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
When was the first dog sent to space? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
A dog called Laika was sent to space in Sputnik-2 in 1957 by USSR
USSR still in the lead
When was the Vanguard TV3 launched? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Vanguard TV3 launched by USA in 1957
USSR still in lead - the rocket failed
When did the USA release their first space satellite? What was it called? Who was in the lead because of this?
The USA launched the Explorer I in 1958
USA was now in the lead - it was considered better than Sputnik 1, 2 and 3
When was NASA set up? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
NASA was set up by the USA in 1958
USA was in the lead
When did the USA develop submarines that could release missiles? What was it called? Who was in the lead because of this?
The USA developed submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles in 1959 - called Polaris
The USA was in the lead
Who was the first man in space, what was he called? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space in 1961, sent out by the USSR
USSR in the lead - first to get a human to space
When was the ‘Tsar Bomba’ used? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
The ‘Tsar Bomba’ was used in 1961 by the USSR
USSR was in the lead - it was a very powerful bomb
When were missiles sent into Cuba, what is this also known as? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Khrushchev sent USSR missiles into communist Cuba in 1962
Also known as the Cuban Missile crisis
USSR was in lead - had their missiles near the USA
When was a film made about the effects of nuclear war? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
Britain made a film about the effects of Nuclear war in 1963
USSR was in the lead - showed other countries were afraid of their power
When was the first man sent to the moon, what was his name? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
The USA sent Neil Armstrong to the moon in the Apollo 11 in 1969
USA now in lead - first to send humans to moon
When was the first MIRV missile created? By who? Who was in the lead because of this?
First MIRV missile created by the USA in 1970
USA in lead
In general, how did the arms race and space race impact tensions?
The USA and USSR had competition
They were threatened by each other
When did Khrushchev replace Stalin as the leader of the USSR?
1958
When did Khrushchev die?
1971
What did Khrushchev do to improve relations between the USSR and other countries?
Wanted peaceful coexistence with the west
Reduced arms spending
Ended feuds with China and Yugoslavia
When did Khrushchev denounce Stalin? What did he say?
Communist Party conference in 1956 - Khrushchev denounced Stalin - called him a wicked tyrant who was an enemy of the people and kept all the power for himself
What did Khrushchev do in his programme of de-Stalinisation?
Released political prisoners
Closed the cominform
Dismissed the former foreign minister- Molotov
Attended the first post war summit
What did Khrushchev do to improve living standards of the Soviet citizens?
Produced more grain
Made them eat well
How did Khrushchev change the Cold War?
Led to a thaw in the Cold War
Destalinisaiton - led to peaceful coexistence
There was a policy of peace between nations - they began working together for trade etc.
Why is Destalinisation seen as a distraction or a lie to many historians?
Khrushchev worked for Stalin - he ran terror purges after WWII
Used the army and threats to make sure no one stopped being communist
De-stalinisation wasn’t a revert back to capitalism - just took a different route of communism
Where and when was the first post war summit held?
Held in Geneva
July 1955
When and where did Khrushchev denounce Stalin?
1956 at the communist party international conference
When did Khrushchev close the cominform?
April 1956
When did Hungary become communist?
1947
How did Hungary become communist?
Through force
What happened to the food and economy of Hungary after it became communist?
Food was being sent to other communist countries
What happened to the Catholic leader in Hungary when it became communist?
Was imprisoned
Who was the communist leader of Hungary?
Rakosi
How did Rakosi control Hungary?
Cut out rivals - exiled them and put them in prison
Had a strict censorship on Hungary
Who was arrested when he spoke out against communism in Hungary?
Cardinal Mindszenty - put on trial and imprisoned for life
What was the reason news reels were used by the Soviets about Hungary?
To make the west and other countries that Hungarians were happy with living and working conditions
What were the conditions like in Hungary under the communists?
Lack of potatoes and bread
Low wages
Hunger
What was the secret police in Hungary called?
AVO
What did the secret police in Hungary do?
Looked for enemies of the state
Lead to a reign of terror
When did Stalin die?
1953
How did the death of Stalin impact Hungary?
Rakosi (communist leader) replaced by Nagy IN 1953
Becuase Khrushchev wanted a more relaxed leader
Why was Nagy replaced?
Considered too nice and lenient
When did the students in Hungary begin to protest?
October 1956
How did the USSR respond to the protests in Hungary?
Shot some of the protesters
Brought in Soviet tanks
What happened after the Soviets brought tanks into Hungary?
Nagy became prime minister again
Hundreds joined the protest
AVO headquarters were taken over
AVO used machine guns on protesters
When did Soviet withdraw their tanks from Budapest?
October 29th 1956
What did Nagy do after tanks were withdrawn? What was the effect of this?
Decreased censorship, released prisoners, announced free election and withdraw from Warsaw pact
Worried the Soviets - showed Khrushchev didn’t really want more freedom
When did Soviet tanks re enter Hungary?
November 1-4th 1956
How many Hungarians were killed in the Hungarian uprising?
3000
What happened to Nagy after the Hungarian uprising?
He was executed
How did the Hungarian uprising impact tensions?
Showed Khrushchev didn’t actually want peace - used tanks and guns - West began to mistrust the USSR again
Showed the Khrushchev still wanted to be like Stalin
West did nothing to help - suggested to the USSR that their policies were suspicious and selfish
When was the U2 crisis?
1st May 1960
Who was the American pilot of the U2 plane?
Gary Powers
What was the U2 plane?
A spy plane
Who decided to launch the U2 planes?
CIA
What was the U2s mission? Why?
Fly over Russia
Test the new aircraft
WHY:
TO FIND OUT the military and industrial complexes of the USSR
What were the characteristics of the U2 plane?
It flew higher than other planes
Hybrid of a jet and a glider
It could fly out of the reach of missiles
Why did the U2 pilots agree to the mission?
Fear of a missile gap
How many ICBM missiles did the USSR have by 1960?
30 by 1960
What was given to pilots in case the mission failed?
A pen with cyanide - to kill themselves if they were caught
Silver dollar
What did Khrushchev demand when he found out about the U2 spy planes?
For all planes to be shot down
Why were the USA frustrated with Gary Powers?
Didn’t self destruct the plane
Didn’t use the cyanide
Admitted to everything when he was put on trial
What happened to Gary Powers?
He was caught and found
Put on trial and admitted to everything
As a result of the U2 Crisis, what did Khrushchev withdraw from?
Withdrew from the Paris Summit 1960
Who was the president of the US during the U2 crisis? What did he refuse to do?
President Eisenhower
Refused to apologise or promise there wouldn’t be anymore espionage
How long was Gary Powers originally sentenced to prison for?
10 years
Why did Gary Powers end up not being imprisoned in a Soviet prisoner for 10 years?
He was exchanged for a captured Soviet spy (that was being kept in the US) called Rudolf Abel
How did the U2 crisis impact tensions?
USSR had proof of espionage
The USSR tightened control where they could - e.g. Berlin (led to the building of the Berlin Wall and more)
The USA were clearly intimidated by the USSR
The USSR withdrew from peace agreements - e.g. Paris Summit 1960
When was the first joint programme between the USSR and USA? What was it called? How did this impact tensions?
1975 - Apollo-Soyuz
Decreased tensions - first time in space race where they were working together and were trusting each other
What tactics did the USA use in Vietnam? Why? What was the impact of this?
Search and destroy - they said they didn’t know who to kill so they set fire to everything - unpopular - killing civilians
