History - Topic 1 Cold War Flashcards
What was the Cold War?
A period of political tension and military rivalry between the USA and the USSR from 1947-1991, without direct warfare.
What is meant by the term ‘Iron Curtain’?
A term used by Winston Churchill to describe the division between the Communist East and the Capitalist West.
Define ‘Containment’
A US policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
A US policy established in 1947 to provide economic and military aid to countries resisting communism.
Explain the Marshall Plan
A US initiative providing over $12 billion to Western Europe for rebuilding and economic recovery post-WW2 to prevent communism’s spread.
What is NATO?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed in 1949 between the USA and its allies.
What was MAD?
Mutual Assured Destruction, the doctrine that if either side used nuclear weapons, both would be destroyed.
What was ‘Dentente’?
A period of improved relations between the USA and USSR in the 1970s.
What was the ‘Arms Race’?
A competition between the USA and USSR to build the most powerful military weapons, especially nuclear.
Who was Jospeph Stalin?
Leader of the USSR from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, heavily involved in post-WW2 Cold War policies.
Who was Harry S. Truman?
US President from 1945-1953, known for initiating the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.
Who was Nikita Khrushchev?
Leader of the USSR after Stalin, known for de-Stalinization and involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Who was John F. Kennedy?
US President from 1961-1963, who faced the Cuban Missile Crisis and supported the Space Race.
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Last leader of the USSR, known for his policies of Glasnost and Perestroika, leading to the Cold War’s end.
Who was Winston Churchill?
British Prime Minister during WWII, coined the term ‘Iron Curtain’ in a speech in 1946.
Who was Fidel Castro?
Leader of Cuba during the Cold War, key figure in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Who was Ronald Reagan?
US President from 1981-1989, known for his aggressive stance against the USSR and the Strategic Defense Initiative.
What was the Berlin Blockade?
A Soviet attempt to block Allied access to West Berlin, leading to the Berlin Airlift by the Allies. It lasted from 1948-1949.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
A operation where Western Allies flew supplies into West Berlin in response to the Soviet blockade. It lasted for 318 days.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
In 1962, a 13-day confrontation between the USA and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba, nearly leading to nuclear war.
What was the Bay of Pigs?
A failed attempt by the US-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro.
What was the Space Race?
A Cold War competition between the USA and USSR to achieve significant milestones in space exploration.
What was the Prague Spring?
In 198, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia, crushed by a Soviet invasion.
What happened at the Yalta Conference?
In 1945, a meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to discuss post-WWII Europe’s reorganization.
What was the purpose of the Potsdam Conference?
In 1945, a conference where the Allies discussed post-war reparations and borders, leading to increased tensions.
What was the Vietnam War?
A conflict from 1955-1975 where North Vietnam (communist) fought South Vietnam (capitalist), with US and Soviet support on either side.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A military alliance of communist nations in response to NATO. In 1955.
What is the significance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
In 1969, it was an agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament.
What was SALT 1
In 1972, The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty was aimed at curbing the arms race between the USA and USSR.
What was the INF Treaty?
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, eliminating certain types of nuclear weapons from Europe.
Describe the Heldinki Accords
An agreement to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West, including human rights provisions.
What was the significance of the Steategic Defense Initiative?
A proposed missile defense system by Reagan, aimed at protecting the USA from Soviet attacks, nicknamed “Star Wars.”
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
A policy stating the USSR’s right to intervene in any socialist country where socialism was threatened.
Describe Glasnost
Gorbachev’s policy of openness, allowing more freedom of speech and transparency in the USSR.
What is Perestrokia?
Gorbachev’s policy of economic restructuring in the USSR, aiming to incorporate some capitalist elements.
Explain SALT 2
A follow-up treaty to SALT I that sought further reductions in nuclear weapons; it was not ratified but led to informal adherence.
What led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
Political changes in East Germany and the relaxation of Soviet control led to the fall of the wall, symbolizing the Cold War’s end.
Describe the dissolution of the USSR in 1991
The USSR broke into 15 independent republics, marking the end of the Cold War.
What was the Malta Summit in 1989?
A meeting between Bush and Gorbachev, marking the symbolic end of Cold War hostilities.
What impact did economic issues have on the end of the Cold War?
The Soviet Union faced economic stagnation, which led to reforms and the eventual collapse of the communist system.
What impact did economic issues have on the end of the Cold War?
The Soviet Union faced economic stagnation, which led to reforms and the eventual collapse of the communist system.
