IR 002: Lecture 4 Flashcards
What was the immediate cause of WW1
-Crisis in the Balkans that turned out of control
-Leaders were overly optimistic about victory
Structural causes of WW1?
-Global imperial rivalries
-Economic rivalries
-Historical rivalries
What were the casualties of WW1
-10M dead
-21M wounded
-8M prisoners
What were the strategic consequences of WW1?
Europe began to decline:
-Destruction across Europe
-European powers indebted to the US
-European powers lost their credibility as “enlightened” and “superior” actors
-Growing struggle for independence across European colonies
When was the creation of the Soviet Union?
1922
What was the goal Russia’s communist revolution?
Social Justice and Anti-imperialism
When was Russia’s communist revolution
1917
When did the US enter WW1
1917
What were President Woodrow Wilsons ideals?
-European victors should not punish Germany to harshly
-European colonies/empires should become independent
-League of Nations
What was the League of Nations
An international organization designed to ensure collective security and preserve world peace
Why were other countries against Woodrow Wilsons ideals
-Didn’t want to end colonialism
-The US congress did no want the US to get too involved in world affairs
What was the cause of WW2
-Unfair punishment of Germany
-Treaty of Versailles
-Frustration among some of the winners (not appropriately rewarded)
-Weakness of the League of Nations (US did not join)
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
1919
When did the Great Depression begin?
1929
What was the Great Depression?
-Stock market crash in the US
-US protectionist measures (+ other states retaliated)
-Trade wars across the world
What year did Hitler become chancellor?
1933
When did Germany attack Poland?
September of 1939
When did Germany attack the Soviet Union?
June of 1941
When did Japan attack the United States?
December 7th 1941
Between what years did the breakthroughs of the Axis occur?
1939-1940
What was the turning point in WW2
The Battle of the Atlantic
When was the battle of Stalingrad?
September 1942 - February 1943
What was the significance of the Battle of the Atlantic
Enabled the US/Britain to prepare offensives in Europe/Africa
Why were the US offensives against Japan so successful?
-Japan was overstretched
-US economic/demographic superiority
What strategies did the US use against Japan?
-Island hopping offensive
-Strategic bombing
When was the Battle of Midway
June 1942
When was the Allies final victory in WW2?
1945
When did the US bomb Japan?
August 6th and August 9th 1945
Who were the main victors of WW2?
-Britain (but imperial decline)
-Soviet Union (but 27-30M dead)
-US (hold 50% of global wealth and 0.3M dead)
When was the UN created?
1944
When was the Cold War?
1947-1989
What was the US strategy in the Cold War?
Containment of Communism
What do some scholars say the cause of the cold war was?
- Traditionalist -Soviet agressions
- Revisionist School - US provocations w/ nukes in WW2
- Post-revisionist School - Misperceptions Fear and mistrust
When was the US Marshall Plan
1947
When was NATO created?
1949
What is an ideology?
A system of abstract ideas which purports to explain reality, expresses value goals, and contains programs of action for the rejection or attainment of the kind of social order in which its proponents believe the goals can best be realized
What is neo-imperialism?
Attempts to control weaker countries via more subtle and less violent tools (economic, military, ideological, etc.) than those used under imperialism/colonialism
In what ways did the US use neo-imperialism in the Cold War
-Financial aid
-Military assistance
-Alliances with anticommunist dictators
-coups
-interventions
In what was did the Soviet Union use neo-imperialism in the Cold War
-Financial aid
-Military assistance
-Alliances with anticommunist dictators
-coups
-interventions
How did the Third World resist neo-imperialism from stronger states?
-The Bandung Conference
-NAM (Non-aligned Movement)
-Denounced the superpowers domination
Why did the Cold War End?
-Fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989
-Break up of the Soviet Union in 1991
-Arms race
-Anti-nuclear war movements
When did the Soviet Union Breakup?
1991
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
1989
Why did the Cold War end peacefully?
Gorbachev’s decision not to repress popular uprisings in 1989-1991
