventative alliance.
Attack on one= attack on all
Civil War in Greece
Royalist government, backed by English vs Dictatorship backed by Yugoslavia
Outcome of Russian fear of Germany
Dismantle all industry in eastern Germany and ship to eastern satellites
Outcome of the Allies fear of Germany
Encourage industry in Germany so that they won’t feel crippled and rise up again.
They can become self sufficient & pay back reparations.
They can become a buffer state.
Berlin
Capital of Germany
Located deep into east Germany
Center of tension, model of Germany.
Divided between east and west (USSR and Allies)
Berlin Blockade
1948-1949
Attempt by Soviet Russia to block the west from entering Berlin.
The idea was to force West Berlin to become part of East Germany
German Federal Republic
Name of western Germany
German Democratic Republic
Name of eastern Germany
Berlin Airlifts
Allies response to the blockade
Fly in supplies to Berlin 24/7
COMECON
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
Soviet version of Marshall plan
Fully integrated the economies of Eastern Europe with Soviet Union.
Warsaw Pact
1955
Soviet version of NATO
Integrated the militaries of all members
Attack on one= attack on all
Politburo/Presidium
Ran the Soviet Union for a short period of time.
Collective leadership after death of Stalin.
Khrushchev
Emerges as the single leader of Soviet Russia.
Stalin’s successor.
Starts de-stalinization
De-Stalinization
Denounced excesses of Stalin’s regime.
More freedom of expression.
Pulls back from collectivization.
Increase consumer goods.
Gomulka
Person elected as prime minister of Poland 1956 instead of the person chosen by Moscow.
Moscow approves.
Takes away collectivization.
Imre Nagy
The guy that Hungary tries to put into power to allow more liberalizing reform.
Attempts to make independent state.
Too far, soviets send in tanks and kill him.
1960 Paris Summit Conference
Never happened because Soviets find U-2 spy plane (knew about it for weeks) and demand apology which was never given to them.
The Berlin Wall
1961-1989
Was built to prevent people from East Berlin from fleeing to West Berlin.
Cuban Missile Crisis
October 1962 Almost started nuclear war U.S. had missiles in Turkey. Russia puts missiles in Cuba, they deny it. US gets proof and shows to UN. Russia is forced to take it away.
Brezhnev
1964-1983
Replaced Khrushchev.
Harsher than Khrushchev, more lenient than Stalin.
Prague Spring
Dubcek (leader of Czech.)
Tries to use kinder gentler communism.
Russia sends in tanks, replaces him.
Brezhnev Doctrine
No experimentation with communism.
Soviet Union reserves right to intervene with any communist state that is experimenting.
ECSC
1951 European Coal and Steel Community.
First step toward European Union.
France, W. Germany, Italy, Benelux region.
Submit coal/steel industries to the international organization. (Success)
Treaty of Rome
(1957) Expand ECSC and create EEC.
EEC /CM
European Economic Community/ Common Market (success)
Abolish all tariffs, free flow of labor and capital.
Similar min. wages and benefits.
Treaty of Mastricht
Signed in 1991, doesn't go into effect until 1993. Establishes E.U Single currency (euro established '99) Create a single Central European bank. Create a free trade zone.
ECB
European Central Bank
Modeled after Federal Reserve Bank
Problems faced by European Union
Fear of flood of laborers from Eastern Europe after fall of USSR (1991)
Joining euro zone means giving up economic sovereignty
Detente
Series of talks between USSR & US
Agreed to more trade
Arms reduction (nuclear and conventional)
Nixon administration
Helsinki Accords
Signed in 1975
Acknowledgement by US and Western Europe of Soviet spheres of influence in Eastern Europe.
All members had to recognize and protect the Human Rights of their citizens.
Ford administration
Carter administration
Tries to force Soviets to uphold Helsinki Accords
Invasion of Afghanistan
1979-1989
Afghan government was a client of the USSR, when rebellion breaks out the Soviets step in to help.
Contributed to the downfall of USSR
Drains USSR’s resources
America’s response to the invasion of Afghanistan
Sends aid to Afghan rebels
SALT
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties
Agreements to limit arms between United States and Soviet Union
Olympics in Moscow ‘80
Americans boycott
Gdansk
Shipyard workers go on strike
Refused to work with party approved union, wanted their own “Solidarity”
Solidarity
Led by Lech Walesa
Workers union, negotiates with government.
Is recognized by the government.
Eventually becomes a party.
Karol Wojtyla
Pope John Paul II
1st non-Italian pope in 400 years.
He was Polish.
Outspoken critic of communism.
Ronald Reagan
President of the United States ‘80
Relax grain embargo
Aggressive rhetoric toward the Soviet Union “evil empire”
Heats up arm race
Jaruzelski
Becomes leader of communist party
Imposes martial law.
Arrests Walesa, shuts down Solidarity.
repression returns
SDI
Strategic Defense Initiative
“Star Wars” Space based weaponry that would prevent nuclear strike.
Forces Soviet Union to spend and eventually impoverish them.
Gorbachev
Last Premier of the Soviet Union.
Wanted to rejuvenate Bolshevik vision.
Major reforms.
Coal miners strike ‘89
Gorbachev promises and gives them higher wages
Perestroika
Means “restructuring”
De-centralize the economies, let satellite states control their economies.
Brings back middle men and private property. (Basically NEP)
Cuts military spending, pulls back from Afghan war.
Major failure.
Glasnot
Means “openness”
Censorship relaxes and dissenters were released from prison.
Stops repressing other political parties.
Brought forward discontent.
Polish Revolution 1980’s
Government relxaes matrial law
1988- Solidarity is legalized, Walesa becomes mediator.
1989- Jaruzelski begins political reform and free elections.
Polish Election of 1989
Majority elected were from Solidarity.
Jaruzelski appoints a member of Solidarity as prime minister.
Hungarian Independence
Opens border with Austria.
This was a breach in the Iron Curtain, many East Germans move to West Germany through Hungary and Austria.
Changes name to socialist party and opens free election.
German Unification
Demonstrations break out in East Germany.
Gorbachev won’t take forceful action toward it.
Government of East Germany resigns.
November 1989- opened Berlin Wall
1990- German reunification
Velvet Revoultion
Bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia.
Change of power from communist party to parliamentary republic.
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
“Velvet Divorce”
Led by Vaclev Havel
1993- Peaceful creation of Czech Republic and Slovakia
