Superpower Relations Flashcards
In what year did the USA and USSR end up on the same side?
1941
Why were the countries not natural friends?
- The USA lost lots of money when the USSR turned
communist in 1917 - The USA were close friends with Britain and relatives of
the British Royal family were killed in the Russian
revolution
What was their “team of countries” (including Britain) known as?
“The big three” or the Grand Alliance
What was held towards the end of the war to try and continue cooperation between the countries?
Wartime conferences:
Tehran- 1943
Yalta- 1945 February
Potsdam- 1945 July/August
Why were the USA and the USSR the only two superpowers in the world at the end of World War Two?
Other countries were a lot weaker compared to them
What exactly is a “superpower” when talking about countries?
A country with financial, military and cultural influence
What began to happen between 1945 and 1948?
A cold war developed between the USA and the USSR
What was the attitude of the superpowers throughout the 1950’s?
Only cooperate if it is not at the expense of becoming weaker than the other
What took place in the 1960’s?
A series of crisis moments that meant the war almost became a real one
What happened in the 1970’s?
They tried to calm down the cold war
What happened in the 1980’s?
The USA started the cold war again after the USSR invaded Afghanistan
What broke up in 1989?
The influence the USSR had over Eastern Europe collapsed
What “collapsed” in 1991?
The USSR
When did President Roosevelt die and what had his attitude to the USSR been?
After the Yalta conference in 1945. He had a good relationship with the leader of the USSR in World War Two, Stalin
When was President Truman in office and what were his feelings towards communism/USSR?
1945-1953. He was suspicious of Stalin and communism
What was Truman’s “Truman Doctrine”?
From 1947 onwards, he made it USA action to contain (prevent) the spread of communism
When was President Nixon in office and what was his attitude towards the USSR?
The 1970’s. He wanted to find a way to build a working partnership with the USSR
When was Jimmy Carter President and what was the “Carter Doctrine” he developed?
1976-1981. The Carter Doctrine was a return to “containing” communism after 1979
When was President Reagan in office and what was his attitude towards communism and the USSR?
1981-1989. He wanted to go further than containing communism, he wanted to defeat it
What did Stalin want to make sure for the USSR at the end of World War Two and when did he die?
He wanted to make sure the USSR was safe from aggression. He died in 1953
When was Khrushchev’s time as premier and how was he less ‘hardline’ than Stalin?
Khrushchev became leader in 1956. He wanted peaceful cooperation with the USA but not if it meant being weaker than them
When did Brezhnev become premier of the USSR and what was his “Brezhnev Doctrine”(1968)?
After 1963. His doctrine that any communist country could only do communism the way the USSR does it
How was Gorbachev different to the other Soviet Leaders?
He allowed more openness of the government and he introduced some capitalism into the USSR
Who became President of Russia once Gorbachev resigned in 1991?
Boris Yeltsin
How was a capitalist country like the USA run?
- Personal freedoms
- Private businesses
- Private wealth
How was a communist country like the USSR run?
- Restriction on freedoms
- Government owns everything
- Government makes all big decisions
What reasons, going as far back as 1917, did the USA and the USSR have for not being natural friends?
- The USA had lots of money invested in the USSR before
they became communist in 1917 - The USA were good friends with Britain who had
members of their royal family killed during the Russian
revolution
What were the 3 wartime conferences held between 1943 and 1945 to discuss the future of the world after WW2?
Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam
What was agreed at the Tehran conference in 1943?
- The Grand Alliance agreed to cooperate
- The USA and GB would invade Nazi occupied France
- The USSR would attack Japan
- They would set up the UN
What was agreed at the Yalta conference in February 1945?
- Germany would be split into 4 zones, so would Berlin
- USSR would attack Japan
- German war criminals would be punished
- Free elections in occupied countries
- Free elections in Poland
Who replaced FDR as President of the USA for the Potsdam Conference?
Harry Truman (suspicious of communism and did not like Stalin)
What created tension at the Potsdam Conference in July/August 1945?
- Change of leaders
- Stalin wanted influence in Poland
- The USA used the atomic bomb on Japan without telling
the USSR
When did the USA use the atomic bombs on Japan and what war ended as a result of their use?
