The End Of The Cold War Flashcards
When did America withdraw from Vietnam?
1972
What did the Helsinki agreement state in 1975?
It recognised soviet control over Eastern Europe, promised to respect human rights and they recognised the official borders.
How did the USA mend relations with China?
In 1971 the US dropped its veto and China was allowed to join the UN.
What caused détente?
After the Vietnam war, the USA wanted to stay out of world affairs and the arms race was very expensive for both superpowers.
What was the problem with the non-proliferation treaty?
It did not stop other countries from developing nuclear weapons.
When did American astronauts and soviet cosmonauts shake hands in space?
1975
What was SDI?
The point of the programme was to develop an anti-ballistic missile system through putting up lasers in space so that the USA could prevent nuclear attacks.
When was SDI introduced?
1983
Why did SDI make tensions increase?
It went against what had been discussed in SALT and the USSR became worried as if this idea were to succeed, the idea of MAD would not exist anymore which would leave the USSR vulnerable.
When did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
1979
Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
It wanted to prop up a communist government there as there were many Muslims in Russia and the USSR did not want a rebellion against communism. It wanted to expand its ideology into the Middle East.
Who were the USSR fighting and why?
They were fighting the Mujahideen as they were strongly religious and communism did not allow religion.
Why did America boycott the Olympics in 1980?
Due to the soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
How did the USA react to the USSR placing missiles in Eastern Europe?
The is military developed missiles in retaliation to the SS20 missiles.
How did president carter criticise the Soviet Union?
He criticised the imprisonment and arrest of people who opposed the government.
When did Ronald Reagan become president?
1980
What was reagan’s attitude to the USSR?
He called it an evil empire as he was strongly anti-communist.
What was the effect of Reagan spending more money on arms?
Some poorer Americans had their welfare cut, it increased tensions as a nuclear war seemed to be on the horizon and missiles were being placed in Europe as if they were ready to attack.
How did the USA retaliate to the soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
They supplied the Mujahideen with weapons.
Why were the mujahideen difficult to defeat?
The money they had meant that they got more recruits so they were bigger in numbers and they used the mountainous terrain to their advantage which the red army struggled to cope with.
When did Brezhnev die?
1982
What factors led to relations between the USA and USSR worsening between 1979-1983?
SDI, placing of missiles in Europe and Reagan increasing the spending on weapons and the soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
What does MAD stand for?
Mutually assured destruction
Why did the USSR boycott the Olympics in LA in 1984?
As the USA had boycotted their Olympics in1980.
What does glasnost mean?
Openness, more freedom of speech.
What does perestroika mean?
Re-structuring, to make a free market for goods and jobs.
Why did Gorbachev withdraw from Afghanistan?
The USSR could not afford the arms race.
What treaty was signed in 1987?
Intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty.
What were the effects of the Cold War on the USSR that made Gorbachev give up?
The soviet unions wealth could not continue to develop economically and the falling standard of living caused unrest among the population. He also wanted to reform the communist party.
What was a sign that Gorbachev was unlike the other leaders of the USSR?
He abandoned the Brezhnev doctrine
What were the impacts of glasnost?
People learnt about the atrocities that Stalin had committed through freedom of press and the more freedom they gained, the more they wanted which led them to criticising Gorbachev.
What was Gorbachev’s policy on Eastern Europe?
To stop soviet interference in the Warsaw Pact countries/satellite states.
What was Gorbachev’s attitude to nuclear disarmament?
He wanted it as he thought that it was senseless and irrational to enter a nuclear war.
What did the geneva accord commit both countries to?
Speed up arms talks, work towards the abolition of chemical weapons and be more active on issues of human rights.
Why did the summit meeting in Reykjavik break down?
They came to a deadlock on the crucial issue of restricting SDI.
What event is considered to mark the ending of the Cold War?
The fall of the Berlin Wall.
What role did propaganda play in the USSR in the 1970s?
It only displayed the good things, convinced everyone that things were good and that they were much better off than capitalists.
What was evidence for life in the USSR getting better?
There was no unemployment, free schooling and healthcare and the standard of living was increasing.
What was the evidence for life in the Soviet Union getting worse?
There was a lot of spying as the state was looking into everything, shortage of food and the secret police had many files on people which led to mistrust and paranoia.
What events took place in Poland?
The pope renewed faith in the Poles and the shipyard went on strike as workers felt exploited. Demanding for free elections. This was the movement of solidarity.
What happened in Poland in 1989?
Free elections were held and won by solidarity, lech walsea became first non-communist president of Poland.
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
1989
When did Gorbachev fall from power?
1991
What was the effect of the fall of the Berlin Wall?
East and West Berlin were merged again for the first time in 40 years, families were reunited. It encouraged other rebellions and allowed for a larger western influence.
What effect did glasnost have?
The snowball effect.
When was the geneva accord signed?
1985
When was the meeting in Reykjavik?
1986
What was agreed at Reykjavik?
They agreed to make sweeping reductions in nuclear arsenals.
What was the intermediate nuclear forces treaty?
This treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. They could also inspect each other’s military installations and this had a dramatic impact on the amount of weapons that were being destroyed.
When was the final summit meeting held?
In 1988 in Moscow.
What role did the wives play?
They pushed the two leaders together.
What happened in Moscow?
There were more arms control talks and troop reductions in Europe.
What did the Moscow summit lead to?
The conventional armed forces in Europe treaty being signed by NATO and the Warsaw Pact in 1990.
What did CFE do?
It reduced the number of tanks, missiles and other forms of non-nuclear military hardware.
Which summit announced that the Cold War was over?
The one in Malta in 1989.
What was START?
Strategic arms reduction talks.
When was the Washington summit?
1987
What happened at Washington?
The superpowers finally signed the treaty for the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. It was signed by Bush and Gorbachev.
What happened in some of the satellite states that led to the Cold War ending?
Democratic elections were held, there were violent protests, governments were overthrown.
Why did the Berlin Wall fall?
Gorbachev tells East Germany that soviet troops will not put down East German demonstrations.
What was Gorbymania?
When Gorbachev was seen to be like a pop star.
