Cold War Flashcards
1
Q
Define Cold War✔
A
- a state of ideological confrontation & hostility without actual war between the US & USSR
- Origins in WWII
- Lasted from the end of WWII to the collapse of the Soviet Union
2
Q
What did the USSR want after WWII?✔
A
- USSR wanted communism in Poland after the war
- Compromise
- Communist gov
- Free elections ASAP
3
Q
Truman Doctrine✔
A
- 1947- Truman goes to Congress for $ to fight communist aggression in Turkey & Greece
- Became outline of new US policy
- US should assist free peoples resisting attempted subjugation
- US should assist free peoples in achieving self-determination
- US committed to military & economic aid to stop communism
4
Q
Marshall Plan ✔
A
- 1947- program of economic recovery for Europe
- Developed by Secretary of State George Marshall
- US gov wanted to relieve hunger & debt in post-war Europe
- Made communism less appealing
- USSR & eastern Europe refused aide
- US benefited from European economic recovery
- Created strong democracies (containment)
- New markets for Am. goods
5
Q
Korean War (& what started it, & results)✔
A
- after W.W.II, Korea (a country which had been controlled by Japan), was divided at the 38th parallel
- USSR in the north, US in the south
- USSR refused to reunite Korea
- established a communist gov in the North
- 1953- permanent (?) cease fire
- dividing Korea at the 38th Parallel and establishing DMZ zone
- really now change
- north invaded to make the peninsula communist
6
Q
Berlin Crisis✔
A
- USSR wants a weak Germany
- US wants a strong Germany
- 1948- US, GB & Fr zones merge into ones nation
- Called Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
- Also unify zones of Berlin (West Berlin)
7
Q
HUAC✔
A
- House Un-American Activities Committee
- Formed in 1938 to investigate communist & fascist activity
- J. Edgar Hoover- FBI director
- Wanted HUAC to hold hearings on subversion
- Sent agents to infiltrate subversive groups
8
Q
McCarthyism✔
A
- Practice damaging reputations with vague & unfounded charges
- Name taken from Joseph McCarthy
- Fear of communism
- Soviets test bomb-1949
- China falls to Communism-1949
- Alger Hiss convicted-Jan 195
9
Q
How was McCarthy successful?✔
A
- Badgers witnesses
- Made unfounded accusations
- Played on publics’ fears
- He attacked anyone that criticized him
- Ruined many peoples’ reputation with accusations
10
Q
balance of power✔
A
- nations will not go to war with enemies of equal or superior strength-
11
Q
Results of Sputnik✔
A
- US feared that the Soviets had achieved technological superiority
- the “space race” began
- US expanded federal aid to education
- new emphasis on math and science in US schools
- 1958, NASA created
- 1958, the US launched Explorer I
12
Q
U2 Incident✔
A
- USSR showed the pilot on TV
- Eisenhower took responsibility but refused to apologize
- Soviet leader- Nikita Khushchev- cancelled a summit because of incident
- U2 shoot down by Russia
13
Q
Bay of Pigs Invasion✔
A
- John F. Kennedy became the President in 1961
- learned of a CIA plan to overthrow Castro
- CIA trained Cubans to invade Castro
- Invasion plan fails
- Kennedy won’t give air support
- Major embarrassment to Kennedy
- Further damaged Cuban/Am relations
14
Q
Cuban Missile Crisis✔
A
- October 1962, US discovered USSR was building missile bases in Cuba
- Kennedy demanded Soviets remove the missiles
- announced a “quarantine” around Cuba
- USSR promised to withdraw the missiles if the US promised not to invade Cuba
- led to talks to reduce the risk of nuclear war
- Kennedy and Khrushchev established “hot line”
allowed immediate discussion in the event of crisis
15
Q
Why did the East Germans build the Berlin Wall?✔
A
- people were escaping from East to West Berlin
- East Germany builds a wall in Berlin
- prevent Ease Berliners from escaping to the West
- Kennedy increased military spending
- wall stayed up until 1989 (period of economic reform)
- Communists resigned & wall torn down
- 1991 - Germany united into one nation
