End of The Cold War Flashcards
Economic - in the 1950s what did most Eastern European countries focus on?
Heavy industries rather than consumer goods
Economic - What did the increase in oil prices during the 1970s make it difficult to do?
To get credit for foreign exchange & investment
Economic - what was the technological gap between the USA and USSR?
SU - 8800 computers
USA - 6 million
Economic - in the 1980s how much of SU GNP was spent on military?
25%
Economics - what was the comparison between the USA and the Warsaw Pact?
USA economy was bigger than the economies of the Warsaw Pact
Economic - what did SU leaders continue to do?
Use Cold War policies despite economic issues
Economic - how did Reagan’s overspend strategy effect soviet behaviour 1981-1985?
It didn’t!
RP - how was Reagan towards the USSR?
Strident attitude towards USSR (uncompromising anti communist)
RP - what did Reagan call the Soviet Union in 1983?
The evil empire?
RP - why was reagan’s military policy the largest peacetime military build up?
In 1985 - 30% of the federal budget was spent on military
RP - what did Reagan develop?
The stealth bomber & trident missile
RP - what did Reagan’s doctrine affirm?
U.S. Willingness to assist anti communist groups > Afghanistan & the Mujahideen
RP - how much aid did Reagan provide the Mujahideen with?
$687 million of aid = largest covert action
RP- what other countries did Reagan support in the fight against communism?
Nicaragua - military aid given to the CONTRA group to remove their left wing gov.
Grenada - 1983 US Troops helped
RP - what happened in 1984 which undermined the balance of terror?
The development of SDI - Strategic Defensive Initiative
RP - what did the U.S. deploy to counter the SU SS20s?
IRMS (intermediate range missiles) in Western Europe
RP - what did Reagan restrict to safeguard US advantage?
Trade & access to technology oil & gas
GP - what was Gorbachev’s political stance known as
New political thinking
GP - how was Gorbachev different from other leaders?
He was well travelled young & had a new outlook
GP - what did Gorbachev’s policy of Perestroika mean?
Reduction of military spending to revive the soviet economy
GP - what did Gorbachev’s policy of Glasnost mean?
Policy of openness that encouraged the people to our forward new ideas & initiatives
GP - what did Gorbachev’s policy of democratisation mean?
An attempt to get more people involved in the communist party & political debate
GP- what did Gorbachev have no desire to do?
He had no desire to end communism but respected the SOVEREIGNTY of the countries in the Eastern Bloc
GP- what type of relations did Gorbachev want to pursue?
Super power relations based on cooperation rather than confrontation
Moral Bankruptcy - what did Marxism Leninism justify?
Communist rule over the Eastern Bloc
- It represented the working class
- Dictatorship of the proletariat was necessary to protect the working class & build a society superior to capitalism
Moral Bankruptcy - what did the Brezhnev period (1964-1982) show?
Communist party failed to represent the working class & create a society better than the West
Moral Bankruptcy - what was the problem with many communist parties?
They were extremely corrupt members ruled to preserve their privileges rather than the working class
Moral Bankruptcy - how much did the average soviet worker earn compared to a communist party member?
Avg. Soviet worker = 165 roubles a month
Communist PM - 900 roubles a month
Moral Bankruptcy - what did the dictatorship of the proletariat create?
A society which was inferior to the west economically poorer & politically restrictive
Gorbachev Reagan Thaw - what happened to Reagan’s attitude during his second term?
1985-1989 his attitude changed DRAMATICALLY!!
GRT - what was Reagan prepared to do?
Negotiate with Gorbachev.
GRT- when was the Geneva Summit?
1985
GRT- what was discussed at the Geneva Summit?
Arms control