History Exam Flashcards
Cuban missile crisis first paragraph
The cuban missile crisis was a turning point in the cold war as it was one of the closest points the world came to a nuclear war
The events that happened during the cuban missile crisis highlight how dangerous nuclear weapons are and how close Russia and USA were to launching their missiles
Cuban missile crisis events
Excomm was formally established by National Security Action Memorandum 196 on 22 October 1962
ExComm met every day for 13 days to try resolve the issue.
President Kennedy anounced the naval blockade of Cuba to prevent more soviet shipments of missiles and military equipment.
No ships would be allowed to pass through the blockade without US permission.
Outcomes of cuban missile crisis
US and soviet union established a direct hotline between the white house and the Kremlin for communication
August 1963 test ban treaty signed by England, US and soviet union
1967 outer space treaty was signed
1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty was signed
Test ban treaty August 1963
US, Soviet union and England agreed to prohibit the testing of nuclear weapons in outerspace, under water or in the atmosphere.
Outer space treaty 1967
The USA and soviet union agreed not to use space for military purposes
Nuclear non-proliferation treaty 1968
Signed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, countries that signed up to the treaty agreed not to share their nuclear technology with other countries.
Truman’s worst fears
The soviet union intends to spread communism throughout Europe
Truman’s military advisors assured him the soviet union was not strong enough to fight a successful war against the West
Truman doctrine speech
On 12 March 1947, President Truman delivered a speech to the US Congress.
Truman announced that the US would provide $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey and sent American civilian and military personnel to the region.
Truman’s ideas about democracy and communism
The first way, he said, offered majority rule and freedom from political oppression
The second was for the will of the minority to be forced upon the majority
Truman believed choosing democracy over communism was like choosing good over evil
He said communism should not be allowed to grow and that USA was prepared to send troops and economic aid to those countries trying to resist it
The Marshall Plan
The outcome of the Truman Doctrine providing economic aid to help war-torn countries in order to stop communism from taking over in Western Europe.
What caused the Hungarian uprising
During 1956 the people of Hungary began to protest about their lack of political freedoms and problems created by fuel shortages and poor harvests. In October, there were riots in the capital
What did Krushchev do to try end the protests in Hungary
Rakosi replaced with Imre Nagy who believed in a communist regime there should still be personal freedoms
Within days Nagy anounced a set of proposed reforms
Imre Nagy’s reforms
Reprganised Hungarian government to include members of non-communist parties, ending the one-party state in Hungary
Authorised the immediate release of many political prisoners
Persuaded Khrushchev to withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary
Khrushchev was prepared to accept these reforms if they calmed the unrest in Hungary.
Hungarian uprising to soviet union
1 November 1956 Nagy anounced Hungary would leave the Warsaw pact
Krushchev could not allow this because if Hungary left others might follow
4 November, 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest
Supporters of Nagy put up a fight in what has become known as the ‘Hungarian Uprising’ and begged the West for support but they never came
20,000 Hungarians were killed as the Soviet forces re-established control
A new pro-Communist government was set up under Janos Kadar
Significance of fall of Berlin wall
For many citizens of East and West Germany the fall of the Berlin wall meant families and relatives can be together again
In political terms the fall of the Berlin wall was mainly a symbolic event as communist governments were falling and the soviet union showed no intention of stopping the protest
The impact before the End of the warsaw pact
The Warsaw pact had been formed after creation of NATO. Its creation established Europe was divided into 2 armed camps
The pact was also a symbol of soviet dominance in Eastern Europe as it was useful way for the Soviet Union to keep an eye on what its communist allies were doing and forcing decisions on them.
Consequences of Hungarian uprising
Showed that members of the Warsaw pact must do what they’re told and if they rebelled they could not expect military help from USA
Krushchev became more confident in dealing with the USA as now they’re unlikely to risk taking military action
Importance of the fall of the berlin wall
It was a symbol of the cold war and of soviet control. Its destruction became the symbol of the end of the cold war
The formation of warsaw pact formally divides Europe in 2, now its break up indicates the division between democratic west and communist east was gone.
It was the fall of the iron curtain
Why was the end of the warsaw pact important
The end of the Pact led to many countries becoming truly independent of the Soviet Union and governing themselves for the first time in decades
They no longer had to follow policies created in Moscow, or run their economies to benefit the Soviet Union
After the Warsaw Pact was finished, every single one of its members abandoned communism
Features of the olympic boycott 1980 and 1984
US boycotted Moscow olympics coz invasion of afghanistan, over 60 nations supported this
This was significant as the olympic games are a global event which the soviet union was hoping to use to promote communism to TV audience who would watch the olympics from around the world
The soviet union boycotted US olympics 1984 which was joined by 15 communist countries
Problems the soviet union was facing before Gorbachev became leader
Huge sums spent on developing arms to keep pace with the USA investment in soviet economy was low
Barely any industrial growth
Standards of living nowhere near what could be found in the east
Low standards of living and lack of human rights were leading to unrest in some satellite states
Gorbachev’s new thinking ideas
Proposed the soviet state and economy should be reformed to include some of the practices that made capitalism successful (perestroika)
Allow opposition to government and give people a better undertsanding on how to run
Renounced the Brezhnev doctrine so soviet union would no longer get involved in domestic affairs of communist countries
Soviet union would reduce spending on arms
Defence withdrawn from afghanistan
Challenges at home and abroad
Financial weakness - after fighting costly wars when she took the throne England was £300,000 in debt
England was divided along religious lines due to protestant reformation from her father and coninued by her siblings
Elizabeth faced threats from Catholic powers, particularly Spain, which viewed her as illegitimate ruler
Why people of England thought Elizabeth shouldn’t be queen
Mary Queen of the Scotts was seen as the rightful heir to the english throne
Many people believed Elizabeth was unfit to rule the throne as in these times a woman ruling country alone was unusual as it was a male dominated society
Elizabeth’s refusal to marry made people question if she should be queen