August 1945, during the Potsdam Conference. WW” came to an end
What were two conferences of the USA using the atomic bomb against Japan?
- The USSR built their own and the arms race began
- The USSR tightened its control over countries it
occupied in Eastern Europe
In what year did the USSR get its own atomic bomb?
1949
What did George Kennan’s Long telegram say about the USSR in 1946?
The USSR was expanding its control and was aggressively trying to take over land in Europe
What did the USSR’s Novikov telegram say about the USA in reply?
The USA were aggressive and looking to dominate the world with its power
What Eastern European countries became satellite states of the USSR up to 1948?
Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
Give examples of how different countries, especially Poland, came to be satellite states
- Rigged elections
- Communists taking key roles in coalition governments
- The Red Army
What did Winston Churchill famously say, in 1946, was happening in Europe?
An ‘iron curtain’ was developing between free capitalist countries and communist countries
How did the USA view the USSR’s creation of satellite states?
As an aggressive move, empire building
What was Stalin’s justification for satellite states?
- That it was a buffer against future invasion
- Communism was good for the people
What was the main message of the Truman Doctrine speech in 1947?
To contain/stop the spread of communism
What was happening in Greece and Turkey that moved him to make the speech when he did?
- Civil war and communist uprisings
- Britain couldn’t deal with the situation so the USA had to
do the ‘superpower’ thing by stepping in to help
What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?
To help Europe recover from the war and stop communism
What are three examples of countries that got money as a consequence of the Marshall Plan?
- UK $3,297 million
- West Germany $1,448 million
- France $2,296 million
What was the importance of the Marshall Plan for the world?
- It increased the USSR’s determination to secure
influence of its own - It increased the divide between capitalist and communist
countries - It led to the USSR setting up cominform and comecon
What country had a communist takeover in February 1948?
Czechoslovakia
What was the purpose of the USSR’s cominform?
To spread communism and organise the economies of communist states
What was the USSR’s alternative to the Marshall Plan set up in 1949?
Comecon
How was Germany divided at the end of WW2?
Into 4 zones. A french one, a british one, an american one and a russian one
When was bizonia and trizonia created with the western zones of Germany?
1947
When did the western zones introduce a new currency and what was the importance of this? How did Stalin respond in June 1948?
June 1947- It made the west noticeably richer than the East
He blocked off West Berlin in an attempt to force the west out of the city
How did the USA respond?
Airlifted supplies into the city on a constant fight rotation for many months
What was formed on the 23rd May. three days after the blockade?
NATO
What was the importance of the Blockade for relations between the USSR and the USA?
- It showed how low relations had got between the USA
and the USSR - It increased tension because it made the USSR look like
the bad guys and the USA look like the good guys
Which countries joined NATO (1949)?
Lots including; USA, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Canada… (West Germany didn’t join until 1955)
What countries joined the Warsaw Pact (1955)?
Poland, USSR, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany
What was the purpose of each?
Defense against the other
What had started the arms race back in 1945?
The USA’s development and use of the atomic bomb
How much more powerful was the hydrogen bomb the USA development in 1952?
1000x more powerful
What did the USSR develop in 1953?
H-Bomb
What is an ICBM?
Inter-continental ballistic missile. A missile that can fly between continents
When was the first American ICBM developed?
1957
What failed to be agreed at a summit meeting in July 1955?
Disarmament
What was the secret speech?
A speech by Khrushchev which announced peaceful coexistence and destalinisation
Why did peaceful coexistence not work out?
It was a contradiction. It was based on there being cooperation but at the same time there was no question that Khrushchev would do anything that would make the USSR look bad or weak in comparison to the American
Why were the people of Hungary unhappy in 1956?
- The Brutal secret police
- Poor living conditions
- Their economy was being exploited by the USSR
Who replaced Rakosi as leader of the country?
Nagy
What did supporters of Nagy do when they saw Soviet tanks and soldiers?
Fought them- often with homemade bombs
Why did the USA not want to get involved?
- Fear of nuclear war
- Hungary was in the soviet ‘sphere’ of influence
What was the standard of living like in East Germany?
Poor
Why did skilled workers particularly want to leave East Germany?
For better pay and greater freedoms
Why were older and more vulnerable people happy to stay in East Germany?
