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History GCSE > Paper 2: Cold War > Flashcards

Paper 2: Cold War Flashcards

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1
Q

Why did Khruschev put missiles in Cuba?

A
  • NATO had weapons based in Turkey (short distance from USSR) - threat to Khrushchev, believed that it was time for USSR to display their power.
  • Possible that Khrushchev’s real aim was to have missiles in Turkey removed.
  • The building of the Berlin Wall portrayed by many Soviet critics as failure for Khrushchev - if he could outwit Kennedy over Cuba, it would restore his prestige.
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2
Q

13 days of Cuban missile crisis

A

16th Oct: Kennedy called together ExComm to discuss how USA should react

22nd Oct: Kennedy decided not to launch attack - set up naval blockade around Cuba (prevent ships passing through w/o US permission)

24th Oct: Soviet ships turned around. Dean Rusk, US Secretary of State, told Kennedy, “I think the other guy just blinked!”

26th Oct: Khruschev sent Kennedy telegram offering to remove missiles if US did not invade

28th Oct: Kennedy ignored Khruschev’s 2nd telegram, sent agreement in response

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3
Q

Consequence of Cuban missile crisis

A

P: Hot line set up - June 1963
Ev: Direct communication link between Moscow & Washington - way for leaders of two major CW countries to negotiate directly to prevent future crises/misunderstandings
Ex: Significant as prevented further conflicts when 2 nations were dangerously close to resorting to NW

P: Test Ban Treaty - August 1963
Ev: Signed by USA, USSR & Britain - three agreed to prohibit testing of nuclear weapons in atmoshphere, outer space & under water
Ex: Important step towards the control of nuclear weapons, prevent other countries from potentially obtaining nucelar weapons, which would increase international tensions & pose threat to both USA & USSR.

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4
Q

Consequence of Berlin wall for USSR

A
  • Showed USSR had to forcefully ‘lock’ people in East Germany
  • Clear that they preferred capitalism over communism
  • Stopped refugee crisis as prevented East Germans from escaping to West
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5
Q

Consequence of Berlin wall in USA

A
  • Kennedy believed this was better than Khrushchev uniting Germany under Soviet control - ‘a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.’
  • Khruschev had closed borders w/o consulting Kennedy
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6
Q

When was Berlin wall set up?

A

1961 (lasted until 1989)

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7
Q

Reforms of Prague Spring

A
  • Cencorship was relaxed
  • Political criticism of gov allowed
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8
Q

What did Brezhnev do in response to Prague Spring?

A

20th Aug 1968 - 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops & Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia, put end to PS

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9
Q

Consquences of Prague Spring

A
  • USSR had greater power/control over members of Warsaw Pact (partly due to Brezhnev Doctrine)
  • USA outraged & protested against USSR, increasing tensions
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10
Q

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

A

Sep 1968 - stated actions of any commmunist country affect all communist countries. All communist countries prevented from introducing reforms to make their country more liberal.

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11
Q

What was detente?

A

Period of peace, genuine attempt at forming co-operative/stable relationship (1970s)

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12
Q

Why did USA & USSR follow detente?

A
  • Reduced spendings on weapons, increase money towards social problems (inequality)
  • Pressure from Europe to improve relations - 1969, Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany followed policy of Ostpolitik (building better relations between East & West)
  • Avoid nuclear war
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13
Q

When was SALT 1 signed?

A

May 1972

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14
Q

3 main agreements of SALT 1

A
  • Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  • The Intermis Agreement
  • The Basic Principles Agreement
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15
Q

What was the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty?

A

Arms control treaty between USA & USSR on limitation of ABMs. Stated ABMs were only allowed at 2 sites (100 missiles each).

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16
Q

What was the Interim Agreement

A

Restrictions on no. of ICBMs (Inter-continental ballistic missiles) & SLBMs (Submarine-launched ballistic missiles).

Not all weapons limited: MIRVs, SS-20 missiles, pershing cruise missiles

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17
Q

What was the Basic Principles Agreement?

A

Established rules for conduct of nuclear warfare - steps for avoiding NW. Both countries agreed that if war looked likely they would “make every effort to avoid this risk”

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18
Q

What was Moscow Summit?

