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humanities > HISTORY - The Cold War > Flashcards

HISTORY - The Cold War Flashcards

0
Q

What did the USSR brand the US and other capitalist nations as and what else did it claim!

A
  • ‘Imperialist exploiters of the weak’
  • that a new and brighter future depended on the success of communism as a means of sharing the wealth of the world equally among all people.
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1
Q

What did the USA and its allies claim to be representing?

A

The world of free-enterprise capitalism and multi-party democracy.

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2
Q

When and who coined the term “containment of communism”?

A

Postwar US ambassador to the USSR, George Kennan in an article evaluating Soviet foreign policy published in 1947.

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3
Q

What was Kennan’s main message in his article about the containment of communism?

A
  • Soviet ideology taught them that the outside world was hostile (it was their duty to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders)
  • if the USSR did anything that was the contrary, it should be taken as with malicious intent
  • the US should contain the Russian expansive tendencies
  • Soviets believe that socialism and capitalism can never peacefully coexist
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4
Q

What is the conventional view of how the Cold War started?

A

Western Allies had to take defensive action against naked aggression by the Soviets.

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5
Q

What are New Left revisionists?

A

American historians that re-examine and challenge the conventional view of how the Cold War started.

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6
Q

What are the two groups of New Left revisionists?

A
  • those that blame the failure in American statesmanship when Truman took over after F. Roosevelt’s death
  • those that believe the expansionist American capitalist system forced the war on the Soviet Union
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7
Q

What are 4 views of those that blame the Americans for the Cold War?

A
  • US diplomatic policy was designed towards creating an alliance between America and Great Britain
  • US leaders tried to force Soviets to accept this (nuclear and economic pressure)
  • didn’t consider Soviet security needs
  • forced Russia into acting in own defence
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8
Q

Why did Stalin want to establish the Iron Curtain?

A

He wanted to make sure Russia would not be invaded again as over 20 million Russians died.
- wanted a barrier of friendly countries

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9
Q

How did the Americans see the establishment of the Iron Curtain?

A

An attempted communist takeover of Europe.

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10
Q

What year did Eastern Europe come under the control of Stalin’s government?

A

1948.

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11
Q

What was a cause of fears in Western Europe of further communist inroads into Europe?

A

Presence of active communist parties in Western Europe.

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12
Q

What is the Truman Doctrine?

A

The policy of communist containment.

  • communism would be checked in its existing borders
  • not allowed to spread to other countries
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13
Q

What was Germany divided into after World War 2?

A

4 occupational zones - British, French, American and Russian. So was Berlin.

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14
Q

How did the Potsdam conference of 1945 influence the Cold War?

A
  • Russia was going to enforce its own policies on Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe
  • The previously felt need for Russian aid in the Pacific war disappeared with the introduction of nuclear weapons
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15
Q

How did the Yalta conference affect the Cold War?

A
  • Russians controlled the governments in Eastern Europe and the people could not create democratic institutions of their own choice because they were denied free election.
  • Western powers also broke agreement because were suspicious of the Russian expansionism
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16
Q

What was ‘The Marshall Plan’?

A

A program of economic aid introduced by Americans in 1947.

  • in return for billions of dollars worth of aid the Americans would be allowed to build military bases in Europe
  • these countries then buy American products and allow US investments in their borders.
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17
Q

Why was ‘The Marshall Plan’ first introduced?

A

Europeans and Americans feared that poverty and hardship faces by the people in Western Europe might push them into the arms of the communists.

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18
Q

Why did the Russians initially set up the Berlin Blockade?

A
  • threat to Russians (it sat in the middle of East Germany)

- the blockade was meant to force the Americans, French and British to leave their zones

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19
Q

When was the Berlin Blockade?

A

June 1948.

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20
Q

How did the Russians set up the Berlin Blockade?

A

Cut all road, water and rail links between West Germany and Berlin.

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21
Q

How did the Americans counter the Berlin Blockade?

A

Airlifted massive quantities of essential supplies into West Berlin.
- formed a military alliance, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with Canada and other Western European countries

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22
Q

How long did the blockade continue for? How did it end?

