Cold War Tension Points 1961-1990 Flashcards
Who supported Communist North Korea?
China and the USSR
What type of country was South Korea?
Democratic country
Who was South Korea’s ally?
USA
In what year did the Korean War start?
1950
Who was the new American President in 1953? And what did he do to China in the Korean War?
Eisenhower
He threatened to use the atomic bomb if China didn’t stop fighting
When did the Chinese agree to a truce in the Korean War?
27th July 1953
What year did Stalin die?
1953
Who became the new Soviet leader after Stalin died?
Nikita Khrushchev
When did the USSR develop a nuclear bomb?
What did it result in?
1949
An arms race
When did ex-German soldiers erect a barbed wire and soon replace it with a concrete wall known as the Berlin Wall?
At 2am on Sunday 13th August 1961
What was the only crossing point of the Berlin Wall called?
Checkpoint Charlie
How did people living in East Germany feel?
4
Resented lack of freedom
Lived in fear of the Stasi (secret police)
Complained about corruption
Jealous of the prosperity of West Germany
Who was elected at the new American president in January 1961?
John F Kennedy
Why didn’t Kennedys new presidency kick off to a great start?
He backed a disastrous attempt to invade Cuba and remove its communist president, Fidel Castro
Who met in Vienna in July 1961?
Khrushchev and Kennedy
What happened on the 27th October 1961?
Soviet tanks pulled up to checkpoint Charlie and faced US tanks in a tense stand off for 18 hours
Explain what ideology has to do with the Berlin Wall.
The Berlin Wall may not have happened if the USA and the USSR didn’t have such different ideologies and economies and because they’re both superpowers they both wanted to stop the spread of the other.
How does nationalism and self interest contribute to the Berlin Wall?
A part of the Berlin Wall was to show how powerful the USSR was by building a wall however the USA and other countries didn’t see it as a threat.
What has misunderstanding got to do with the Berlin Wall?
The USSR thought America was purposely trying to make east Berlin look bad.
Who ruled Cuba until 1959?
General Fulgencio Batista
Who supported General Fulgencio Batista and why?
USA because he was strongly anti-communist
When was General Fulgencio Batista overthrown?
1959 in a revolution by Communist Fidel Castro
Why did the Cuban Missile Crisis become a crisis?
Because Castro feared the US would invade Cuba and so he turned to the USSR for help.
When was the Bays of Pigs invasion?
April 1961
What was the Bays of Pigs invasion?
When John F Kennedy authorised a plan where the CIA would arm and train 1,400 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro.
= A complete disaster for Kennedy as they were easily defeated.
When did the USSR publicly announce that it was supplying Cuba with arms?
May 1962
What happened on the 14th October 1962?
A US U2 spy plane flew over Cuba and took detailed photos showing nuclear missile sites in Cuba and reported 20 Soviet ships carrying missiles on their way too.
Why did Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba?
5
To bargain with the USA
To test the USA
To close the missile gap
To defend Cuba
To strengthen his own position in the USSR
What was signed in 1963?
A nuclear test ban treaty
Didn’t stop the development of weapons but did limit tests
Who was the communist ruler of North Vietnam and what did he want?
Ho Chi Minh and wanted to unite the North and South under his control
Who did Ho Chi Minh support?
The Vietcong in the south of Vietnam
Who supported Ngo Diem Diem?
USA
Who were the Vietcong?
Communist guerrilla soldiers fighting to overthrow Ngo Diem Diem
Why did the US get involved in the Vietnam war?
3
Containment
Domino theory
ARVNs weakness (south Vietnamese army)
When was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
August 1964
What did President Johnson order in 1965 in the Vietnam war?
The bombing of north Vietnam, operation rolling thunder
What was guerrilla warfare?
5
You retreat when the enemy attacks
Launch surprise attacks on enemy camps
Pursue when the enemy retreats
Use local terrain to an advantage
Live amongst civilians for protection
Why did the Vietcong use Guerrilla warfare tactics?
Because they were outnumbered and not as well equipped.
What was the aim of the Vietcong?
To wear down US soldiers
To wreck the US morale which worked as the US soldiers lived in constant fear of ambushes and booby traps.
Why did the Americans lose in Vietnam?
4
Successful Vietcong tactics
Unsuccessful US tactics
Lack of public support
Popular protest