They were supported by the state. They knew they would have an apartment etc…
What was Khrushchev’s ultimatum over the city of Berlin, issued on the 27th November 1958?
That the allies should leave the city to make it a natural free city
Due to the fact no side, the East or the West wanted a war, what took place to try and sort out the issue of Berlin?
The Paris and Vienna Summits
What major events led to a breakdown in relations during talks in Paris in May 1960?
An American U2 spy plane was shot down in the USSR
How did US President Kennedy appear tough and determined over Berlin at talks with Khrushchev in Vienna in 1961?
He refused to withdraw western forces from Berlin and increased defense spending
What did Eastern German troops begin doing on the night of August 12th 1961?
Building a wall in Berlin
How long was the eventual concrete wall?
43km (27 miles)
How did people try to escape East Berlin while the wall was being built?
Jumping the barriers, jumping out of windows, running through checkpoints
How did the wall help the USSR but also show them to be the “bad guys”?
It stopped migration to the West but made East Germany like a prison
How was the West able to use the wall as a propaganda victory?
It made East Germany and communism seem like a prison
What was the theme of the speech that President Kennedy gave in front of the wall in June of 1963?
That freedom was better than communism, that the USA would defend West Berlin and that the Berlin wall was wrong
What had happened in Cuba in 1959?
A revolution
What had President Eisenhower began planning for in 1960?
The Bay of Pigs invasion
How big was the invasion force that landed at the Bay of Pigs on the 17th April 1961?
2000 cuban exiles
Why did the invasion force of cuban ‘exiles’ fail?
- The cuban army knew the plan. They didn’t have enough
men or weapons - American support wasn’t enough
How did the failed invasion make the USA look like hypocrites?
The USA trying to remove a popular leader to replace them with a dictator
What did Castro do afterwards to demonstrate the forging of stronger links between Cuba and the USSR?
- Started trading with the USSR
- Declared the cuban revolution to have been a
communist one - Began talks with Khrushchev about putting nuclear
missiles in Cuba
Why was Khrushchev taking the steps to place missiles in Cuba?
- Protect Cuba
- Threaten the USA
- Even out the balance of power (the USA had weapons
near the USSR)
What action did President Kennedy have to choose between to do?
- Blockade or invasion
- Bomb Cuba and risk nuclear war
- Protest to the UN
- Nothing
What was set up around Cuba on the 22nd October?
A naval blockade
What happened when the USSR’s ships reached the blockade on the 24th October?
They turned around
What was the difference between two telegrams that Khrushchev sent Kennedy on the 26th and 27th October?
The first didn’t mention the US missiles in Turkey and the second did
What did the Americans secretly agree to do as part of the deal for the USSR removing their missiles from Cuba?
Remove missiles from Cuba
What was the hotline that was set up as a consequence of the crisis?
To avoid another crisis
Where did the nuclear test ban treaty (another consequence of the crisis), signed in August 1963 prevent nuclear tests taking place?
Space- the atmosphere
What was the purpose of the 1967 “Outer Space Treaty”?
To stop nuclear weapons being placed in space
What did the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty mean?
Stop the spread of nuclear weapons to more countries
Why were the citizens in Czechoslovakia annoyed?
- No freedoms
- Poor living conditions
- Declining economy
What kind of communism did Alexander Dubcek want for Czechoslovakia?
More ‘relaxed’, more freedoms for the people, more contact with the west
What reforms were part of Dubcek’s ‘Prague Spring’?
- Free Trials
- More political freedom
- Free travel
- Free press
Why was the Soviet leader, Brezhnev, worried about these reforms?
They might bring down communism across Eastern Europe
What eventually happened on 20th August, 1968?
The USSR and Warsaw Pact invaded
What were the Czech army ordered to do while the Warsaw Pact troops invaded?
Not resist
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine that was developed because of events in Czechoslovakia?
To use force to stop any country that was acting in a way that might cause communism to fall
How did other countries in the Warsaw Pact (Romania and Yugoslavia) respond to events in Prague?
Were very nervous and didn’t want to support them
How did Poland and East Germany respond?
They asked the USSR for support- cracked down on opposition
Why was the USA in a difficult position to take meaningful action against the USSR?
