Cold War Rivalry Flashcards
What is meant by the Cold War
State of hostility between the USA and USSR and their allies, without actual fighting
What is meant by ‘Superpowers’
Term used to describe USSR and USA- they were so powerful in military and economic terms that they had left all other countries behind
What is meant by Capitalism
Belief that individuals should be free to make as much money as they can
What is meant by communism
Belief that the state should make sure everyone is equal
What is meant by containment
USA tried to prevent Communism from spreading and expanding into non-communist states
What is meant by Marshall Aid
US programme of financial and economic aid given to Europe after end of WW2
(Believed that if these countries weren’t suffering in terms of military and economy then they would have no reason to turn to communism)
True or false, the USA and USSR had good relations with each other in WW2
True
They worked together in WW2 to fight against Germany (a common enemy)
However once Germany was defeated in 1945 their relations began to deteriorate
After WW2 which system did the USA believe in, communism or capitalism
Capitalism
(They feared the spread of communism)
After WW2 which system did the USSR believe in, communism or capitalism
Communism
What is meant by the 6 ‘satellite states’
Refers to Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany
Stalin imposed Communist style governments upon these 6 states
A satellite state (e.g these 6 countries) is a country under the domination of a foreign power (e.g the USSR)
What is meant by a satellite state
Countries under domination of foreign power
True or false, by 1945 the USSR occupied large parts of Eastern Europe
True
Stalin did not intend to remove his troops but instead took over these countries forcing communism upon them
True or false, Truman resisted turning the USA into a communist state
True
Several measures were also taken to try and ‘contain’ communism e.g the Marshall Plan
How was the Marshall Plan meant to help ‘contain’ communism
Provided economic aid to Europe, idea being that countries with a strong economy (caused by money in Marshall aid) would be able to repel communism however those economically suffering would turn to communism because it meant that the wealth was distributed evenly so people would benefit (yet Truman didn’t want this)
Why might communism appeal to countries that are economically suffering after WW2
Means wealth is evenly distributed so they are benefitted from more money
What was the domino theory
Belief that if one country fell to communism then this would trigger all its neighbouring countries to turn to communism
Name of theory to describe belief that if one country fell to communism then this would trigger all its neighbouring countries to turn to communism
Domino theory
What theory was containment based on
Domino theory
What do the 4 Ds stand for of what the west and the USSR eventually agreed to do with Germany at the Potsdam conference
Divide
Democratise
De-militarise
De- Nazify
True or false, under the Truman Doctrine the Greek government were able to defeat the communists
True
USA gave financial aid to Greece (Britain had been given Greece money before this from 1944 to 1947 but could no longer afford it so USA took over in fear that otherwise Greece would come under USSR influence)
True or false, from 1945 rivalry between the US and the USSR increased once Truman had made it publicly clear of his attempt to ‘contain’ communism
True
What speech marked a turning point in US foreign policy that the US was going to become proactive to enforce the policy of containment
Truman’s speech March 1947
In this speech he offered to help any government threatened by communism including providing money to Greece
What is meant by ‘iron curtain’
Term used by Winston Churchill to describe the imaginary barrier between the west and Eastern Europe
Term used to describe imaginary barrier between the West and Eastern Europe
Iron curtain
Who first spoke about the ‘iron curtain’ in their speech and when
Winston Churchill in 1946
(Describing imaginary barrier between Eastern Europe and West)
When was the Marshall Plan introduced and by who
June 1947
General George Marshall, US Secretary of state
By 1953 how much Marshall aid had the USA provided
$17 billion
4 reasons why after 1945 USA became involved in a Cold War with the USSR
Fear of communism
Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe
Peace conferences
Mistrust of Stalin (and USSR)
2 key peace conferences in 1945
Potsdam
Yalta
What year was the Cuban missile crisis
1962
When was NATO signed and by who
April 1949
Western European states and USA
Main purpose of NATO
Prevent soviet expansion
What was set up by USSR in 1955 to counteract NATO
Warsaw Pact
When was Warsaw Pact set up
1955
Who replaced Stalin as leader of USSR when he died in 1953
Krushchev
What year was the Berlin Wall built
1961
What happened in 1959 that sparked the Cuban Missile Crisis
Castro overthrows Batista and sets up a new communist government in Cuba
(Cuba has been long term allies with America but is now communist)
What does the doomsday clock represent
How close the world is to a nuclear catastrophe (12 means a nuclear war with missiles flying)
True or false, in the Cuban missile crisis the USSR and USA were on the very verge of war
True, however the war didn’t happen
After the Cuban missile crisis what was the new way for the 2 superpower leaders to communicate
Through hotline telephone link between the WhiteHouse (Washington DC) and Kremlin (Moscow)
Instead of letters
What Treaty was signed in 1963 following the Cuban missile crisis
Partial Test Ban Treaty
USA and USSR agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons (therefore there was not threat of a nuclear war occurring between them in the future)
What year did Cuba turn Communist and what did this lead to
1959
Cuban Missile Crisis
Why did Cuba turn communist in 1959
