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Key Topic 1 The Origins Of The Cold War Flashcards

1
Q

Tehran Conference

A

1943
Attended by: Big 3 (Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin)
Disagree on German reparations- USSR wanted reparations, US wanted to rebuild
USSR to declare war on Japan after WW2

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2
Q

Yalta Conference

A 
February 1945 
Attended by big 3
Agreed to divide up Germany and Berlin
Disagreements about eastern europe as "sphere of influence"
Disagreements of ideology
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3
Q

Potsdam Conference

A

July 1945
Attended by Truman, Stalin, Atlee
Agreed on 4 zones, demilitarised, ban Nazis, most reparations to USSR, Polish borders extended to USSR
Truman wanted free elections for Germany, but Stalin disagreed.

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4
Q

Iron curtain speech Churchill

A

1946
“communism & capitalism are incompatible”
“Churchill is like a war-monger” –> iron curtain “has fallen over Europe”

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5
Q

Telegrams

A

1946 ‘Long’ and ‘Novikov’
L: Stalin called for destruction of capitalism and had built up his army (Moscow-> DC)
N: US to dominate the world, American public preparing for war w/ USSR (DC->Moscow)

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6
Q

Truman doctrine

A

March 1947 Mainly in Greece, Containment, ‘No country should be forced into communism’, USA would fight for liberty and sent troops and money to european governments threatened by communism

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7
Q

Marshall plan

A

June 1947
$17billion aid to Europe by 1953
Offers money and machinery to stop countries turning to communism, taken by 16 countries

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8
Q

Coniform

A

1947
Political policy to bring together the communist parties and make sure they remained loyal to Stalin. Made them refuse offers from the West (e.g. Marshall Aid)

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9
Q

Comecon

A

1949

Financial policy to control economies and access resources. Prevent trade with the West.

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10
Q

Berlin crisis

A

June 1948
USSR intimidated by Trizonia, so Stalin suspends all road and rail into Berlin and shut off power to prove that divided Germany didn’t work & cut off West from capital.

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11
Q

Berlin aircraft

A

1948-1949 : 1k tonnes of supplies every day.
total 1.5mil tonnes. Planes land every 3 mins.
propaganda success for USA. USSR couldn’t shoot down because it could result in a hot war. Stalin ends blockade in May after 318 days.

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12
Q

NATO

A

1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation: military alliance amongst western capitalists against communism.

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13
Q

Warsaw pact

A

1955

Military alliance of Eastern European countries and Russia who want to spread communism.

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14
Q

The Berlin crisis

A

I 1949-1961
2.7million refugees East->West which made Stalin look weak and created a bad image for communism. 12th August 1961: built a barbed wire fence between west and east Berlin.

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15
Q

Krushchevs secret speech

A

1956

States that there will be a better form of communism that is not as repressive (destalinisation)

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16
Q

Hungarian uprising

A

Oct 1956
Hungarians opposed Rakosi (bald butcher) because he killed 2k, imprisoned 387k, so student demonstrations were held and Stalin’s statue decapitated in Budapest.
Nagy forms new govt. free elections, general freedom etc, announces leaving Warsaw pact.

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17
Q

Hungarian invasion

A

Nov 1956
1000 tanks enter. Khrushchev was worried about sphere and domino effect +looking weak.
3k Hungarians, 750 Russians killed, 200k Hungarians go to Austria, Nagy imprisoned and killed. Kadar is put into power.

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18
Q

Khrushchev’s Ultimatum

A

1958
Khrushchev gives Eisenhower 6 months to withdraw Allied troops from West Berlin and claims the whole of Berlin will be under control of the USSR.

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19
Q

Cuban revolution

A 
1958/9 
Fidel Castro (communist) overthrows President Batista (pro American) in revolution.
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20
Q

Geneva convention

A

1959

Representatives form the USA+ USSR make plans for leaders to meet, no agreement reached about ultimatum

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21
Q

Paris summit

A

1960
The day before-American U2 spy plane shot down in USSR -> Eisenhower refuses to apologise, Khrushchev walks out of meeting

22
Q

Bay of pigs

A

April 1961
US trained Cuban exiles who attempt to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro but are faced by 20,000 Cubans (makes US look bad)

23
Q

Vienna summit

A

1961

Khrushchev sees JFK as inexperienced and reinstates ultimatum but JFK doesn’t back down

24
Q

Cuban missile crisis

A

Sept 1962
Khrushchev sends 114 ships of offensive nuclear weapons to Cuba
October 1962
‘13 days’ - U2 spy plane shot down in Cuba, JFK enforces military blockade (Soviet ships turn around)