A

318 days. The Russians lifted it.

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23
Q

What was the main agreement of NATO?

A

If one country in the agreement got attacked, all the other countries that also signed will help retaliate.

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24
Q

Who was Joseph McCarthy?

A

A US senator who alleged that the USSR had a conspiracy to get communists into key American positions.

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25
Q

How did Joseph McCarthy heighten the anti-communist anxiety?

A

Claimed there was 57 communists in the State department alone.
- led ‘witch hunts’ to find them from 1950 till 1954

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26
Q

Why were the Americans upset at China’s becoming communist?

A
  • regarded China as their Eastern mainstay

- pumped $2 billion into China to support the nationalists

27
Q

What were the Americans’ fears that led to the Korean War and how were they triggered?

A
  • American spies reported that Stalin was using Cominform to help Communists win power in Asian countries
  • US thought that the communist countries were acting together to spread communism
28
Q

What is Cominform?

A

The powers of the collection of communist nations.

29
Q

How had Korea been ruled after the Second World War?

A

Liberated from the Japanese by the Soviets and Americans.

  • North Korea became communist
  • South Korea was anti-communist
30
Q

How did the Korean War erupt into fighting?

A

There was bitter hostility between the leaders of each half (Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee)

  • 1950 became a war
  • North Korea overwhelmed the south’s forces
31
Q

How did the Americans get involved in the Korean War?

A

Truman immediately sent advisers, supplies and warships to the waters around Korea.

  • asked the UN to condemn the actions of North Kotra and call them to withdraw their troops
  • USSR would have vetoed but was boycotting UN
  • UN agreed because relied on US economically
32
Q

Why was Russia boycotting the UN?

A

Americans blocked China from the UN for becoming communist (regarded nationalists as true leaders).

33
Q

What’s a major difference between the League of Nations and the UN?

A

LoN was more about diplomacy. The UN uses military power and thus is more powerful.

34
Q

What happened once the UN entered the Korean War?

A

UN and South Korea advanced from Pusan. Drove North Koreans back.
- despite warnings from china, entered North Korea and has reached its border with china

35
Q

How did the Chinese become involved in the Korean War?

A
  • warned UN against advancing into North Korea
  • 200,000 Chinese soldiers helped North Korea
  • had soldiers strongly committed to communism, hated Americans
  • had planes and tanks from USSR
  • pushed back UN forces
36
Q

Why was there conflict between Truman and MacArthur?

A

MacArthur wanted to carry on the way and invade China (maybe use nuclear). Truman and UN thought South Korea was enough and it was too risky with China.
- MacArthur ignored this, threatened China and was relieved by Truman

37
Q

Why did Truman reject MacArthur’s aggressive policy?

A

Containment was the American policy. Would have involved the US in the wrong was, wrong place, wrong time and with the wrong enemy.

38
Q

What were the views of those who supported MacArthur’s policy over Truman’s?

A
  • Felt that containment was not enough
  • thought Truman was weak for not going in for victory in Korea
  • wanted US to take fight to the communists
39
Q

What did JF Dulles (US Secretary of State) do in regards to the communist issue?

A

Set up a network of anti-communist alliances around the world.

40
Q

How did the USSR see the network of anti-communist alliances by Dulles and what 2 actions did it take?

A
  • having a more aggressive purpose
  • accused US of trying to encircle communist world
  • 1955: set up the Warsaw Pact between all Communist east European countries
41
Q

What was Khrushchev’s attitudes when he first came into power?

A
  • keen to ease tensions with the US
  • talked about peaceful coexistence rather than war
  • first Soviet leader to meet with Western leaders in 10 years
42
Q

Why were some wary of Khrushchev despite his talks of peace?

A
  • Red Army intervenes in Polish protests in 1956
  • crushes Hungarian uprising of 1965
  • built Berlin Wall
43
Q

Was the Korean War ever close to becoming World War 3?

A

Yes - Stalin considered war with the USA, and asked if China would join him as together they would be “stronger than the West”.

  • China agreed
  • USA considered giving an ultimatum to USSR
44
Q

What were the 3 ways that things changed in the 50s?

