Importance Question Flashcards
Explain how the conferences were important for superpower relations.
- Highlighted differences
- Led to a deterioration of relations
Explain how the development of the atomic bomb was important for the development of the Cold War.
- Alienated USSR
- Sparked arms race
- Actually decreased risk of conflict as USSR was too scared to invade
Explain why the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe was important for the development of the Cold War.
- Increased USSR’s economic output
- Provided a buffer zone
Explain why the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were important for the development of the Cold War.
- Increased risk of conflict
- Gained US lots of allies
Explain why the Berlin Crisis of 1948-49 was important for the development of the Cold War.
- Increased risk of conflict
- Showed permanent split between superpowers
Explain why the formation of NATO was important for superpower relations.
- May have been a provocation
- Formed Warsaw Pact
- Reduced risk of conflict
Explain why the arms race was important for superpower relations.
- MAD
- Lots of showboating but no risk of conflict
Explain why the Soviet invasion of Hungary was important for the development of the Cold War.
- US didn’t react
- Emboldening USSR
- Strengthened USSR’s satellite state control
Explain why the Berlin Crisis of 1958-61 was important for superpower relations.
- Forced a split between superpowers
- Highlighted extent of spying on each other with U2
Explain why the Cuban Missile Crisis was important for the development of the Cold War.
- Led to détente
- Closest world had come to nuclear war
Explain why the Prague Spring was important for superpower relations.
- Didn’t end détente
- Warned the US that Brezhnev was more hard-line than Khrushchev
Explain how the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was important for superpower relations.
- Led to second cold war
- Ended détente, brought them into a proxy war
Explain why the Strategic Defence Initiative was important for the development of the Cold War.
- Started arms race again
- Ultimately led to USSR’s collapse as they couldn’t afford it
Explain how Gorbachev’s ‘new thinking’ was important for the end of the Cold War.
- Collapse of communism
- Dissolution of the USSSR
Explain why the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe was important for the end of the Cold War.
- Led to a lack of economic output
- Reduced USSR’s protections,
- Forced USSR to be dissolved