A

SALT 1, 1972 - code of conduct on how superpowers should act (cant interfere in other global affairs)

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19
Q

Weaknesses of SALT 1

A
  • In reality, unrealistic to expect NW could be avoided simply bc countries had signed a piece of paper, especially as both countries still owned more than enough nuclear weapons to destroy the other many times over.
  • Did not cover latest technological development - Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) which carried out multiple nuclear warheads on a single mission
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20
Q

Consequence of SALT 1

A

Improved international relations - both USA & USSR showed willingness to reach agreement & demonstrate better relations publicly

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21
Q

What was SALT 2?

A

Signed by US President Carter & Brezhnev - further restrictions on missile launchers & strategic bombers - banned testing/deploying of new types of ICBMs

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22
Q

Weakness of SALT 2?

A

was never ratified by US Senate due to USSR involvement in Afghanistan

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23
Q

What was Vienna Summit?

A

SALT 2, 1979 - Limited more arms ICBMs, SLBMs, MIRVs, cruise missiles

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24
Q

Causes of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979

A

Although Amin was communist, USSR did not trust him as Soviet Secret Police reported he was an American spy.

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25
Q

Reasons for failure of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

A
  • ‘ambush, hit & run’ tactics hard to deal with
  • rebels familiar w surroundings , Soviets were not
  • mountainous terrain - Soviets couldnt bring tanks, rebels able to navigate easily
26
Q

What was the Carter Doctrine?

A

Pres. Jimmy Carter response to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

  • Stated USA would “use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region”
27
Q

What were Helsinki Accords?

A

1973, 33 nations from NATO & Warsaw Pact met to build on spirit of co-operation previously established in SALT 1

28
Q

3 baskets of Helsinki Accords

A
  • EUROPEAN BORDERS: all international country boundaries agreed & accepted - would settle disputes peacefully (not by threats/force)
  • CO-OPERATION: economic co-op through trade, industrial co-op through running joint industrial projects
  • HUMAN RIGHTS: countries should respect all human rights - freedom of speech, movement, religion
29
Q

Consequence of Helsinki Accords

A

Stabilised situation in Europe by agreeing greater co-operation between superpowers. Limited possibility of superpower conflict by creating balanced relationship between USSR & USA

30
Q

When was fall of Berlin Wall?

A

1989

31
Q

Personal impact of fall of Berlin Wall

A

Families/friends reunited after 30 yrs of separation. By November 1989, East Germans could travel to the west through Austria.

32
Q

National impact of fall of Berlin Wall

A

Physical divide between East & West Germany ceased to exist, the countries would now have to work together in peace, finally becoming one united country.

33
Q

International impact of fall of Berlin Wall

A

Berlin Wall had been symbol of CW and divison & conflict between communism & capitalism, the destruction marked its conclusion.

34
Q

When was end of Warsaw Pact?

A

Military co-operation between member states ended early 1990, Pact formally dissolved in July 1991.

35
Q

Impact of the end of Warsaw Pact

A
  • Warsaw Pact had formally divided Europe in two - dissolvement indicated division between democratic West & Communist East was gone. No longer two armed alliances confronting each other across Europe.
  • Symbol of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe ended
36
Q

USA

A

West

37
Q

USSR

A

East

38
Q

Impact of Satellite states regaining independence

A

End of pact led to many countries becoming truly independent of USSR & finally governing themselves for first time in decades. Once Warsaw Pact dissolved, every single one of its members abandonded communism.

39
Q

Cause of Gorbachev’s fall from power

A

Losing control of Soviet satellite states

40
Q

When did Gorbachev fall from power?

A

Announed resignation on 25th Dec 1991. His resignation was immediately followed by the break up of USSR

41
Q

Impact of end of USSR

A

Dissolution of USSR ended superpower conflict as USA became the world’s only superpower. Fall of the USSR in 1991 finally ended ideological battle between capitalist west & communism east.

42
Q

What was Tehran Conference?

