Final aka Cold War Flashcards
United Nations
JUNE 26, 1945
Evolved from wartime conferences (Potsdam) between Truman, Atlee, Stalin
-goal: rehabilitate war torn world - disarmament, control of atomic power, displaced persons, Spain’s membership
Security Council
1/6 branch of UN
Permanent: US, Russia, GB, France, China
-maintain peace/security
-resolve international disputes
George comma Marshall
US Secretary of State
Proposed “European Recovery Program” (nicknamed Marshall Plan) on JUNE 5, 1947
Marshall Plan
1948-1952, but ended early in 1951
- help European nations recover
- assistance included food, fuel, machinery, and investment in European industries
- establish tighter relations with Western states
US viewpoint of Marshall Plan
Aimed to limit Communist influence as well as show that capitalism can improve SOL and rebuild economies
COMECON
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
initiated by Stalin after Marshall Plan to strengthen economic ties in Eastern/Central Europe
Molotov Plan
1947
USSR provides aid to rebuild Eastern European nations
Wartime Yugoslavia
Germany conquered in 1941
Tito & his communists sprung a resistance movement and successfully threw out Nazis in 1945 with limited Red Army support
Yugoslavia + Cold War
Emerges from WWII as loose federation of (Serbia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Macedonia)
-allies with Soviets but didn’t want to be under control
Stalin/Tito
Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform in 1948
-Stalin didn’t like Tito bc v independent/nationalist
Cominform
Organization created by Soviet Union to coordinate communist activities for communist controlled countries
Non-alignment
“third world countries” that didn’t want to choose sides to every conflict of the Cold War
(first official meeting in 1961)
NATO
Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization
APRIL 1949
“keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down”
basically the nations involved would protect each other if Soviets tried to take over
Atlanticism
protect nations through the use of cooperation
Warsaw Pact
MAY 1955
mutual defense treaty between 8 Communist states
-part of Soviet military reaction to maintain control over military forces in Eastern Europe
-puppet govs in satellite states/Soviet distribution of weapons
West German economy stimulated by…
Marshall Plan
East German economy…
destroyed by Soviets in attempt to rebuild own economy
London Program
created in order to establish West German gov by combining 3 western zones of occupation and currency reform
Currency reforms in Germany
MARCH 6, 1948
Deutschmark
Berlin Blockade
APRIL 1948
Partial blockade by Soviets begins, fully erected (heh) in June
US fought back by airlifting materials into Berlin
-11 months long
-13,000 tons of supplies a day
-blockade lifted in May of 1949
Events in Greece
Britain becomes Greece’s protector in 1944, but withdraws in 1947 according to UN
EMA = Greek National Liberation Front
Britain supported the royalists (who wanted to suppress EMA) but alas, the EMA won
Wasn’t backed by Stalin though
Turkey
Remained neutral during WWII, but had strategic location (Straits led to mineral resources in North Africa/Middle East)
Stalin sent troops to Turkish border, causing reaction from Turkey (naval force)
Stalin backed down but tensions rose
US and Turkey/Greece
$400 million financial aid –> them
American military personnel sent in to train Greek/Trukish
Truman Doctrine
Speech in front of Congress on MARCH 12, 1947
Domino theory
Containment/interventionalist instead of isolationist
Domino theory
Communist victory in Greece would cause same in Turkey, and affect balance of the Middle East (in which America had interests)
McCarthyism
campaign against alleged communists in US government
1947-1957
Truman’s Loyalty Campaign
US + abroad anti-communist campaign
rid the government of anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer
anyone who opposed American foreign policy was considered a communist
USSR drops first nuclear bomb
AUGUST 29, 1949
Julius/Ethel Rosenberg
electrical engineer/employee of US Army Signal Corps
accused and tried w/ wife for giving US atomic secrets to USSR
NK invades SK
JUNE 25, 1950
Take Seoul and push SK back to Pusan
UN reacts to support South, but mainly US mission
SK fights back
Sept-Oct 1950
MacArthur lands forces in Inchon, retakes South Korea (including Seoul) and pushes into North Korea
Oct: China enters war
MacArthur dismissal
April 1951
DMZ
Demilitarized Zone between NK/SK
2.5 miles of no mans land
established on JULY 27, 1953
Limited War
fought on one territory - no expanding into other borders
NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Traditionalists
Blame Cold War on Soviet Union
-denial of free elections in Poland/Czechoslovakia, Chinese assistance, Greek/Turkish meddling, opposition to Marshall Plan caused US/Truman to reevaluate “conciliatory approach” and adopt tougher policies
Revisionists
Soviet behavior was defensive
- wanted to rebuild country after devastation of WWII
- make sure eastern/central European nations =/= way to invade Russia
- US wanted capitalist markets/raw materials and employed confrontational tone, thus leading to Soviet defense
Postrevisionists
No no on revisionist thinking
Suggest balanced responsibility
-consider geopolitical considerations/strategic realities
-(blame leans toward Soviets though)
-(provocative Soviet actions/bellicose Soviet rhetoric led to breakdown of cooperation)
