History - Cold War Flashcards

Question

When did Gorbachev resign as leader of the USSR?

Answer 1

25th December 1991

Answer 2

One consequence of the creation of the satellite states was the Truman Doctrine in 1947. After the Second World War, Communist governments were installed in many Eastern European countries by the USSR, some through elections and others by force. US President Truman was worried that Communism would spread to Western countries, which led him to announce the Truman Doctrine in order to try and contain the spread of Communism.

Answer 3

One consequence of the Marshall Plan, 1947 was Comecon in 1949. The Marshall Plan was an American plan to financially support European countries after the war, giving them $13 billion in loans as long as they bought US goods, in order to try and contain Communism. The USSR forbade the satellite states from participating in the plan as it would damage their reputation to accept aid from the USA. Instead, they formed Comecon as a response, a plan for Communist countries to share goods and wealth with each other.

Answer 4

One consequence of NATO was the Warsaw Pact in 1955. NATO was a treaty originally signed by 12 Western countries including the USA to try and contain Communism. This led to the more obvious crystallisation of the Cold War into two distinct sides, and the USSR later established the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO, so that they too had more security.

Answer 5

One consequence of the division of Germany into two countries was the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. After WW2, Germany was initially divided into four zones, for France, the UK, the USA and the USSR. However, three of the zones merged into what ultimately became West Germany. Germany was often a point of significant tension in the years afterwards as Berlin was also split into two, despite being entirely within the territory of East Germany. As a result, there were severe tensions between East and West centred around Berlin, which culminated in Khrushchev's Berlin Ultimatum, and the construction of the Berlin Wall when President Kennedy refused to agree.

Answer 6

One consequence of the Bay of Pigs invasion was the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Bay of Pigs invasion, was a US attempt to invade Cuba using Cuban exiles. However, it was a complete failure, which led to Castro becoming closer to Khrushchev, instead of being deposed as the USA had hoped. As a result, the USSR used the outpost of Cuba to station nuclear missiles in the country, the trigger of the Cuban Missile Crisis when the US government found out about the missiles.

Answer 7

One consequence of the Prague Spring was the Brezhnev Doctrine. The Prague Spring happened when a hard-line Communist leader fell from power in Czechoslovakia and was replaced by Dubcek, a reformer. However, when he went too far Brezhnev invaded Czechoslovakia. He announced the Brezhnev Doctrine to justify it, doubling down on the integrity of the Warsaw Pact.

Answer 8

One consequence of the Helsinki Accords was the later increase in tension between the two Superpowers. The Helsinki Accords were agreements between many countries, including both the USA and USSR, to maintain and promote security, cooperation and human rights. However, this ultimately led to increased tension and contributed to the end of Detente, when the USSR failed to provide the basic human rights required of the Accords, which was part of the reason for the failure of SALT II and the end of Detente.

Answer 9

One consequence of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the Carter Doctrine. The USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support the Communist government there and keep the country Communist. However, the Middle East had many rich oil reserves which were of interest to the USA, as a result of which President Carter decided to announce the Carter Doctrine, allowing him to use force to interfere with Soviet incursions in the Middle East.

Answer 10

One consequence of the arms race was Detente. From the end of the second world war, the two superpowers were locked in a race to develop the biggest and most weapons possible. However, the USSR consistently struggled to match its spending with the USA, and as a result, they were eager to make peace by the 1970s. The USA, who were also worn out from the Vietnam War, was also ready to talk, resulting in peace and arms limitation talks during Detente such as the SALT treaties and Helsinki Accords.

Answer 11

One consequence of the peace conferences was the creation of the satellite states. The peace conferences were a series of three meetings held between the leaders of the UK, USA and USSR towards the end of WW2. One of the major agreements at the Yalta conference in 1945 was that the Soviet Union would have a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, which would later become the Communist satellite states.

Answer 12

Causes: US Manhattan Project; bomb dropped on Hiroshima; Stalin angry Events: Soviet scientists' pay tripled from 1945; Soviet atomic bomb tested in 1949; USA retaliated with H-bomb - defence spending from $13.5 billion in 1949 to $33.3 billion in 1951, while USSR increased theirs from about the same to $20.1 billion in the same period; USA and USSR both tested H-bomb around the same time in 1952; USSR were behind USA by 1954, USA had B52 bombers stationed across Europe; NASA founded 1957-59, USSR launched Sputnik in 1957, starting the Space Race Outcome: Both powers were able to decrease spending on conventional forces during the 1950s as they suspected the next big war to be based around nuclear weapons; tension increased between the superpowers throughout the whole arms race, but peace was held through the prospect of M.A.D