A
  • arms race sped up
  • spying became lucrative and dangerous
  • space race became part of the competition
45
Q

What happened during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956?

A
  • When Stalin died, people thought that Khrushchev would be softer
  • Hungarians rebelled
  • hoped for political and economic freedom
  • over 30 000 Hungarians died, losing
  • outside would gave no help
46
Q

What was the Berlin Wall?

A

A wall erected by the Russians that closed the border between east and west Germany.

  • trapped the east Berliners
  • keep them from leaving
47
Q

How did Cuba begin affairs with the Soviets?

A
  • Americans had an economic interest in Cuba (sugar)
  • Castro wanted to nationalize companies owned by foreigners
  • Americans boycotted Cuban products
  • Cuba began trading with Soviets
48
Q

How was the American/Cuban relationship soured?

A

The American-backed plan to overthrow Castro failed miserably (Bay of Pigs).

49
Q

What triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A

Photographs taken from a U2 American spy plane that showed Soviet missiles on Cuba.

50
Q

What were the USA’s 5 options after learning of the missiles on Cuba?

A 
A) do nothing
B) nuclear strike on missiles
C) conventional bombing of missiles
D) invade Cuba 
E) naval blockade
51
Q

How did the US deal with the news of the Soviet missiles on Cuba?

A

Chose to enforce a naval blockade.

- only let through ships not carrying ‘offensive weapons’

52
Q

How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?

A

After the blockade, Khrushchev sent 2 letters. 1st proposed a solution, 2nd pointed out the American hypocrisy.
- USA promised not to invade Cuba and lift it’s blockade
- USSR removed their missiles
Nuclear arms talks begun.

53
Q

How did the Soviets engage with Cuba after the Bay of Pigs fiasco and how did the USA respond?

A

Arms flooded into Cuba

  • supplied them with arms, missiles, equipment, training and technicians
  • USA became very anxious (would the soviets give them nuclear?)
54
Q

What are 5 possible reasons for putting the Soviet missiles on Cuba?

A
  • bargain with the USA
  • trap the USA
  • test the USA
  • get the upper hand in the arms race
  • defend Cuba
55
Q

What were the 5 events that caused the American people to be afraid and hate communism?

A
  • introduction of Soviet nuclear weapons
  • Chinese revolution
  • Korean War
  • soviet put down of democratic forces in Hungarian Uprising
  • spy cases
56
Q

What was the committee that ruled during the McCarthy, what decade was it established and what was its official job?

A

The House Committee on Un-American Activities in the 1950s.

- to investigate possible communist activities and conspiracies in America

57
Q

Who was the leader of the House Committee of Un-American Activities?

A

Joseph McCarthy.

58
Q

What were the witchhunts?

A

When Americans in all walks of life were being investigated for being a communist or a communist sympathizer.

59
Q

What did the anti-communist organisations in Hollywood do?

A

Accused people who were supposedly communist and have evidence to the Committee.

60
Q

When were people brought before the Committee during the McCarthy era, aside from being suspected of being a communist?

A

If they every criticized the government, had communist friends or expressed thoughts considered to be ‘un-American’ or undemocratic.

61
Q

Who investigated possible communist sympathizers for the Committee?

A

The FBI.

62
Q

How was the Committee against communism unfair in trials against the suspected?

A

Evidence was often made up and the people accused were denied the right to defend themselves.

63
Q

What did McCarthy claim in 1950 about the state department? Was he right?

A

That there were 57 communists and 205 sympathizers in the state department.
- none were charged with treason or spying

64
Q

Why were the witchhunts ironic?

A

People were afraid to speak their minds or criticize the government for fear of being labelled a communist.
- freedom of speech and the right to speak out was supposed to be American ideals

65
Q

When was McCarthy finally challenged and why?

A
  1. He started an investigation into the US army and accused President Eisenhower of being soft on communism.
    - his party turned against him and he left in 1954
66
Q

What was the ‘reds under the bed’ mentality?

A

The hysteria and paranoid associated with the idea of there being communists in America.

humanities (4 decks)

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