Cold war consequences

Question 1

two consequences of Grand Alliance at Yalta conference (Feb 1945)

Answer 1

1. Eastern Europe would become a Soviet Sphere of influence to reflect Russia’s sacrifice during the war, liberated countries would be allowed to hold free elections (run democratically): this did not happen…elections were fixed.
2. UN was set up.

Question 2

two consequences of successful test of the atomic bomb by USA in July 1945?

Answer 2

1. gave USA huge military advantage over other countries
2. increased tension between the superpowers and the start of the Cold War

NB Britain were economically exhausted by WWII so unable to stand up to Soviet alone and therefore was an ally to USA.

Question 3

two consequences of Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

Answer 3

1. increased tension between the USA and Soviet Union
2. USA was determined to stop spread of communism
3. Soviet felt Marhsal Plan attacked them as it threatened their communist control

Question 4

two consequences of Berlin Blockade (1948-49)

Answer 4

1. Blockade Made Soviet union appear aggressive and threatening
2. Airlift made USA appear peaceful and generous - Western Europe and USA formed NATO to counter the Soviet military threat

Question 5

two consequences of Hungarian uprising (1956)

Answer 5

1. Stalin statues were pulled down
2. local communists were attacked
3. Imre Nagy was put in as Prime Minister- proposed liberal reforms unpopular with Soviet Union
4. (If Nagy succeeded this was a problem for Soviet as other countries in Eastern Europe may follow this example and the Warsaw Pact could collapse).

Question 6

two consequences of Soviet invasion of Hungary

Answer 6

1. 5000 Hungarians are killed
2. Nagy is arrested - eventually tried and executed
   3.

Question 7

two consequences of Bay of Pigs incident (1961)

Answer 7

1. USA failed to invade Cuba (Bay of Pigs) and as a consequence Cuba cut ties to the USA. Kennedy was humiliated as the invasion had failed. The USA looked hypocritical as they were supporting an invasion of an independent country.
2. Cuba declared itself communist and became closer to Soviet Union. Which made Kennedy feel threatened. What if the USSR placed missiles on Cuba?

Question 8

two consequences of construction of the Berlin wall (1961)

Answer 8

1. solved the refugee crisis in East Berlin and made war over Berlin less likely
2. Proganda victory for the West: suggested to the world that people had to be forced to stay in communist countries (ie East Berlin) when they wanted to live in capitalist countries
3. Europe was now completely divided Easrt and West (Iron Curtain)

Question 9

two consequences of Cuban Missile Crisis (1964)

Answer 9

1. ended all chances of friendly USA-Cuba relationship
2. Cuba and Soviet Union started building closer ties- including military defence for Cuba
3. Castro announced he was a communist

Question 10

two consequences of Prague Spring (1968)

Answer 10

1. relaxation of communist control in Czech.
2. challenge to Soviet authority over another satellite state- Czech.
3. potential to threaten Soviet communist rule in Eastern block countries

Question 11

two consequences of election of Alexander Dubcek (1968)

Answer 11

1. his reforms resulted in Prague Spring - increased political freedom
2. Soviet control was reduced
3. BUT led to Invasion of Czech by SU and the Brezhnev Doctrine with no challenge from the USA.

Question 12

two consequences of war in Afghanistan (1979)

Answer 12

• end of detente
• start of second world war
• led to Carter Doctrine
• Olympic boycotts of 1980 and 1984

*SU assumed US would not get involved in this war

Question 13

two consequences of strategic defence initiative​

SDI known as Star wars- satellites, mirrors, lasers in space to destroy SU missiles before they reached USA

Answer 13

• escalated Cold war by pouring money into the arms race (using fast-developing computer technology to improve weapons)
• made SU-USA relations worse in short term
• (Reagon and Gorbachev met in 1985 at Geneva summit and agreed to more meetings and negotiations)

Question 14

two consequences of Ronald Reagan being elected President of US

Answer 14

• worsened cold war
• Reagan launched the SDI (1983) which badly damaged East-West relations - affected the arms race, displomacy and economically (SU could not keep up with US)
• breakdown of SALT2
• KALOO7 - shooting down of a South Korean airliner by SU -killed a number of Americans (lowest point of second cold war)

Question 15

two consequences of Mikhail Gorbachev becoming leader of SU (1985)

Answer 15

• scrapped the Brezhnev Doctrine (1988)
• led to many revolutions 1989-1990 and…
• non communist governments came into power in Eastern bloc countries (e.g. Czech, Bulgaria, Romania) ending Soviet control
• Fall of Berlin wall (Nov 1989)

Question 16

two consequences of break up of Eastern bloc (1989)

Answer 16

• Romanian revolution was violent
• Fall of Berlin wall (1989)

Question 17

two consequences of fall of the Soviet Union

Answer 17

• brought Cold war to an end as SU no longer existed and there was no idealogical conflict between East and West
• Russia divided into different states in Europe, Asia. (1991)
• Many countries became independent states e.g. Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia
• SU became commonwealth of Independent states in Jan 1992