The Cold War Flashcards
NATO
what was the creation of it?
What was the consequences?
alliance established on April 4 1949.
Originally formed by 12 countries
Included USA, canada, uk, several western nations
consequences
maintained stability in europe, deterred soviet expansion, increased tension
Creation of Warsaw pact
What was it?
consequences
Military alliance established in 1955 amongst soviet union and seven other eastern blocks.
including poland, east germany, czechoslovakia, hungary, romania, bulgaria and albania.
consequences - solidified the division of europe in east and west blocs.
helped USSR keep control over eastern european countries.
increased tension.
What was the atomic bomb? when was it first successfully tested:
First successfully tested in USA in July 1945 during manhattan project .
Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in august 1945.
Started arms race, russia made theirs in august 1949.
What was Sputnik?
First artificial satellite launched by USSR on october 4 1957
Began space age and space race.
What was the conferences in order?
Tehran (1943)
Yalta (1945)
Potsdam (1945)
What happened in Tehran Conference 1943?
Consequences
russia would control eastern european land if they win war, would weaken germany and prevent another war.
International peace organisation to be set up after war
Made britain fear USSR would become too powerful and threaten britains status.
What happened in Yalta Conference feb 1945?
Germany divided into 4 zones , controller by france, USA, UK, USSR. Berlin would also be divided into same 4 zones.
Germany to pay 20 million reparations, 10 million to go to USSR.
Land east of germany would be looked after by ussr in soviet sphere of influence.
Stalin wanted more land, germany should pay USSR higher reparations, stalin disagreed with elections and believes it should be a dictatorship:
What happened in Potsdam conference (july 1945)
new US and UK leaders struggled to negotiate with stalin (altee and truman), soviet troops remained in eastern europe, stalin refused to demilitarize, was angry when america tested atomic bomb, stalin set up communist gov in poland, truman made it clear he didnt trust stalin.
How did the use of the atomic bomb on japan affect tension between US and USSR?
Power struggle - showed US strength
Buffer zone - stalin used countries in eastern europe as a buffer zone if the USA wanted to attack soviet union from western europe.
Arms race began.
What was kennan’s long telegram?
1946
He reported that
Stalin wanted to see capitalism destroyed
Stalin saw other capitalist countries in western europe as a threat
Stalin didn’t trust USA
Stalin might back down if he was faced with tough response from USA.
Began policy of containment - to contain communism.
What was the Novikov Telegram?
1946
Reported to stalin that;
USA and truman didn’t trust him.
USA were planning to use superior military to dominate world.
Usa wasn’t scared of war:
What was truman doctrine 1947(
400 million of economic is help and US troops given to greece and turkey
help european governments fight off communist threats
compared capitalism and communism to good and evil.
said soviet union was a dictatorship.
What was marshall plan of 1947
US gave 12.6 billion to help recovery of countries after war
money was offered to satellite states, stalin refused
16 countries accepted money
Timeline of arms race
1945 - USA drop atomic bombs in japan
1949 - Soviets create their first atomic bomb
1952 - US develop H bomb - 2000 times more powerful
1953 - soviets create their own H Bomb
1957 - soviets develop their own ICBM which could reach USA.
6 significant points of arms race
Propaganda opportunity - to create best weapons showed who was better
Mutually Assured Destruction
Economy - each were spending huge amounts of money developing and testing.
Fear - had to find other ways to resolve arguments
Status and Pride
Deterrent - deter other side from starting conflict.
Origins of the cuban missile crisis
Before 1959, Cuba had closed links to USA, many US owned businesses and owners lived in cuba.
Cuban revolution in 1959
US concerns of weapons being brought in
Cuba alliance with soviet union , so Eisenhower banned all trade with cuba in 1960.
Attempted to assasinate castro in 1959.
Kennedy became president
Bay of Pigs plan
Bay of Pigs plan April 1961
Cuban missile crisis
What was the bay of pigs plan?
CIA convinced kennedy was the only way to overthrow castro was to invade cuba.
Plan was to use ex cuban citizens to invade cuba and make it look like a cuban revolt, not an attack. USA.
CIA told kennedy the plan would work as cubans hated castro and his control was weak.
Cuban Missile crisis
What happened in the bay of pigs april 1961?