Castro overthrew Batista and set up a new communist government
Why is it an advantage to the USSR if Cuba are communist
They are only 160km away from USA so they can keep weapons there to help threaten the west/ USA
During the peace conferences how did the USSR and USA decide to split up Germany
West Germany + West Berlin = Federal republic (capitalist)
East Germany + East Berlin = Democratic republic (communist)
How many occupation zones was Germany split into after ww2
4
Why did Stalin see the Western allies (USA, France and Britain who each had an occupation zone in Germany) as a threat
The western zones set up free elections to establish democracy and were strong and reunited
Stalin feared that a strong, democratic and reunited Germany on the borders of the USSR soviet zone would spread into the East of Germany and undermine the control of East Germany
In 1948 what do the Western allies announce a plan to create which sparks the Berlin crisis
A new currency and west German state
In 1948 what does Stalin do in response to The Western allies announcing a plan to create new German state and currency
Cuts off access by land to West Berlin so that the troops in West Germany can no longer send food supplies etc there by canal/ road/ rail
(His plan is to starve West Berliners)
When does the airlift begin and why
June 1948
Stalin blocks off access by land to West Berlin in attempt to starve the West Berliners to reduce their power against the USSR
Therefore the Western troops in Germany send over food supplies by plane instead (as air access hasn’t been blocked off)
Why does the airlift prove to the USSR that Truman is serious about containment
He finds a way round Stalin trying to starve West Berliners and wants to do anything he can to keep the West powerful so that they don’t fall to communism
Why does Stalin fail in trying to starve the West Berliners through blocking off access to West Berlin by road/ rail/ canal
Western troops send food supplies over by plane so they don’t starve
Stalin doesn’t want to shoot down the planes because he wasn’t prepared for another war and therefore sees that his plan hasn’t worked so that there’s no point in the blockade
How long does the airlift last
10 months
How many tonnes of supplies are transported each day in airlift
4,000
By 1961 many people were the USSR losing across the border into West Berlin per month
20,000
By 1961 why were so many people moving across the border from the USSR into West Berlin and what type of people where they
Young and educated
Tempted by money and freedom offered in Western
In 1961 what did Krushchev do to stop people from East escaping into West Berlin
Built Berlin Wall
(Around whole of West Berlin to prevent Soviets escaping into west)
When was there an 18hr stand off between US and USSR where tanks faced each other with no fighting
Oct 1961 (after Berlín wall had been built)
What 3 methods of warfare did the US use in the Vietnam war
Chemical warfare
‘Operation rolling thunder’
‘Search and destroy’
What is meant by defoliant and why is it relevant to the Vietnam war
Chemicals that remove leaves from trees and plants
The US used this as part of their chemical warfare method to try and destroy the jungle cover and expose the Vietcong who were sneaking through there into the south
2 examples of defoliants the US used as chemical warfare
Agent Orange
Napalm
What does Napalm do
Type of bomb that sticks to skin and burns at 800 degrees through skin, flesh and bone
Name for chemical weapon US used that is a type of bomb and sticks to skin at 800 degrees and burns right through skin, flesh and bone
Napalm
How many million litres of Agent orange did the USA spray over the jungle in the Vietnam war
82 million litres
What was the name for a highly toxic weed killer used to destroy the jungle in the Vietnam war
Agent orange
What was Agent orange
Highly toxic weed killer used by USA to destroy the jungle in the Vietnam war (type of chemical welfare)
How long did the ‘operation rolling thunder’ last
3.5 years
1965-1968
What years did Operation Rolling Thunder take place between in the Vietnam war
1965-1968
Name of US bombing campaign in North Vietnam that lasted 3.5 years between 1965-1968
Operation Rolling Thunder
What did the US hope to do in the Operation Rolling Thunder
Destroy Vietcong supply routes to the south through bombing
What was Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing campaign of North Vietnam by US between 1965-1968 to try and destroy Vietcong supply routes into south
True or false, operation rolling Thunder was very successful for the US
False
It encouraged even greater support for the war from the North
Didn’t destroy the supply routes
(Effectively gave confidence to the North to make them even more strong)
True or false, the ‘Search and Destroy’ method only killed the targeted Vietcong
False
Innocent villagers in the south and US troops were also killed
What was the ‘search and destroy method’ used by US in Vietnam War
US commander ‘Westmoreland’ established secure, heavily defended bases near coast on south Vietnam
From bases US and South Vietnamese Forces (ARVN) launched ‘search and destroy’ tactics using helicopters where they would descend on villages suspected of assisting the Vietcong and destroy it (called Zipporaids)
Unsuccessful as many innocent villages who were anti- communist in the South were killed as well as US troops
Made USA very unpopular to south Vietnamese peasants who were more likely to now support the Vietcong
What is meant by ARVN
South Vietnamese forces/ army
What was the South Vietnamese Army called
ARVN
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam
What were the search and destroy attacks called where US and South Vietnamese troops descended on villages
Zipporaids
Why did the search and destroy tactics make the US and ARVN very unpopular
Many innocent people from villages in the south were killed/ their homes were destroyed
Why did the North Troops want to infiltrate into South Vietnam
