Cold War Crises (pg. 11-19) Flashcards
How many Germans crossed into West Berlin from 1949-61?
2.7 million
What year was Krushchev’s Berlin Ultimatum and what did it say?
1958, all Berlin was East Germanys
Why did so many East Germans go to West Berlin?
Better jobs/wages, oppurtunities
What 4 meetings happened to put forward the Berlin Ultimatum?
- Geneva (1959) - No outcome
- Camp David (1959) - No outcome
- Paris Summit (1960) - Krushchev storms out learning Soviets shot down US spy plane
- Vienna (1961) - Reissued Ultimatum, saw Kennedy inexperience as weakness
What did Krushchev end up doing to solve the Berlin problem? Why?
- Build Berlin Wall 1961
USA prepared for nuclear war after summit meetings failed - USSR couldn’t afford war and needed to sort out refugee problem
What did the Berlin wall make Kruschev appear?
Strong for not starting war
Anyone who tried crossing wall shot
What happened in Cuba 1959? Why was this a dilemma for USA?
- Socialist revolution - US-Cuban relations fell after Covan-Soviet trade links increased
- Cuba is very close to USA, a Communist threat that close was dangerous
What did the CIA tell Kennedy for the US backed Cuban invasion?
- Castro’s unpopular and weak
- Invasion will look like Cuban revolt (disguised old US spy planes as Cuban + trained Cuban exiles)
What ended up being the reality for the Bay of Pigs?
- Castro was more popular than old leader who was corrupt
- Castro knew about invasion - had 20,000 troops against 1400 US troops
- US planes published propaganda - world knew US backed invasion
What was the outcome of the Bay of Pigs?
- Castro announced communist
- US-Cuban relationship off the table
What happened in 1962?
- US spy planes found missiles on Cuba
- ‘Hawks’ wanted to attack, ‘doves’ wanted to avoid nuclear war
- Kennedy didn’t attack, start of detente
Give 2 things from detente.
- Hotline Agreement
- 1963 - Limited Test Ban Treaty - Ban of nuclear weapon testing except for underground
What happened in 1968?
Prague Spring
- Communism unpopular in Czechoslovakia, Dubcek became leader
- Supported Warsaw Pact, wanted communism to be easier to live under (socialism w/ human face)
What were the reactions to Dubcek’s reforms?
-Many happy (students, writers, workers, young)
- Some angry (army, secret police) felt power they held was threatened
Give 3 of Dubcek’s reforms
- Less secret police
- Censorship relaxed
- More parties/democratic
Why was Breshnev fearful of the Prague Spring?
- If any other Warsaw Pact countries felt influenced, they would move away from Soviet control
What happened when Breshnev ordered Soviet invasion to Czechoslovakia?
- Arrested Dubcek
- Husak appointed prime minster, normalisation
What was the Breshnev Doctrine?
Right for Soviet Union to invade any Warsaw Pact country threatening its security
How did the West respond to the invasion of Czechoslovakia?
- Appalled, yet didn’t intervene
- Communist Western leaders (France/Italy) cut off ties with Soviets
- USA called it ‘rape of Czechoslovakia’
How did the East respond to the invasion of Czechoslovakia?
- Strengthened Soviet control on East
- Divided Communist world (Romania condemned)
When was SALT 1?
1972
Give 2 things that SALT 1 did
- No further strategic ballistic weapon production
- No new nuclear missile launchers
What were the outcomes of SALT 1?
- Slowed Arms Race
- Beginning of peak of detente
- Didn’t cover intermediate weapons both sides deployed
What year was Helsinki?
1975
Give 3 things Helsinki agreed on and which countries signed it
- Trade co-operations
- Peacefully settled disputes
- Human rights
- Signed by USA, Canada, USSR, majority of Europe
Give 3 positives from Helsinki
- Highest point of detente
- Formed freindly US-Soviet relations
- Joint space mission (Apollo-Soyuz))
Give 2 problems from Helsinki
- USSR still used Breshnev Doctrine (breached human rights)
- USA kept getting involved in other countries
What happened in 1979?
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
- In Soviet sphere of influence
- Taraki killed, replaced Amin, USSR felt its influence threatened
- Breshenv sends troops to kill Amin, replace with Karmal
- Mujahideen (Afghan rebels) resisted troops
- Thought nobody would react
Why was USA worried about the Afghan invasion?
- Middle East could have communist influence
- Iran could be influenced, where USA gets oil
What was in the Carter Doctrine?
- Economic sanctions, US will use military force if necessary to defend Persian Gulf
Did USA help Mujahideen?
Yes, they backed them up, providing assistance along with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
When were the Olympic Boycotts?
- 1980 - USA boycotts Moscow Olympics
- 1984 - USSR boycotts Los Angeles Olympics
When was Reagan elected and why?
1981 - had strong anti communist principles, believed it was a mission from God to win the Cold War
What did Reagan invent in 1983?
SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative
- Satellites in space to destroy Soviet missiles before hitting USA
By 1981, what were the differences between USA and USSR?
USA
- Recovered economically from Afghan war
- Developing scientifically/ technology
USSR
- Poor living standards
- Aged leaders
- Economy was 20% of USA’s
What did Gorbachev want?
- End Afghan war
- Didn’t want capitalism, stronger socialism
- Foreign relations to change
- Never intended to end Soviet Union
What was agreed at Reyjavik, 1986?
- Cut down nuclear weapons
- Gorbachev wanted SDI gone, Reagan dissapproved
What was agreed at the INF Treaty, 1987?
- Get rid of all 500-5500km nuclear weapons superpowers had
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
1989
When did the Warsaw Pact end?
1991
Why did the USSR lose the Cold war?
- Economy - Arms Race, war, all money being equally distributed didn’t grow the economy
- Freedom - Breshnev Doctrine forced everyone to be suppressed, Berlin Wall, etc
