SP importance flash cards
Criteria
1) Political/power
2) Economic / trade
3) Territorial / land
4) Key individuals
5) Military
6) Technological
7) International relations
8) Social
9) Religious
The Stock
Increased suspicion
Developed tension
Affected stability of the world
Changed balance of power
Importance of Yalta Conference
1945
- Lack of agreement. Stalin was demanding more land and control in Poland than the USA was happy with.
(International relations, territorial)(Affected stability of the world, developed tension) - It was agreed that any country that had been taken over by the Nazis (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia) would get free elections. The USSR was secretly unhappy with this fact.
(international relations, political/power)(Affected stability of the world, developed tension) - Germany was divided into four but there were already some disagreements on how the East would be treated compared to the West.
(Territorial, international relations, territorial)(Affected stability of the world)
Importance of Long Telegram
1946
- A turning point. From this point on the USA would act strongly in the face of Communist aggression.
(Political/power, international relations)(developed tension, affected stability of the world) - Outlined the reasons for Containment.
(International relations) - Inspiration for the Truman Doctrine and subsequent Marshall Plan.
- Inspired a USSR response (The Novikov Telegram) which tried to justified the need for satellite states.
Importance of Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
1947
- The total end of a friendly Grand Alliance. Set out the fact that the US was an enemy of the ideas of the USSR.
- Represented a willingness of the USA to their financial Superpower to influence the development of countries.
- Inspired aggressive responses from the USSR in the form of Cominform and Comecon.
- Linked to this Cominform and Comecon took away much right of Eastern European countries to decide their own futures.
Importance of Cominform and Comecon
1947 1949
- The power of Eastern European countries (satellite states) was severely restricted. There was tighter control.
- Practical measures were put in place to restrict the Marshall Aid getting to Eastern Europe. Furthered an “Iron Curtain” divide between a rich west and a poorer East.
- It was revealed just how scared the USSR was of US influence and capitalism in general.
- From this point on, leaders in satellite states had to be very careful with their words, or the USSR would respond!
Importance of NATO and Warsaw Pact
1.
Western countries in Europe were protected against USSR aggression. It made a “Berlin Blockade” scenario less likely to happen again.
2.
It made the leaders of the USA and USSR attempt to find a way to peacefully coexist during the 1950s, but at the same time sped up the Arms Race.
3.
It inspired the USSR to form its own defensive alliance, the Warsaw Pact which made it less likely for the USA to interfere on behalf of the Satellite States.
4.
It took even more control away from Satellite States and they would be punished if they attempted to leave the Pact.
Importance of Berlin Blockade and Airlift
1948 1949
1.
The end of the Blockade and Airlift led to the formal creation of “West Germany”. The USSR then responded by forming the GDR.
2.
It demonstrated the reality that the US was willing to not back down in the face of Communist aggression.
3.
It was a propaganda victory for the USA as it appeared to the world that the USSR was keeping West Berlin prisoner.
4.
Sympathy for the USSR began to fall away in countries where the “idea” of Communism still seemed a nice alternative.
Berlin Refugee Crisis
1958 - 61
1.
1958 - 3 million East Germans (Skilled, young ambitious) crossed from East Germany into West Germany through Berlin.
2.
People choosing capitalism over communism was a constant embarrassment for the USSR.
3.
Led to a series of discussions over the future of East Berlin and failed summit meetings. (Paris 1960 - Spy Plane crash)
Berlin wall
1961
1.
Looked bad for the USSR as it made it look like they had to literally “lock” people into Communism.
2.
The USA built on this “propaganda” victory by increasing money it gave to West Berlin. It wanted West Berlin to appear obviously richer.
3.
It settled the argument over Berlin which had been going on since the end of WW2.
4.
Khrushchev felt stronger for having taken decisive action and more comfortable with offering missiles to Cuba.
Cuban Missile Crisis
1962
1.
War was so close because of this tension that it began a reduction in tension (think hotline and other agreements).
2.
Demonstrated the US would not tolerate USSR interfering in their sphere of influence (the West).
3.
The USSR believed Khrushchev was humiliated by him taking the missiles out of Cuba and he was removed from power.
4.
The 1968 nuclear non-proliferation (spreading) Treaty was signed in an attempt to reduce spread of nuclear weapons.
Prague Spring
1968
1.
The massive invasion by the USSR and the Brezhnev Doctrine led to the tightest ever control over satellite states.
2.
Some Communist Political Parties in capitalist countries began to turn away from the USSR. Their authority was weakened by their actions against the Czech people.
3.
In the long-term it only made more people within Eastern Europe want the sort of freedoms the USSR would not offer them.
4.
It demonstrated the USA were still willing to criticise the USSR, but not directly involve themselves in their sphere of influence.
Detente
1970s
1.
The start of Detente revealed symbolic importance as it showed both sides were looking to end the Cold War.
2.
The Helsinki Agreements represented attempts to boost global trade and show more respect for human rights.
3.
It revealed that the US and USSR’s problems in their own country were enough to change their attitude to the Cold War.
4.
It furthered relations between East and West Europe.
(Ostpolitik)
Invasion of Afghanistan
**
1979
1.
Ended the Detente and the re-issuing of the Truman Doctrine in 1980 (now called the Carter Doctrine).
2.
Kick-started the second Cold War and the US boycotted the 1980 Moscow olympics and the USSR the 1984 LA Olympics.
3.
Committed the USSR to an $8billion a year war against the Afghan freedom fighters they could not win.
4.
Helped Ronald Reagan get elected as a President in the USA as a President who vowed to “defeat” the USSR.
Collapse of Warsaw Pact
1989 - 91
1.
As Perestroika and Glasnost was allowed to spread through Eastern Europe, it ended the divide between East and West.
2.
It was the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine: Eastern European countries were free to choose their own form of government.
3.
It weakened the strength of Communism as an ideology opposed to capitalism: Capitalism was the idea that won the Cold War.
4.
It led to Gorbachev being removed as leader as the USSR as his openness was blamed for letting the collapse happen.
