Cold war transformation Flashcards
Why did Cuba become a source of tension between the USA and USSR
Jan 1959 Fidel Castro took over Cuba, however he was Communist
This was a problem for the USA as Cuba was just 100 miles off the coast of the USA, the USA would have Communism right on their doorstep
Bay of Pigs
In April 1961 the CIA supported an attempted invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs; it failed miserably, greatly embarrassing Kennedy.
Castro believed he needed more protection from USA attack.
He asked Russia for weapons to defend Cuba against America.
On 14 October 1962 an American U2 spy-plane took pictures of a nuclear missile base being built on Cuba. This meant that all US missile defence systems were now useless.
Why was Berlin a long term problem
The USA refused to recognise East Germany and USSR refused to recognise West Germany.
Berlin was a major problem as it was located in the East, but half of it (the West) was under American control. USSR hated having capitalist influence in their ‘sphere’
Causes of problems with berlin / the wall
East Germany was very unpopular and many citizens fled to the West. 2.7 million between 1949-1961. On average the number of defections ranged between 20-25,000 each month.
Most of these refugees were skilled workers, who left for jobs and better pay, which further undermined the economy of the East.
This was also very bad propaganda for the USSR as it made them look weak and made capitalism look a more popular and successful system.
Why did Khrushchev order the building of the Berlin Wall?
And when
August 1961
In August 1961 Khrushchev believed that he could get away with building the Wall because John F Kennedy, the US president had been made to look foolish over the Bay of Pigs invasion
The USSR could not afford a war. The USA were x20 more powerful than they were with nuclear
weapons.
But the USSR had to do something to stop the refugee problem
During the 1950s travel was relatively easy between the Eastern and Western sectors of Berlin. People living under communism in the Eastern sector could visit the West and see what capitalism offered. There was better housing, shops full of goods and relative freedom: all provided by the Western Allies.
How did the USA react to Khrushchev building the wall
JFK ordered three increases in the US defence budget in the next two years. He would have to stand up to Khrushchev the next time
He went to Berlin and made a speech to hundreds of thousands of West Berliners. In it he said, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’. This was meant to show that he was sharing their difficulties, but it actually meant ‘I am a doughnut’. ‘Berliner’ was a slang term for a doughnut
Impact of the Berlin wall
It stopped East Germans escaping to the West and ended the refugee crisis
Allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with USA and still appear strong
Became a powerful symbol of division in Europe and between the different ideologies
The Wall remained in place until 1990 and more than 300 people were killed trying to cross it
What was Castro’s revolution
In 1959 Batista was overthrown in a revolution led by Fidel Castro.
One of Castro’s first moves was to go to the USA to secure support for his new state, but President Eisenhower refused to speak with him.
At the United Nations office in New York, Castro talked with representatives of the Soviet Union, and they offered their support for his new government.
Most important:
Castro had not been a communist before 1960, but was drawn to communism by the friendship and support offered by Khrushchev and his government.
Castro nationalised all American-owned companies in Cuba, and refused to pay compensation. The USA then had a communist state ‘in its own backyard’.
What was the US response to Castro’s revolution
The US imposed a trade embargo on Cuban goods, depriving Cubans of a market for their sugar and tobacco and the income to import oil and other essential goods. ( This backfired badly on the Americans as it meant the Cubans then looked to the USSR for a market for their sugar. The Soviets were only too happy to oblige and were soon supplying Cuba with oil and weapons.)
America decreased their sugar purchases by 95%, crippling the Cuban economy.
The Bay of Pigs: In April 1961, just after he was installed as President of the USA, John F Kennedy approved a plan to invade Cuba and overthrow communism.
What was the Bay of Pigs
In April 1961, just after he was installed as President of the USA, JFK approved a plan to invade Cuba and overthrow communism.
The CIA landed 1,400 Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba with the aim of provoking an anti-communist uprising. Almost at the last minute, Kennedy cancelled an order that had promised the Cuban resistance US Air Force support for their coup d’etat. The lack of air support meant the rebels were easily defeated when they were met by 20,000 heavily armed Cuban troops. All were captured or killed.
Kennedy now looked weak and aggressive at the same time.
It failed miserably, greatly embarrassing Kennedy.
Outcomes of the Bay of Pigs
Castro believed he needed more protection from USA attack.
He asked Russia for weapons to defend Cuba against America.
On 14 October 1962 an American U2 spy-plane took pictures of a nuclear missile base being built on Cuba. This meant that all US missile defence systems were now useless.
Differences in living in East and West Germany
Better living conditions in West Berlin
Wages in West Berlin were higher than wages in East Berlin.
The Hans Böckler Foundation has found that wages in areas that were in West Germany were still 17% higher than in East Germany in 2018.
The difference was even greater in the 1950s.
Why was there an arms race SCD
S - Strategic superiority (wanted an advantage over each other) by developing new and more powerful weapons and having more weapons than the enemy.
C - Costs - Both sides need to cut arms costs and given the destruction they cause, nuclear weapons were cheaper to produce than conventional weapons.
D - Deterrence - The aim was not to launch them at each other, but deter the other side from doing so. Each wanted enough nuclear weapons to survive a first strike, so the enemy would not dare strike first in fear of retaliation.
What was MAD
Mutually Assured Destruction.
This meant that if Russia attacked the west, the west would make sure that they would suitably retaliate (fight back). Both sides knew they would wipe each other out, so they wouldn’t attack
1st reason for Cuban missile crisis
Castro Sugar
1959 Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba. Until then Cuba had been under US influence and many companies had invested heavily in the country. Castro vowed to become more independent of America.
Cuba’s main export was sugar. The economy relied on this export to survive. In response to Castro becoming leader and nationalising American businesses, America decreased their sugar purchases by 95%, crippling the Cuban economy.
The USSR was keen to extend its sphere of influence into the Western hemisphere and promised to buy 1 million tonnes of sugar per year from Cuba. This tied the two countries closely together.