A

Nov 1943: Grand Alliance met to plan winning strategy to end war

43
Q

Agreements of Tehran Conference

A
  • USA & Britain would open a ‘second front’ by launching an attack on Germany in Western Europe, easing pressure on Eastern front, where Soviets were surffering
  • Agreed that aim was to bring about unconditional surrender of Germany, should remain weak after war
44
Q

Consequences of Tehran Conference

A
  • Stalin concerned that USA & Britain were deliberately delaying a ‘second front’ against Germany so that the USSR could be further weakened by having to fight a defensive war in the East - so was pleased by outcome
  • Tension between USA & Britain - Roosevelt seemed at times to view British colonialism as more of a threat to world peace than the Soviet Union
45
Q

What was Yalta Conference?

A

Feb 1945: Big Three discuss winning the war/government of post-war Europe.

46
Q

Agreements of Yalta Conference

A
  • Germany would be split into 4 zones, each controlled by a different power (USA, Britain, France and USSR)
  • Germany would pay $20 billion in reparations, Nazi Party banned and war criminals prosecuted
  • A United Nations would be set up
47
Q

Consequences of Yalta Conference

A
  • USA & France did not agree w Stalin’s suggestion that all 16 Soviet republics should be given individual membership
  • Tensions rose as Stalin’s attempt to further spread communism to Poland failed.
48
Q

What was Potsdam Conference?

A

July 1945: Truman & Attlee new to diplomatic discussion - hard to negotiate with Stalin

49
Q

Agreements made at Potsdam Conference

A
  • Changes to Yalta - agreed that Germany would remain divided into 4 zones, but the German economy would be run as a whole
  • Berlin to be divided into 4 zones, controlled by different countries even though clearly based inside Soviet-controlled Germany
50
Q

Consequences of Potsdam Conference

A
  • Truman growing increasingly worried of Soviet’s red army
  • Truman objected to control of USSR over the countries it had liberated from Nazi rule
51
Q

What was Iron Curtain Speech?

A

March 1946, Churchill made it plain he thought USSR was threat to freedom & world peace.

52
Q

When was the Truman Doctrine?

A

12th March 1947

53
Q

What was Truman Doctrine?

A
  • Pledged to support any nation threatened by communist takeover ($400m in aid to Greece & Turkey, US civilian/military personel sent to region
  • Pointed out dangers of USSR & differences between democracy & communism, warning Europe what would happen if they allowed Stalin to expand his Empire - offered world simple choice between communist tyranny and capitalist freedom (good & evil).
  • Change in US policy: abandoned previous policy of isolationism (not getting involved in affairs/conflicts of other countries to protect their nation) –> containment
54
Q

When was Marshall Plan?

A

3rd April 1948

55
Q

What was Marshall Plan?

A
  • Peactical outcome of Truman Doctrine: providing economic aid to war-torn countries to prevent spread of communism in Western Europe ($12.7 billion given in total over 4 years)
  • Gave hope to struggling countries who’s only choice was to accept communism.
  • Debated on whether to offer aid to USSR & satellite states. In the end, East did not benefit from MP
56
Q

When was Cominform?

A

The Communist Information Bureau, 22nd Sep 1947

57
Q

What was Cominform?

A

Political organisation set up by Stalin, consisting of 9 Eastern countries & communist parties of satellite states.

58
Q

Importance of Cominform

A
  • Gave Stalin way of directing/controlling governments of satellite states - wanted to ensure their loyalty to communism
  • Encouraged to concentrate on only trading/communicated with other Cominform members. All contanct with non-cominform countries was discouraged
  • Increased tensions between USA and USSR as was essentially Stalin’s method of revenge for the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
59
Q

When was Comecon?

A

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, 25th Jan 1949

60
Q

What was Comecon?

A

Set up by Stalin to keep satellite states under complete communist control/independent from capitalist governments.

61
Q

Importance of Comecon

A
  • Ensured USA dont become influential in Eastern Europe.
  • Indirect competition w Marshall Plan (satellite states did not recieve aid) - trade with west banned, trade with east encouraged
  • Aimed to support economic development in member states, organising industrial planning across all satellite states (each state had 5yr plan)

History GCSE (9 decks)

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