Key terms + Proxy Wars

Question 1

SDI

Answer 1

Strategic Defence Initiative: Star Wars
March 23 1983
• anti - ballistic missile system created to prevent missile attacks from other countries - USSR

Question 2

MAD

Answer 2

Mutually assured destruction

•Deterrence against nuclear war

Question 3

What was Rollback?

Answer 3

Strategy seeking to rid a region of enemy regimes

•Used by US in Korea and by China in Korea as well

Question 4

What was Brinkmanship

Answer 4

The tactic of seeming to approach the verge of war in order to persuade the opposition to retreat

Question 5

What was the Iron Curtain?

Answer 5

The term used to describe the geographical and ideological line the West and the East. The USA and the Soviet Union

Question 6

What was Perestroika?

Answer 6

“restructuring”
•Gorbachev’s attempt to revitalise Russia’s failing economy
•decentralised institutions - made economy more efficient

Question 7

What was Glasnost?

Answer 7

“Openness” implemented by Mikhail Gorbachev - began to give more rights back to the people
•Encouraged transparency with other nations and internally
•freedom of speech
•decrease in censorship

Question 8

What was the Yom Kippur War?

Answer 8

October 1973 Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on the eve of Jewish holy day Yom Kippur
•Egypt and Syria receiving military + economic aid from the soviets
•First time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 that the 2 superpowers had threatened to use force
•3 week long war; expensive in all aspects
•led to huge oil embargo on the West which crippled them - ended 1974

Question 9

What was SALT?

Answer 9

Nixon and Brezhnev 26 May 1972
• Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
•SALT 1: Limited anti-ballistic missile systems - interim agreement (5 years) to limit strategic offensive arms
• Formed MA
•Ended October 1977
SALT II: June 1979
•limited nuclear testing, proliferation and building
•Not ratified but followed til 1985 anyway

Question 10

What was the long telegram?

Answer 10

Made by George F Keenan - US leading Russian expert
•1946 16 page telegram
•warned against communism
•gave Truman and his administration the confirmation and validation required for them to take a tougher stance with the USSR

Question 11

What was the ABM Treaty?

Answer 11

ABM is an Anti - ballistic Missile

•The treaty to limit them was signed in 1972 by Nixon and Brezhnev

Question 12

What were the Helsinki Accords?

Answer 12

1 August 1975
1. recognised the existing borders in Europe
2. Called for closer economic, scientific and cultural collaborations
3. respect human rights and fundamental freedoms
•Brezhnev loved the fist 2 but hated the third

Question 13

The 3 W’s in regard to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 13

What was the impact: 
•Some view it as a major cause of the breakdown of detente 
•non-aligned movement 
• USA not happy breakdown of SALT II
Why invade:
•Friends with Afghanistan for 50 years 
•Keep Lenin-Marxism alive 
What happened:
•USSR brought in troops to Afghanistan