Cold War Pt2 Flashcards
Sandinistas
A left wing revolutionary group that came to power in Nicaragua in 1979 after the overthrow of Somoza dictatorship. They were supported by the USSR and Cuba during the Cold War.
SALT
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
A series of negotiations between the US and USSR to limit nuclear weapons. SALT I (1972) → limited missile production and deployment (limited sending troops for military action).
SALT II (1979)
Nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and USSR, signed by Carter and Brezhnev. It expanded SALT I, limiting ICBMs and nuclear bombs. Though never ratified due to rising tensions, both sides informally followed it.
Henry Kissinger
National Security Advisor then later Secretary of State. He focused on realpolitik, negotiated SALT, focused on detente–> shuttle diplomacy.
Glasnost
The policy introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 80s that encouraged the idea of political openness and transparency. He wanted more freedom of expression in the USSR but still be communist.
Menachem Begin
He was the Prime Minister of Israel (1977-1983). He led Israel during a time of peace agreements with Egypt. He played a major role in the Camp David Accords, where he and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 alongside Sadat for their efforts in the peace process.
Brezhnev Doctrine
The doctrine was similar to the Truman Doctrine. It stated that the USSR can intervene in any socialist country if communism is threatened. This was to justify the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Mikhail Gorbachev
The last leader of the Soviet Union (1985-1991), he was known for Glasnost and Perestroika→ led to the end of the Cold War.
Helsinki Accords
Promoted human rights and European security. Symbolic, but had little real effect. All countries who signed this would be agreeing to participate in giving freedom to the people and human rights.
Gerald Ford
Became president after Nixon resigned (Watergate scandal)–> 38th President. Continued détente, negotiated SALT II.
Human Rights
Use of diplomatic relations to promote and protect human rights. The U.S. and Soviet Union often disagreed about how to protect human rights during the Cold War, with the U.S. emphasizing individual freedoms and the USSR focusing on economic rights.
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
A 1987 agreement between the US and the USSR to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles, marking a significant step towards nuclear disarmament and reducing Cold War tensions.
Yom Kippur War 1967
Egypt and Syria surprise attacked Israel during Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, leading to an oil embargo and forced negotiations.
OPEC
Organization Petroleum Exporting Countries
An intergovernmental organization founded in 1960 that coordinates petroleum policies among major oil-producing nations to stabilize oil prices and supply. Before, they were supervised by Western countries, however, this organization is led by the oil producing nations → were able to demand their position and set their own prices.
ABMs Treaty
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty: Restricted missile defense systems to prevent an arms race. Signed by the US and USSR, but was abandoned by the US in 2002. Idea that if one country launches missiles at another, the defender could use ABMs to stop those missiles from reaching their target (they can destroy these missiles while they’re in the air).
Six Day War (1967)
Israel quickly defeated Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, gaining key territories. → Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.
1973-1974 Oil Embargo
OPEC cut oil to pro-Israel nations like the US, causing a global energy crisis. This was in response to the US supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War. They used oil as a political weapon. Embargo officially ended in March 1974, but they continued until 1975, a major success!!
Prague Spring
Czechoslovakia was led by Alexander Dubcek in 1968. He wanted more political reforms (focusing on liberty and freedom for the people). However, the USSR saw it as a threat to communism and decided to invade the country.
Perestroika
A series of economic and political reforms initiated by Gorbachev to restructure the Soviet economy, reducing the state control and moving towards a more market oriented economy.
UN Resolution 181
1947, UN’s plan that proposed the partition (division) of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, → the creation of Israel (1948), leading to Arab-Israeli tensions.
Panama Canal
A man-made waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This is a key shipping route for global trade, in 1977, Carter signed a treaty to hand control of canal back to Panama by 1999.
Contras
A group of Nicaraguan rebel fighters who opposed the Sandinista government, they were largely funded by the US gov’t during the Reagan administration.
Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982)
He was the leader of the USSR who was known for his political repression, military expansion, and maintaining strict control over Eastern Europe.
Iran Contra Hearings/Scandal
A scandal from 1985 to 1987 during Reagan’s administration in which US officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua which violated the Boland Amendment.