1400 ex cubans using US planes disguised as cuban aircraft invaded a place in cuba known as bay of pigs.
Cuban missile crisis
Why did the bay of pigs in 1961 fail?
What was its impact
Kennedy didn’t want to risk US troops
Most cubans supported castro so didn’t help
US planes were recognised
Cuban exiles had little military training and quickly surrender
Castro had 20k troops ready to fight,
Castro officially declared support for communism.
USA was humiliated, and it was now likely USSR weapons would be sent to cuba.
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Kennedy was informed soviet ships were sailing to cuba carrying nuclear missiles. In october, us spy planes took images of launch pads for nuclear missiles cuba.
Cuba thought this would deter US from another invasion
USA had already placed long range missiles in Turkey and UK which could reach USSR.
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Pressure on kennedy
Time / missiles would be active in 2 weeks.
Pressure
Elections were fast approaching
Image / needed to stay strong or risk looking weak:
Kennedy response to cuban missile crisis
Naval Blockade
Found other options was too risky
He also asked for 54 US bombers loaded with missiles if blockade was ignored
Soviet turns around.
Short term impacts of cuban missile crisis
Missile sites removed in cuba, Kennedy removed them from italy and turkey.
US looked strong, USSR looked weak.
Led to khrushchev being replaced by brezhnev in 1963.
Long term impact of cuban missile crisis
Hotline between moscow and washington
Test ban treaty 1963 - only underground tests allowed
Nuclear non proliferation treaty 1968 - not to share nuclear technolo with other countries
outer space treaty 1967 - not teven use space for any military reasons
Detente.
Why did the soviets invade afghanistan in 1979?
Stop threat of muslim fundementalism (strong muslim beliefs) teaching soviet union.
Muslim fundementalist leader Amin put in charge - worried USSR.
Brezhnev ordered soviet troops to invade, killing amin and supporters.
Soviets placed a soviet backed leader called karmal in charge of afghanistan.
Brezhnev didn’t think the USA would react, as they didn’t react to invasions of hungary or czechoslovakia
Soviet forces fought against mujahideen
Reaction of Carter to Invadion of Afghanistan
Carter doctrine -
Threat of force
Sanctions - economic sanctions which impacted US - soviet trade.
US provided economic and weapons support to mujahideen.
Declining relationship -
US refuged to sign SALT 2 agreement.
USA increased spending on kickers weapons.
Arms race sped up again.
What was the boycott of the olympic games 1980 & 1984?
Over 60 countries refused to send athletes to compete in Moscow.
Soviet union boycotted olympics held in los angeles in 1984.
Overall impact of soviet invasion on Afghanistan
Symbolized end of detente and worsening of US - soviet relations
Americans couldn’t trust USSR so elected Reagan who promised to be tough on communism.
Soviet invasion lasted for 10 years with over 15k soviet troops killed by mujahideen
President Reagan’s anti communist policies 1981-85
Military spending on US increased
Described soviet union as ‘evil empire’, soviet union responded by calling reagan a liar and insane
Reagan doctrine - supported any groups fighting communism, e.g caribbean island of grenada to defeat communist government. Also funded anti communist groups in poland and africa.
What was the Strategic defense Inititiative or star wars in 1983?
Reagan announced SDI, plan was to develop satellites, lasers and mirrors in space which could detect and destroy and soviet missiles before reached USA.
Acted as a deterrent, showed they were preparing for nuclear war, showed USSR they’d lost space race and arms race, expensive, made soviets look out dated.
What was polish solidarity in 1980’s?
Polish Solidarity, or “Solidarność,” was a major social and political movement that started in Poland in 1980, led by workers at the Gdańsk Shipyard. It aimed for better working conditions and political rights, becoming the first independent trade union in a Soviet-bloc country. Despite the government’s crackdown and declaration of martial law in 1981, Solidarity persisted underground and played a crucial role in the eventual fall of communism in Poland, leading to semi-free elections in 1989.
What did reagan’s second cold war include?
Decline in soviet and USA relations
Boycot of olympic games
Election of anti communist Reagan in USA
increase spending on arms race
Soviet shooting down a south korean plane which killed a number of US citizens in 1983
anger towards soviet unions invasion of afghanistan
failure of SALT 2 in 1979 led to mistrust
