The Cold War Flashcards
Reasons for Cold War
The United States and the Soviet Union were very different, one was democratic and capitalist while the other one was totalitarian and communist
Neither wanted the other to spread its influence beyond its borders
Eastern Europe Spheres of influence
In Germany, the French, British, and American regions merging into one forming a democratic West Germany; while the Soviets were in charge of eastern Europe
Berlin Blockade
The soviets wanted all of Berlin so they cut off land access to Berlin from the West
Berlin Airlift
response to Berlin blockade
the west flew in food and fuel to the western half of the city
Truman doctrine
the U.S stated that it would aid countries threatened by communist takeovers
NATO
The western bloc formed a military alliance of mutual defense
Warsaw Pact
in response to this the Eastern bloc formed a military alliance
Sun Yat-sen
promoted his Three Principles of the People, nationalism, socialism, and democracy
head of the Revolutionary Alliance that led the 1911 revolt against the Qing
Kuomindang
established by Sun Yat-sen
dedicated to his own goals
Mao Zedong
Communist leader in revolutionary China; advocated rural reform and role of peasantry in Nationalist revolution
Long March
Communist escape from Hunan province during civil war with Guomindang
Cultural Revolution
Campaign in China ordered by Mao Zedong to purge the Communist Party of his opponents and instill revolutionary values in the younger generation
Great Leap Foward
economic policy of Mao Zedong proposed small-scale industrialization projects integrated into peasant communities; led to economic disaster
Tiananmen Square massacre
The government remained communist, so one million protesters met at the Tiananmen Square calling for democratic reform
government sent troops and opened fire
division of Korea
was occupied by the U.S and the Soviet Union until it was re-established as an independent nation
Two separate governments were established, a Soviet-backed communist regime in North Korea and a U.S backed democracy in South Korea
Division of Vietnam
An accord was signed in Geneva dividing the nation into 2 pieces, the communists under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh in the North and Ngo Dihn Diem became president of the democratic south
Platt amendment
After Cuba won its independence from Spain, the U.S remained involved in Cuban affairs
also provided for the presence of the U.S military bases
Fidel Castro
once a promoter of democracy, took control of the government, suspended plans for election, and established a communist dictatorship
The United Stated freaked when Castro established strong ties with the Soviet Union
anti-Castro Cubans
In an attempt to overthrow Castro the U.S trained a group
Bays of Pig invasions
President Kennedy authorized Invasion, not with the U.S military but with the Cuban exiles, they were quickly captured
U.S spy planes in Cuba
detected the installation of Soviet missile in Cuba and Kennedy established a naval blockade around Cuba, refusing further shipments from the Soviet Union
Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S made it clear that it would retaliate against the Soviet Union if missiles were launched from Cuba
Soviets said they would remove missiles in exchanged for a promise the Americans wouldn’t invade Cuba
End of Cold War
By the end of 1991 the Cold War was over, the Warsaw Pact had disbanded, and the U.S found itself as the world’s only superpower
Boris Yeltsin
Russia’s first president
