Cold War - Developmemt Of The Cold War Flashcards
Communism in Asia : CHINA
US foreign policy (isolationism) ignored the civil war that had been going on since 1920s and was further ignored due to the focus on WW2 and protecting Europe
- Communist since 1949 : Mao Zedong took complete control over China and successfully established a communist government
- The USSR supported their new communist neighbour and in 1950 - the two of them signed a Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance
Communism in Asia - KOREA
1950 - 53 was the Korean Civil War
- After the Japanese withdrew from Korea by surrendering to the USSR in the north and the US forces in the south it caused a temporary divide called the 38th parallel
- By 1948 two separate countries had formed Communist NK and anti - communist SK
- NK invades SK and the south were quickly overrun but they appealed to the UN and other nations like Britain fought alongside UN troops lead by US General MacArthur
Communism in Asia - VIETNAM
1955 - 75
- Vietnam was still ruled by the French but the Communist Vietcong led by Ho Chi Minh were fighting a civil war against France and the USA were providing financial aid
- in the 1969s the North was supported by China and the USSR and the south was led by Diem supported by USA
How did communist Asia worsen Cold War relations - CHINA
- Alliance between USSR and China changed the power balance between East and West
- Policy if Contianment had failed in Asia
- China was powerful = America had something to be afraid of
How did Communist Asia worsen Cold War relations? - KOREA
- Used the war to test out new and deadly weapons and a Peace Treaty was signed in 1953.
- Afterwards the USSR resumed its seat on the Security Council and never missed an important vote
How did Communist Asia worsen Cold War relations? - VIETNAM
- Military rivalries were becoming more and more competitive - developing international alliances and stockpiling weapons.
What was NATO?
- It was formed as a military alliance so that countries could provide US forces with secure bases in Europe
- It guaranteed protection against possible Soviet invasion
- ‘NATO Charter - Article 5 - ‘ The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America is an attack against them all’
What was the Warsaw Pact?
- It was formed in response to the formation of NATO in 1955.
- It was an alliance similar to NATOs but including all communist countries in Europe except Yugoslavia
- It was dominated by the Soviet Union and the countries would defend each other if one was attacked
Key Events of the Arms and Space Race - USA
- 1958 : USA launches Explorer 1
- 1958 : USA set up the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA)
- 1969 : Apollo 11 takes Neil Armstrong to the moon
- 1970 : MIRV goes up into space and released 4 nuclear weapons at a time
Key Events of the Arms and Space Race - USSR
- 1957 : Soviets test out world’s first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
- 1957 : Soviet Union launch Sputnik I & II the latter carried a dog
- 1961 : April Vostok Rocket programme sent Major Yuri Gargarin fist human to space
Khrushchev’s Policies
- He took over the Communist Party in 1955
- He wanted a peaceful co - existence with the West
- He planned to reduce expenditure of arms
- He attended the first post-war summit in July 1955
- He relaxed the Soviet grip on Eastern Europe
- He dredged evidence of Stalin’s purges and denounced him as a tyrant and an enemy to the people
- He planned to destalinise the USSR and improve living standards by planting more grain and other foods so people wouldn’t go hungry
Khrushchev’s Destalinisation
- Dismissed Stalin’s former foreign minister - Molotov
- Released more political prisoners
- Invited Marshall Tito (Yugoslavia) to Moscow
5 Events on the Hungarian Revolution
- Communist leader Rakosi was elected by the USSR and he worked with other political parties to convince people that communism was good
- News Reels were used by the Soviets to promote Soviet goods and convince the poor and hungry that they would get food and clothing - the Hungarians were starving as the Soviets had taken their food, overworked with poor wages
- In 1953 East Germans rebelled after Stalin died and fearing that they would do so in Hungary too they replaced Rakosi with Nagy instead
- Nagy was much more relaxed than Rakosi and he was later replaced as the Soviets thought he was too relaxed : triggered rebellions
- In Oct 1956 they held the first student demonstration demanding free speech and the withdrawal of Soviet troops, they burnt soviet propaganda and ripped the hammer and sickle out of the flag.
Avo responded by firing out of the government building and they imprisoned people
5 more events of the Hungarian Revolution
- After the Student demonstration Nagy was reinstated : he demanded peace and discipline despite the countless strikes that were occurring
- People raided ammo stores and overtook the secret police to obtain guns . The Soviets responded with rapid gun fire bu they were defeated by the Freedom Fighters and the Soviets withdrew from Hungary
- Nagy began to reform Hungary - released prisoners inc, the Cardinal and withdrew from the Warsaw Pact, announced free elections and removed censorship
- The Soviets re- entered Hungary on the 1st Nov and breached Budapest on the 4th
- Nagy was executed, 3000 Hungarians were killed for their bid for freedom in 1966, 200,000 fled
Impacts of Hungarian Revolution - HUNGARY
- would’ve felt either extremely defeated or even more determined to challenge communism and the Soviet Union and also inspire other Soviet controlled countries to take action
