Cold War Flashcards
Who met at the Yalta Conference?
Stalin and Franklin Roosevelt. Or the US and USSR.
How was Europe split up at the Yalta Conference?
- The eastern half was to be controlled by the Soviets, and would become soviet controlled communist dictatorships.
- The western half would be controlled by the Americans, British and French and would become capitalist democracies.
In what ways was our experience in WWII different for the US and the USSR?
- After WWII the United States was the wealthiest and most powerful country and economy in the world. We started as a second rate power, and ended as a superpower.
- The USSR ended the war with most of the major cities totally destroyed, lost 25% of their population, and over a quarter of all factories were destroyed. This was the second time Germany had done this to them in 30 years.
What was the goal of the United States after WWII?
We wanted to united Europe and Germany and have them all be capitalist democracies that we could trade with. Wealthy countries don’t become communist.
What was the goal of the USSR after WWII?
The USSR wanted to ruin the Germans so they couldn’t’ attack every again. The Eastern European countries under their control would become soviet buffer states that would act as a shield against any future invasions.
What was containment?
The US policy to deal with Communism. Instead of trying to beat them, we just wouldn’t let them spread their ideas to new countries. We thought they would eventually collapse without friendly nations.
How did we “contain” the Soviets?
We gave a ton of money to countries that were in danger of becoming communist.
What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?
It was to give countries that were close to a communist rebellion money so they could fix their economy, make their people happy, and not fall into communism.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
When the Soviets blocked off access to our part of Berlin, we responded by flying in all the supplies that were needed for survival. After one year, the Soviets reopened the road, and we had won the first real issue of the Cold War.
What is NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This was an alliance of most of Western Europe and the United States that was formed to stand against the Soviet Union.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
This was the alliance against NATO. It included the Soviet Union and most of Eastern Europe.
What is Brinksmanship, and what is the problem with this idea?
This was the original US policy of responding to any Soviet threat with a nuclear attack. It doesn’t work, because there are a ton of issues that came up that were not serious enough to need a nuclear response.
Who started the Space Race first?
The Soviets launched the first satellite called Sputnik.
How did the Korean War start?
The North Koreans attacked the South first. They almost completely beat the South before being pushed almost completely out of their own country themselves.
What did President Truman fire Douglas MacArthur?
MacArthur wanted to use nuclear weapons against China and turn the Korean War into a war against communism in general. When Truman said no, MacArthur tried to get the public on his side and was fired.
Who won the Korean War?
No one. The country was split at the same place as it was before the war started.
How did the North and South Koreans differ after the war?
The North became a terrible communist dictatorship that is an international outcast. The South became a dictatorship that was allied with the United States.
Why was the battle of Dien Bien Phu important?
This was the battle that made the French decide to leave Vietnam.
What was the Domino Theory?
This is the idea that if one country is allowed to become communist, its neighbors would follow suit
Who were the Vietcong?
Communist rebels from South Vietnam
What are some of the reasons that we lost the Vietnam War?
The South Vietnamese Government was very unpopular with their own people, we had to fight many different enemies at once, it was in a jungle where our power isn’t useful, and the North had powerful allies in the USSR and China.
What is decolonization?
Indigenous populations take back control of their government and economy. When imperialism formerly ends
Why did Britain give up their claim to India?
India was becoming restless and wanted independence. After the war Britain could not afford to fight to keep them. Britain was scared that USSR would take over India. If Britain gave them independence, India would become allies with them against USSR.
Why was dividing India complicated?
Religion in india was split between hindu and Muslim, where Muslims wanted their own country. This was complicated by the region of Bengal, that had a mixed population of both.
What were the problems that come about from partition of India?
1 million Indians ended up being killed, lots of violence, creation of the slums around new cities, mass migration, no jobs. Still conflict between Kashmir and india and Pakistan today.
What three reforms did Mikhail Gorbachev make that started the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Glasnost, Perestroika, and increased democracy
What is Glasnost?
Openness - Allowed more freedom of speech and press, and allowed criticism of the government
What is Perestroika?
Economic restructuring away from government control and and towards a market/capitalist system
What happened to the Republics that were part of the now-collapsed Soviet Union?
They became independent countries.
