Cold War Flashcards
GI Bill
Paid tuition and gave loans for houses, farms, and small businesses to veterans
Sig? Promoted post-war economic expansion despite fears that there would be a slump
Yalta conference
U.S., SU, and GB meet to discuss post war plans
SU promises to hold free elections in Poland, Belgium, and Romania and to help attack Japan in exchange for some chinese land and railroads
Sig? Shows growing tensions between US and SU, later SU is accused of not keeping its promises but really it was a v loose agreement
Berlin
Berlin was a small region within soviet part of Germany that was occupied by all 4 powers
In 1848 SU cuts off all access to Berlin to starve allies out-> US airdrops supplies for a year until the blockade is lifted
Sig? Shows how close we were to a WWIII and how the tensions are growing
Containment policy and Truman doctrine
Containment- the SU is way too expansionary and we need to control it
Truman- US will support free people’s resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures (basically communism)
Sig? Critics say it polarized the world into pro-soviet and pro-america and exaggerated the threat of Russia and communism
Marshall plan
US spends $12.5 billion over 4 years in 16 cooperating countries (SU walked out on the deal)
Sig? Created an economic miracle for Europe and caused communist parties in Italy and France to lose ground
NATO
North Atlantic treaty organization- defensive alliance of Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg (+later Greece, turkey, and w. Germany)
Sig? Usually the U.S. avoids entangling alliances, but now they are getting more and more involved to contain Russia and reintegrate Germany
HUAC
House committee to investigate “subversion” which basically meant communism
Focused on Hollywood, imprisoned and blacklisted 10 actors/screenwriters that refused to answer questions or admitted to being associated with communism
Sig? Shows the irony of the Cold War- america is fighting against communism bc they believe in civil liberties… By taking away liberties like freedom of speech and thought…
Korean War
N Korea invades s Korea, US quadruples defense spending and ordered troops to SK, they end up invading NK but the Chinese fight back so it ends in a stalemate
Sig? Caused the removal of general MacArthur bc he wanted to keep fighting even tho the gov’t decided that it was too expensive and Asia wasn’t that important
McCarthyism
Joseph McCarthy baselessly accused 205 government employees (especially democrats) of being communists
Lots of public support
Eventually he goes too by attacking the army-> senate condemns him and he dies
Sig? Caused the purging of a lot of asian specialist that could have helped in Vietnam
New look foreign policy
Goals: stop and regain communist gains and also balance budget
How? Through a policy of boldness- use superbombers with nuclear weapons instead of army/navy
Sig- never really happened bc it was more expensive than previously thought and nuclear weapons are too heavy for minor crises