25
Period of detente
1963 | Hotline installed in the aftermath of CMC to avoid future problems
26
Limited test and ban treaty
1963: bans nuclear testing in space, sea, & ABOVE ground
27
Outer space treaty
1967: bans nuclear weapons in space
28
Prague spring
1968 | Dubcek replaces Novotny and introduces 'Socialism with a Human Face' which relaxes censorship and gives more freedom.
29
Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia
1968 Tanks and troops are sent in. Dubcek orders non-violence, but there was still lots of protests. Countries including Yugoslavia, Romania, China condemn invasion, suggests a split in communism.
30
Brezhnev doctrine
1968 'USSR has the right to invade any country threatening the Eastern Bloc' -> Czechoslovakia portrayed as a major threat by Soviet media
31
Nuclear Non-Profileration Treaty
1968-1970 | Bans superpowers form helping other states to obtain nuclear arms
32
SALT 1
1972 'Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty' : bans production of strategic ballistic missiles, submarines only when missiles are obsolete
33
SALT 2
1972 Talks begin to limit ICBM/SLBMs, ban production of ICBMs 1979 USA refuses to sign saying USSR would not stick to terms
34
Apollo soyuz mission
1975: USA+USSR joint mission to space | handshake in space, propaganda for detente
35
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
1979 Amin replaces Taraki, but is unpopular with Muslims so is likely to be overthrown which would result in an Islamic state. 50k Soviet troops initially to restore communist party -> ends up being a 10 year war in which 15 MIL. die, including 15k Soviet soldiers
36
Carter doctrine
1979 President Jimmy Carter draws a tough line on Afghanistan invasion Doctrine: US to give military aid to defend national interests (including countries bordering Afghanistan for containment)
37
Moscow olympics
1984 | USA and 60 other western countries refuse to attend the Olympics in Moscow in protest of their invasion of Afghanistan.
38
Evil empire speech
1983 Ronald Reagan: can imagine a "limited nuclear war in Europe" USSR is "the focus of modern evil" and an "evil empire"
39
Los Angeles olympics
1984 | Boycotted by USSR and 11 of its allies
40
Start 1
1982 Strategic Arms Reduction Talks 'zero option' - cancel missiles in East Europe if USSR do the same. Brezhnev says no so Reagan increases number. End in 1983 (USSR find out USA helping 'solidarity')
41
SDI
1981-1987 Reagan (thought detente = bad, made USA weak) wants to win cold war -> disarms USSR with: Strategic Defence Initiative 'Star Wars' 'umbrella' deflect Soviet missiles by launching satellites with lazers, threatens USSR. USA spend $1mill
42
End of arms race
1980s Soviets can't compete with SDI etc.. (scared to invest in new technology, it undermines communism). Soviet command economy failing + Afghanistan = financial strain
43
Gorbachev reform
1980s Perestroika (restructure): economic reforms to make USSR more efficient Glasnost (openness): relaxation of censorship
44
Geneva summit
1985 USSR + US want peace Agree to: speed up arms talks, try to abolish chemical weapons, adress human rights issues Disagree on: Arms control
45
Reykjavik Summit
1986 More ambitions than Geneva Tensions high because of Chernobyl Reagan proposes scrapping ballistic nuclear missiles, Gorbachev says no because of SDI
46
Chernobyl disaster
Nuclear Plant in Ukraine exploded. 4k killed, 336k relocated. Gorbs tries to deny it, West media show truth = awks for Gorbs, people know he was lying.. loss of trust
47
INF
Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty 1987: no more nuclear ground based missies, each nation could inspect the others' military installations. Gorb agreed due to financial problems (also disarmament would win him popularity due to trade + gorbymania)
48
Fall of sphere
1989: End of Communism in Poland, defeated in free elections Hungary - promised free elections for Spring -> democracy Czech - protests -> overthrow communism Nov 1989: Fall of Berlin Wall (9th Nov 1000s East Berliners -> checkpoints + demand entry)
49
Start signed
1991: Drastically reduce nuclear forces (25-30%) over 7 years (signed with pens made from scrapped missiles)
50
End of Warsaw pact
Disintegration of Eastern bloc - no longer a purpose for pact. Cooperation ended in 1990, official end = July 1991
51
Gorbachev returns and resigns
21 Aug 1991: shows his desire to save communism but cou weakened authority + made Yeltsin a hero. Made constitution for Soviet Countries but they wanted independence so Gorby dissolved Union + resigned (25th Dec 1991) OFFICIAL END OF COLD WAR -> USA only remaining superpower

History (2 decks)

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