T1M1 The Cold War Flashcards
Which 2 world powers was the Cold War between?
The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the United States of America (USA).
What is a Cold War?
This term refers to a state of hostility between nations without actual fighting.
What period was the Cold War
1945 to 1991.
How were the East and West different ideologically?
East: Had a communist economic and political system with a lower standard of living.
West: Was democratic and capitalist and had a higher standard of living.
What is capitalism?
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of production and distribution of goods, has a free competitive market and is motivated by profit.
What is communism?
Communism is a system that advocates a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished and the means of production belong to the community.
What are the visuals that relate to the USSR and communism?
- The colour red: This relates back to the Communist Red Army during the Russian Revolution and the red Soviet flag.
- The Hammer and Sickle: Represents the two main components of Communism: industry (the hammer) and agriculture (the sickle).
- A bear.
- Stalin and his moustache.
- Soviet leaders.
What are the visuals that relate to the USA (and the West) and capitalism?
- The American flag.
- A dollar sign.
- Uncle Sam: Uncle Sam (US) is a common personification of the country/government.
- Columbia: Columbia is the female national personification of the United States.
- Statue of Liberty.
- An eagle: The official symbol of the USA is the bald eagle.
- Presidents.
What were the reasons for the West’s mistrust of the USSR?
- Communism threatened Western values.
- During WWI, the Bolshevik government had deserted Russia’s allies by making peace with Germany.
- Disliked the totalitarian policies of Stalin, which led to the forced labour, public trials, deaths and the purges of the 1930s in the USSR.
- Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler in August 1939.
What were the reasons for USSR’s mistrust of the West?
- Communists believed the capitalist system was wrong because rich people prospered at the expense of the poor.
- After the Bolsheviks seized control of Russia in 1917, the western powers sent aid to their opposition (the White Army) who fought against them in the civil war.
- In 1919, the Allies, as a result of the Paris Peace Conference, gave away Russian lands to other countries.
Why did Stalin become suspicious during WWII?
Soviet casualties: From 1941 onwards, the USSR carried the main burden in the fight against the Nazis on the eastern front. As a result, Soviet casualties began to mount. Two years passed before the Americans opened up a second front by invading Normandy, France in July 1944. Stalin viewed this as a deliberate move by the USA to weaken the USSR.
Supplies cut-off: The USA ended the Lend-Lease programme that was providing essential supplies to the Soviet people.
The atomic bomb: Stalin became even more suspicious of the USA’s secrecy of the atomic bomb. Although the bomb had been developed in the USA during the war, Stalin was only informed about its existence after the Nazi defeat, when the USA began to consider it necessary to use it against the Japanese to end the war in the Pacific.
Why were Stalin and his allies (The Grand Alliance) publicly supportive yet fighting behind the scenes?
- The Grand Alliance needed to portray their relationship as strong and friendly,
- WWII was still on going
- needed to retain public support and trust during war.
- fraying or strained relationship could be used against them.
What is patriotism?
Devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.
What non-aggression pact did Nazi Germany and the USSR sign? And when did they sign it?
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. August 1939.
What did the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact entail?
In the case of a war, Hitler assured Stalin peace. This was in 1939, 2 years before Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941.
What did President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill discuss when they met on the USS Augusta ship, in August 1941?
- Roosevelt wanted colonies to become independent of their colonial powers, so the USA would be able to trade freely with them.
- Churchill wanted the USA to help Britain fight against Germany and Italy.
- Churchill agreed to Roosevelt’s vision of a post-war world in exchange for the USA’s support in achieving a victory over the Axis Powers.
- Roosevelt’s vision was published as the Atlantic Charter as a shared USA -British declaration.
Was the USA actively involved in the war in August 1941?
No.
Why did the USA enter the war in December 1941?
Japan attacked America’s naval base of Pearl Harbour in December 1941.
What was the Tehran Conference?
The Big Three had a meeting in Tehran, Iran wherein they discussed an American and British invasion of German-occupied France with Russia attacking from the East. As well as discussing no Anglo-American invasion of Germany, leaving Soviet forces alone to fight Germany in the region.