Answer 13

Causes: At Yalta and Potsdam it was agreed that the USSR would get a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, but that they had to give free elections Events: The USSR broke promises made and ensured that Eastern European countries had Communist governments - satellite states; Communists were already the largest party in Czechoslovakia by 1947, and took over with the help of the USSR and the army; Communist part seized control of Hungary during an economic crisis - forced Imre Nagy to resign and banned all other parties; Elections were rigged in Poland 1947; Soviet army forced the king of Romania to appoint a Communist government; Western powers helped Turkey and Greece resist Communism Outcome: USSR controlled most of Eastern Europe, feeling more secure. However, USA felt betrayed and threatened, leading to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

Answer 14

Causes: Germany and Berlin were split into 4 after the war, but Berlin was inside the Soviet zone; French, British & American zones unified to create Bizonia, then Trizonia in 1948; Stalin felt threatened; USA wanted Germany to be strong as a barrier against Communism but Stalin wanted it to stay weak Events: Deutschmark introduced in Trizonia in June 1948; Stalin was angered and stopped any land access to West Berlin, offering West Berliners passage into East Berlin; USA airlifted supplies into West Berlin; - 10 months - Planes landed at 90-second intervals at its height - B-29 nuclear bombers were sent to Britain as a warning - Only 3% took up Stalin's offer to move East - 13,000 tonnes of supplies airlifted in 24 hrs at the peak Outcome: Stalin called off the blockade in May 1949 as he knew it had failed; Stalin was humiliated and Truman had proven that he was serious about containment and interference

Answer 15

Causes: Cuba was a popular tourist destination for Americans and a lot of US businesses developed there, e.g. sugar was Cuba's main export; Cuba is only 90 miles away from US coast; US attempted to control Cuba's political identity by supporting a coup by the corrupt Batista, which they ignored Events: Fidel Castro began an uprising in Cuba in November 1956; recruited Che Guevara, beginning a guerilla warfare campaign; in 1958 the international media supported the revolutionaries, at which point the US govt. stopped giving aid to Batista; Batista was defeated and Castro formed a new, socialist Cuban government in 1959 Outcome: Cuba was socialist/later Communist and this made the USA look bad as they were unable to prevent a country right next to them from becoming Communist; US profited less as Castro was a nationalist and didn't want America to control the Cuban economy; by October 1960, Eisenhower began a trade embargo with Cuba; led to the Bay of Pigs invasion & Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 16

Causes: Cuban Revolution - Castro was a socialist and allied with USSR; Khrushchev sent nuclear missiles to Cuba following Bay of Pigs invasion; USA humiliated by Bay of Pigs disaster Events: October 1962, USA discovered nuclear missiles stationed in Cuba; Kennedy decided to create a naval blockade of Cuba; Khrushchev explained that missile sites are solely for defense; 20 russian ships head for Cuba, and Khrushchev tells them to ignore the blockade, threatening a reply to the aggressor; one russian oil ship is allowed through and the rest turn back; Khrushchev offers to dismantle the sites if the US lift the blockade and don't invade Cuba, but then demands that American missile bases in Turkey be dismantled too; a U2 plane is shot down over Cuba; Kennedy and Khrushchev agree to dismantle the dismantle the sites and call off the blockade, but the dismantling of the Turkey base has to be kept a secret Outcome: Kennedy showed that he was willing to stand up against Khrushchev; both powers were shaken by the crisis which resulted in more negotiation and the establishment of a hotline between the 2 leaders; Limited Test Ban Treaty & Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1963 & 1968

Answer 17

Causes: Tension continued to build over Berlin; the Eastern Bloc was experiencing a refugee crisis as people escaped to West Berlin through East Germany Events: Khrushchev issued an ultimatum demanding Western troops withdraw from West Berlin in November 1958; Khrushchev met with Eisenhower and the ultimatum was withdrawn in 1959; a US spy plane was shot down in 1960; Eisenhower refused to apologise so Khrushchev left the summit which was supposed to take place in Paris; Khrushchev reissued his ultimatum to Kennedy in 1961 in Vienna; Kennedy refused, so on 13th August a barbed wire fence was erected around West Berlin by the Soviets overnight; this grew into the Berlin Wall over time Outcome: Kennedy had shown that he would not be pushed around by Khrushchev, and was viewed as a hero in Berlin; the USSR had been humiliated; tension was reduced as the refugee crisis was no longer a thorn in the USSR's side; West Berlin was entirely shut off from East Germany for nearly 30yrs, leading to families being separated