To try and take over with communism
How did the North troops travel into south Vietnam
Tunnels and jungles
What are the tactics of the North Vietnamese to try and take over the south with Communism and why
Travel through tunnels into south then hide in jungles to ambush US troops (surprise attacks)
(They knew that they had less weapons than the US therefore they didn’t want to go face to face in a physical fight with the risk of losing)
Why was it very hard for the US to target the Vietcong using chemical warfare methods in the Jungle
The jungle was so vast and all members were scattered about (not concentrated in one large group) so were harder to target
What chemical weapons was like stick fire
Napalm
True or false, the US were defeated in the Vietnam war
True
Name for type of tactics used by Vietcong in Vietnam war
Guerrilla tactics
(A low tech war where they used the jungle terrain in south Vietnam to their advantage)
Who supplied North Vietnam and the Vietcong with rockets, tanks and fighter planes during the Vietnam war
China and USSR
True or false, China supported the Communist North in the Vietnam war
True
What 2 causes were the North and Vietcong fighting for in Vietnam war
Communism and the Reunification of Vietnam
Why was it important/ a strength that the Vietcong and North Vietnamese were fighting for a cause (Communism and reunification of Vietnam)
They were prepared to die in order to beat the policy of containment and therfore weren’t going to give up fighting or surrender
True or false, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong had lots of support from the South Vietnamese during the Vietnam war
True
Many turned to support the North due to being alienated by US tactics and brutality where many innocent south Vietnamese had homes and families destroyed during the ‘search and destroy’ tactics
Why were US troops a weakness for the USA in the Vietnam war
Many were too young and inexperienced to cope with guerilla warfare
Most didn’t understand why they were fighting in Vietnam
These things led to low morale including drug taking and some brutal behaviour
Why were US tactics in the Vietnam war a failure
Unable to develop effective response to Vietcong Guerilla tactics
US tactics encouraged even greater peasant support for Vietcong in countryside (opposite of what they were trying to do as they wanted to contain communism and stop it from spreading)
What was the Tet offensive
1968 Vietcong launched massive attacks on over 100 towns and cities in South Vietnamese during New Year (Tet) holiday
Why was Tet offensive an important turning point in the Vietnam War
First time Vietcong employed ‘physical’ attack which proved their power
Made US morale even worse and made the war seem unwinnable
When was Tet Offensive
Jan 1968
How many towns and cities in South Vietnam were attacked by the Vietcong in Tet Offensive
Over 100
By 1969 how many members of US military had been killed in Vietnam War
36,000
Which US presient marked the end to the Vietnam War (Vietnamisation)
Nixon
True or false, Vietnam war was propaganda disaster for US
True
Why did the Vietnam War make President Johnson very unpopular so that he didn’t try to seek re-election in 1968
Undermined ‘The Great Society’ as so much money was being spend on the war efforts that not much could be spent on implementing his policies
True or false, as an effect of the Vietnam War the American policy of containment had failed
True
Vietnam had turned to Communism and caused Laos and Cambodia to also fall to Communism by 1975
Which 2 neighbouring countries turned to Communsit by 1975 following the Vietnam War
Laos and Cambodia
Why did the Vietnam War damage the US reputation on its defence of capitalism
Atrocities (cruel acts) were committed by American soldiers which resulted in innocent people being killed including through chemical weapons and search and destroy tactics etc
What years did the Cold War take place between
1945-1991
Who won the Cuban Missile crisis
Kennedy (USA)
What is meant by Vietnamisation
Us policy of transferring the fighting of war in Vietnam from American forces to those in South Vietnam
(The plan was that to end US involvement in the Vietnam war the South Vietnamese soldiers would be trained and well equipped to gradually take over from the US troops as their withdrew yet it was unsuccessful as the South Vietnamese troops were no match for the communist forces so the whole country turned to communism)
By what year had all US troops left Vietnam
1973
What year was the ceasefire signed in Paris, followed by the peace treaty to mark the end of The Vietnam War
1973
What is meant by Brinkmanship and which crisis did this occur in
Where the USA and USSR were pushing each other to the very verge of a nuclear war
(Cuban Missile crisis)
What year was it decided that Vietnam would be temporarily divided into North and south along the 17th parallel
1954 at Geneva agreement
In 1954 who was leader of the North Vietnam and who was leader of the south
Ho Chi Minh (communist) leads North
Ngo Dinh Diem (non- communist) leads south
When does Ho Chi Minh (president and leader of north Vietnam) order the Vietcong to begin a terror campaign in the south
1959
Which Vietnamese leader was overthrown in 1963
Diem (leader of south- he is assassinated as he was a very corrupt and unpopular leader)
Why does the Vietcong become even more popular in south following 1963 when Diem (old leader of south) is assassinated
Diem is replaced by a series of short- lived and weak governments so people are tempted by the power and money of North
What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident 1964
A North Vietnamese patrol boat fired at the US Destroyer Maddox (a warship)
President Johnson used this as an excuse to send troops to aid Vietnam
When did the Vietnam war officially start and end
1954 (Vietnam is divided into North and South following Geneva agreement)
1975 (Vietnam is reunited through communism under Ho Chi Minh)
