Early Cold War Flashcards
What name was given to the US policy after WWII of trying to resist and control the spread of communism?
Containment
What practice was instituted by the film industry and other industries working for the US government to condemn people suspected of being communists and keep them from employment?
blacklisting
What name was given to Pres. Kennedy’s plan for strengthening conventional US military forces to give the US more options than only nuclear weapons?
flexible response
brinkmanship
US policy of being willing to go to the edge of all-out war; possibly use nuclear weapons to stop communication
McCarthyism
spreading fear about possible comm. threats in US- fueled distrust and false accusations
Similar to Salem witch hunt in US history
Gov’t and public get tired of no real proof- McCarthy fades away
Satellite nation
nations that are under the control and authority of another more powerful state “soviet sphere of influence”
The Cold War- Definition, causes, explain ways it was fought
a state of hostility between nations without direct warfare; each nation tries to gain advantages through threats, propaganda, influencing other nations, military build up, proxy wars, etc.
Causes:
Philosophical Differences- communism and dictatorship v. democracy and capitalism
World War 2 Conflicts- timing of opening 2nd front in France during war (D-Day), how to manage Germany after the war, US secretly develops atomic bomb
Post War Conflicts- soviets do no hold “free” elections in Eastern Europe, US resists Soviet expansion (containment, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan)
“The Big Three”- Yalta Conference, decision made to divide Germany into occupation zones after end of war in Europe (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill)
It was fought through capitalism and communism and fighting to win the land. The first battle “The Berlin Crisis” Soviets want control of entire city of Berlin
Soviets end/block all road, rail, ad river traffic into West Berlin
Berlin Airlift allies fly food in
The Iron Curtain- Winston Churchill
Imaginary dividing line between countries of Soviet controlled Eastern Europe and the democratic countries of Western Europe
Phrase used in a speech by Winston Churchill
Joseph Stalin
was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman became President of the United States with the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Marshall Plan – Purpose, who benefited? (article on canvas)
plan for the reconstruction of Europe after WW2 by providing economic aid to those countries devastated by the war- $13 billion- to encourage people that democracy is good
The Truman Doctrine
Pledge that the US would provide economic aid to countries threatened by communism
The Berlin Airlift
allies fly in tons of food, coal, med. supplies, etc. defying blockade until May 1949, soviets didn’t want to shoot down planes because they didn’t want another hot war
NATO/ The Warsaw Pact
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Military alliance formed by the democratic countries of the West for mutual protection in case of attack/war
Includes the U.S and Canada
Changes for Military after WWII – GI Bill, Minorities, Women
GI Bill- “Serviceman’s Readjustment Act”
Provided benefits for veterans after WW2
Money for college or jobs training, home loans, assistance finding jobs, unemployment money
Minorities- Integration, President Truman segregation of races costing military money and efficiency; WW2 vets later become leaders in civil rights movement
Women- made permanent members of armed forces, not just support groups during war.
Creation of the Central Intelligence Agency- CIA
Mao Zedong
communist leader of China
Central Intelligence Agency
CIA- formally the WW2 department called the OSS (office of strategic services)
created to gather information from around the world to assist US gov’t in protecting US interests and promoting US policies
House Un-American Activities Committee
created to investigate alleged disloyalty/rebel activities on the part of private citizens, public employees and organizations suspected of having Communist ties.
The Hollywood Ten
refused to testify about themselves or co-workers- they were jailed
The Rosenbergs
Julius Rosenberg and Ethel Rosenberg were American citizens who were convicted of spying on behalf of the Soviet Union. The couple were convicted of providing top-secret information about radar, sonar, jet propulsion engines and valuable nuclear weapon
Senator Joseph McCarthy
searched for “communists” in US gov’t, military etc.
claimed to have documentation/ held television hearings
liar liar pants on fire
The 38th parallel
Follwoing WW2 Korean Peninsula divided at 38th parallel- USSR controls North, US controls South
The Korean War- beginnings, United Nations/ US actions, Results
38th Parallel
Soviets help establish a communist gov’t in the North
Us helps establish democracy in South
Goal of both sides to United Korea into one country
Soviet trained North Korea troops invade South Korea
United Nations votes to support South Korea w/ military forces
General Douglas MacArthur
Truman sends troops from Japan under command of MacArthur
Chinese send troops to help North Korean army
Stalemate develops
Truman fire MacArthur
Reactions in American Society to Cold War fears – blacklisting, bomb shelters, “Duck and Cover”
Backlisting- What practice was instituted by the film industry and other industries working for the US government to condemn people suspected of being communists and keep them from employment?
Bomb Shelters- A bomb shelter is a structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.
“Duck and Cover”- “Duck and cover” is a method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear explosion.
Dwight Eisenhower
1952/1956- new president
Richard Nixon
vice president next to president Dwight Eisenhower
Nikita Khrushchev
after Stalin dies the next leader of Soviets is Nikita
The U-2 spy plane
high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency. It provides day and night, high-altitude, all-weather intelligence gathering
Francis Gary Powers
Hydrogen bomb, ICBM
weapon whose enormous explosive power results from an uncontrolled self-sustaining chain reaction
Sputnik- US reaction- NASA
fear of Soviets spying, launching weapons
soviets had gotten to space first
Starts the SPACE RACE
NASA created
produce satellites and rockets to compete w/ USSR
congress puts money into math and science education
Interstate Highway System – president responsible; why was it something he wanted?
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States.
1960 Presidential Election – candidates, media importance
The Power of Television…
Richard M. Nixon- Rep.
Kennedy- Dem.
they focused on appearance because of television, and were required to raise more money because of the different means of advertising and campaigning.
“The New Frontier”
Kennedy’s plan for the US- move ahead of Soviets in technology, space helping those in US left out of prosperity of the 1950s
The Bay of Pigs Invasion – CIA, Kennedy, Fidel Castro
STRENGTHENS CASTRO’S TIES TO THE SOVIET’S
Fidel Castro- becomes leader of Cuba
Many Cubans flee as Castro creates a Communist gov. (many come to US
CIA secretly begins training Cuban rebels in the US to attack and overthrow Castro’s gov’t.
Invasion fails- CIA info was not accurate- no local uprising against Castro- Lack of US military support- fear of angering Soviets- 1,200 invaders taken prisoner
The Berlin Wall – why built? Who ordered it?
People living in communist East Germany and East Berlin can easily move into West Berlin; from there they can go anywhere… including the U.S
Khrushchev is determined to stop the “drain” of people from communist countries in to West Berlin
The East German gov’t began building a “wall” through the city and around the perimeter of West Berlin- first with barbed wire, later with concrete blocks
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Soviets put Missile’s in Cuba. (ICBM)- intercontinental Ballistic Missile
We had Missile’s in Turkey (right next to Soviets) which made them angry
Mutually Assured Destruction
would keep each country from launching a nuclear attack
“The Hotline”
it connected the US- white house and USSR- the Kremlin
Purpose- give us and the USSR a fast, direct line of communication if there are concerning situations in the world.