Answer 18

Causes: Czechoslovakia had a Communist govt in the 1960s, with secret police & a declining standard of living under Antonin Navotny; Alexander Dubcek believed in Communism with a human face, wanting it to be more popular with his countrymen; Brezhnev was new Soviet leader after Khrushchev Events: Navotny's attempts to reform such as the 1965 New Economic Model had failed; Dubcek challenged his leadership in Oct 1967; invited Brezhnev to show him how unpopular Navotny was; Dubcek replaced Navotny Jan 1968; began reforms such as free speech, free press, democratic elections, reduced power of secret police & removal of travel restrictions; Brezhnev sent in tanks backed by other satellite states, fewer than 100 people killed and Dubcek arrested & replaced with more hard-line Communists Outcome: Brezhnev Doctrine; Western powers did nothing but there was widespread international criticism; relations between USA & USSR deteriorated once again

Answer 19

Causes: USA was worn out from Vietnam War & struggling to cope with problems at home with inequality riots; nuclear missiles were expensive and the Soviets were struggling to keep up with the arms race; the US were losing their policy on containing Communism; everyone was sobered by the Cuban Missile Crisis Events: Nixon became US President in 1968; determined to take America out of Vietnam War; Brezhnev helped negotiate a peace agreement in 1973; SALT I 1972 - first treaty based around arms reduction; 1975 handshake in space between American & Soviet astro/cosmonauts; Helsinki Accords 1975 - human rights, security & cooperation (although USSR broke some of these agreements later); Salt II - restricted missile launchers & ICBMs but was never formally agreed to Outcome: tension reduced during this period as both nations were more willing to work together; ultimately didn't last due to invasion of Afghanistan and Carter Doctrine

Answer 20

Causes: Afghanistan bordered USSR & Iran; Iran had introduced strict Muslim laws and the Soviet Union was worried that the ideas would spread to Afghanistan and USSR Events: Amin, a Communist, seized power in Afghanistan September 1979; unpopular with Afghan Muslims, who formed the Mujahideen, a guerilla fighting force; Brezhnev decided to invade Afghanistan December 1979; Captured capital and replaced Amin with an even stronger Soviet leader, Karmal; 85,000 Soviet troops sent to keep him in power Outcome: Carter Doctrine and end of detente; boycotting of 1980 & 1984 Olympics in Moscow & LA; Soviet troops remained in Afghanistan until 1989

Answer 21

Causes: USA, UK & USSR formed Grand Alliance against Germany in WW2; met up 3 times as they began winning the war to discuss what they would do with Germany & Europe afterwards Events: Tehran, Nov 1943: UN to be set up after the war; Soviets to attack Japan; Britain & USA to invade France (D-Day) Yalta, Feb 1945: Germany & Berlin divided into 4 zones; liberated countries to have free elections; Eastern Europe to become Soviet sphere of influence; disagreements over whether Poland should be allowed free elections Potsdam, Jul 1945: finalised plans for Germany to be divided; Germany to pay reparations; Nazi Party banned; democracy in Germany; Stalin continued to refuse free elections in Eastern Europe; Truman revealed the testing of the atomic bomb, which Stalin was angry about Outcome: alliance fell apart after the war; Stalin refused to give free elections resulting in Truman Doctrine; atomic bomb led to arms race and tension between superpowers

Answer 22

Resulted in: constant tension between the powers due to high spending and the threat of MAD Revealed: that the USA & USSR both considered each other a large enough threat that they were willing to spend huge amounts of money

Answer 23

Resulted in: the Truman Doctrine & containment Revealed: that Stalin was willing to break promises in order to spread and ensure the safety of Communism

Answer 24

Resulted in: NATO in 1949 to counter soviet organisation Revealed: that Stalin was uncertain about the political security of Communism and felt the need to tighten his grip on the satellite states

Answer 25

Resulted in: the Hungarian Uprising Revealed: that the USSR still felt the need for greater security against capitalism

Answer 26

Resulted in: construction of the Berlin Wall and Kennedy becoming a hero in Berlin Revealed: that Kennedy was not going to be pushed around by Khrushchev

Answer 27

Resulted in: Brezhnec Doctrine Revealed: A new Soviet leader wasn’t going to mean change or freedom

Answer 28

Resulted in: USSR breaking agreements, leading to the Carter Doctrine and the end of detente Revealed: that during the period of detente the two nations were more willing to work together and pursue common interests

Answer 29

Resulted in: Carter Doctrine & end of detente Revealed: that despite the agreements made in detente, the USSR was still determined to keep Communism alive

Answer 30

Resulted in: restrictions on nuclear missiles to slow the arms race Revealed: that the USA & USSR still didn’t entirely trust each other

Answer 31

Resulted in: reduced tension as the superpowers were shaken by how close they’d come to war Revealed: that neither the USA or USSR was really willing to wage nuclear war.