Cold War Unit 2 Flashcards
When did China become communist?
1949
Who was the leader when China became communist?
Mao Zedong
What did the China and the USSR sign? When?
A treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance
1950
How did China becoming communist increase tensions?
USA realises containment didn’t work
Changed the balance of power between the East and West - the two most populated countries were now communist
When was Korea surrendered? To who?
After WWII, Japan surrendered:
North Korea to USSR
South Korea to USA
What was the divide between north and South Korea?
38th parallel
Why were tensions high between North and South Korea?
North Korea - communist
South Korea - anti communist but not fully democratic
When did the Korean War start?
When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950
How long did the Korean War last?
1950-1953
Who did South Korea get help from?
The UN - they appealed to them
Who did North Korea get help from?
China and USSR
Who was the UN led by?
General MacArthur
How many Chinese troops were sent to North Korea to help?
250,000
What happened to MacArthur during the Korean War?
He was let go - wanted to use the atom bomb on North Korean
Truman let him go
How did the Korean War impact tensions?
UN acted without the USSRs approval (the USSR didn’t show up to the UN meeting, so the other countries excluded USSR)
Competition between East and West went global
Who was North Vietnam supported by? Why?
The USSR and China as they were communist
What was the Communist army fighting in the Vietnam known as?
NVA
Who was the leader of the Communist army fighting in the Vietnam known as?
Ho Chi Minh
Who supported South Vietnam? Why?
USA
They were anti communism
Who was the leader of South Vietnam?
Diem
Who did the Vietcong support?
North Vietnam
What tactics did the Vietcong use?
Guerrilla - trenches etc.
How did the Vietnam war worsen tensions?
The war was extremely unpopular in America - they didn’t see a point in supporting south Vietnam and it was a waste of time
America also tried to prevent other countries turning communist
USA and USSR were military rivals and wanted to be better than each other
How long did the Vietnam war last?
20 YEARS
1955-1975
Why was NATO formed?
The west needed a common defence strategy
When was NATO formed?
April 1949
What was NATO?
A military pact that said that countries would work together if there one was attacked
What were some countries in NATO?
USA
Britain
France
Canada
How many countries were in NATO in 1949?
12 countries in 1949
How many countries were in NATO in 1952?
15 countries - Germany, Turkey and Greece joined
How did the creation of NATO impact tensions?
Worsened tensions
Changed power balance as it made the west more powerful
Intimated communist countries and the USSR
Why was the Warsaw Pact formed?
Khrushchev wanted to continue to create a buffer zone - so the USSR could continue to maintain communist Eastern Europe
When was the Warsaw Pact formed?
1955
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A military alliance where countries would defend one another if attacked
What countries were in the Warsaw Pact?
All countries in Eastern Europe EXCEPT YUGOSLAVIA
How did the Warsaw Pact impact tensions?
It made the two sides more equal in power
Showed that the USSR would do anything to balance out power - greedy for power
What was the Arms Race?
A competition between the USSR and USA to build up their nuclear weapons
What was the space race?
A competition between the USA and USSR about who could get to space first
When was the duck and cover cartoon created to protect children? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Duck and cover created in 1955 by the USA
USSR were in the lead - showed USA were scared and knew that there was a threat of nuclear war
When was advice published on how to build at home bomb shelters? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Advice published on how to build at home nuclear bomb shelters in 1955 by the USA
USSR still in the lead - USA were still fearful and were preparing everyone
When was the first ICBM missile tested? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
First ICBM missile tested in 1957 by the USSR
The USSR were still in the lead
When was the first space satellite launched, what was it called? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
USSR launches first space satellite called Sputnik-1 in 1957
USSR still in the lead - this had never been done before