- Their economy was in bad condition
- It was in the USSR sphere of influence
What was Detente?
An easing of tensions in the Cold War in the 1970’s
Why did the USA want easier relations at this time?
Their economy was poor
Why did the USSR want easier relations at this time?
Their economy was poor and they wanted to reduce their spending on weapons
What was in SALT 1?
An attempt to reduce nuclear weapons
What 3 agreements were made as part of the Helsinki Accords in August 1975?
- Security- Eastern Europe borders would be recognised
- Cooperation- the USA and USSR would share some
ideas and trade resources - Human rights- both countries agreed to protect basic
human rights like free speech
Why did Basket 3 lead to some disagreement on the part of the USSR?
They did not have the same understanding of human rights
What was SALT 2 meant to include?
Limiting the number and type of nuclear weapons
What events had lead to the spirit of detente beginning to fade by 1979?
USSR invaded Afghanistan
Where did Soviet troops invade on Christmas Eve 1979?
Afghanistan
What was the name of the pro-soviet leader put in place in Afghanistan?
Babrak Kamal
What were the name of Afghan fighters who stood up against Babrak Kamal?
Mujaheddin
How much did the war cost the USSR per year?
$8.2 billion
How many Soviet troops were killed?
50,000
How did Carter respond to the Soviet invasion?
- The Carter Doctrine
- Sending troops to the Arabian Gulf
- Boycotting the Moscow Olympics
- Stopping grain shipments
Where was the 1980 Olympics held?
Moscow
Why did it matter that the USA chose to boycott the Olympics?
They were willing to mix the bad political situation with sport, something the Olympics had always sought to avoid happening
What did it do to the standard of the Olympics?
Lowered it
What did it do to relations between the USA and USSR?
Weakened them very badly
What was beginning to “start” by 1980?
“The Second Cold War”
What was Reagan’s attitude to the USSR and what did he call the USSR in a speech in 1983?
He wanted to destroy communism- “Evil”
How did he boost and develop defense in the USA?
Spending lots more money and developing new weapons (Neutron Bomb, MX missiles, SDI)
What was the “Reagan Doctrine”?
To overwhelm the USSR and win the Cold War by spending lots on arms
What was SDI (The Strategic Defense Initiative)
A missile defense system in space using giant lasers
What treaty from 1967 did it break?
Outer Space Treaty
How did SDI put pressure on the USSR?
If it existed then in a nuclear war the USA would win as no soviet missiles would hit the USA
What is Gorbachev alleged to have said to his wife about the USSR when he became leader in 1985?
Communism was doomed
What is the English translation of his policies, Glasnot and Perestroika?
Glasnot- Openness, allowing free speech
Perestroika- Restructuring the economy to allow for
independent businesses
How did these policies change the USSR?
They allowed people to question the communist party
Why did Gorbachev go to the Reykjavik summit with ha desire to find agreement on reducing nuclear weapons?
The USSR’s economy was broken. He had no money to spend on weapons
What treaty was signed in December 1987 between the USA and USSR?
INF- reduced the number of short range missiles
What did Gorbachev announce to the UN in November 1988?
He was reducing his army by 500,000
When did Hungary take its fence with non-communist Austria down?
1989
What happened June 1989 after solidarity was legalised in Poland?
They won the elections and Walesa became president?
What did huge numbers of East Germans begin doing in September 1989 and through which country?
Leaving East Germany through Hungary
When did the border between East and West Germany open and what happened to the wall?
1989- it got ripped down
What was the “Velvet Revolution” in Czechoslovakia?
A peaceful revolution from communist to democratic rule
What happened to the brutal communist President of Romania in December 1989?
He was hung by his own people
What reasons were there for why the Warsaw Pact countries began to act so independantly?
- Gorbachev said he wouldn’t uphold the Brezhnev
Doctrine - The Cold War was ending
- Their economies were very different and poor
How did communism hardliners turn on Gorbachev because of the break up of the Warsaw Pact?
They arrested him and tried to take power using force
What happened when Gorbachev announced his resignation as leader of the USSR on Christmas Day 1991?
The communist party was outlawed and Yeltsin took over Russia. All the parts of the USSR became independant countries
