unit 8 Flashcards
● Tehran Conference (1943) - Allies agree to an end strategy for WWII - Russia will attack from the east, US and Britain will attack from the West. In return, USSR will get part of Poland at the end of the war.
● Yalta Conference (1945) - Allies discuss what to do after WWII in Europe and how to defeat Japan. FDR/US wants free elections and for the USSR to help end the war in the Pacific, Stalin/USSR wants control over Eastern Europe to prevent another Hitler and will help fight Japan if given some islands in the Pacific.
● Potsdam Conference (1945) - Allies discuss peace in Europe, and Stalin (who is occupying Eastern Europe) refuses to leave. Germany is split into four sections between Allied powers (Berlin is split as well); tensions between the US and USSR mounts; prelude to Cold War.
● ALSO IMPORTANT (1945): the League of Nations of WWI failed, so the US, Britain, USSR, and China create the UNITED NATIONS
end of WWII start of the cold war
What is a/the Cold War: conflict that does not involve direct military confrontation between the immediate rival states (in this case, US and USSR)
Why are they fighting: capitalism vs communism, democracy vs authoritarianism, fear
● Iron Curtain: Winston Churchill’s metaphor describing the split between Western and Eastern Europe (West with capitalism/democracy, East with communism/authoritarianism)
How is it fought:
● 1) Alliances, 2) Arms race/Space Race, 3) Proxy Wars
● Also through propaganda, secret ops/intelligence, war of ideology and intimidation
What the cold war was
● Views Communism like a disease; purpose is to support member nations in conflicts/wars, prevent communism from spreading
○ Domino Theory: it’s spread will topple one government after another until it reaches us!
○ Containment: the best way to stop communism is to accept it where it is, and halt its spread (quarantine it)
● Truman Doctrine: promise that the US would stop communist influence, especially in Greece/Turkey with economic and military support
● Marshall Plan: offered 12 billion to all nations of Europe to modernize industry, support trade, rebuild infrastructure
NATO (north atlantic treaty organization (1949)
● Views the West as aggressive; combined armed forces of member nations and based leaders in the USSR
● COMECON: Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; like the Marshall Plan but for Eastern European satellite states; modest impact on economy
Warsaw pact (uSSR and the communist)
● Countries (usually African and Asian ones) who wanted to stay out of the Cold War
● Bandung Conference: delegates from 29 countries condemned colonialism
● Though many want new framework without two superpowers fighting, many become allied with one superpower or the other
non aligned movement
major powers help bring about conflict between other nations but do not fight one another directly
proxy wars
● Context: Like Germany, Berlin was divided into four zones (three western sections become free city within East Germany)
● Blockade: USSR wants to control all of Berlin, so blockades the zones to prevent the West from accessing it/sending supplies
● Berlin Airlift: Allies fly supplies over blockade and airdrop necessities to west Berlin
○ After this, Germany splits officially into two - West Germany = Federal Republic of Germany, East Germany = German Democratic Republic
○ Europe also is now seen as solidly divided into East and Wet
● Berlin Wall: citizens of East Germany migrate to the West, about 2.5 million; but the USSR views this as a threat to their economy and their pride, so they st up fence and then a permanent wall in 1961
○ Those who try to escape beyond the wall are arrested or killed
○ When the wall falls it symbolizes the end of the Cold War
Berlin blockade
● Context: Pre-WWII, Vietnam was a colony of France. During WWII, Vietnam occupied by Japanese. After WWII, France tries to retake its colony, but leads to civil war and eventual split between North Vietnam and South Vietnam,
○ North becomes communist, South becomes non communist
● Start: North invades South in 1955 (USSR supports with weapons and information, but not many soldiers); South fights back with help of US/UN (US supplies troops, also given supplies); guerrilla warfare
○ High cost of war and lack of domestic support leads to US withdraw in 1973
● Result: war ends with Vietnam reunified under the North; reestablishes friendly ties with US in 1980; estimated 2 million casualties
vietnam war (1955-1975)
Civil Disobedience: use of peaceful protesting through breaking of laws (noncompliance), boycotting, and marches
Seen with: Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. Nelson Mandela; often seen with student protests (ex. Kent State, student marches in France in 1968, etc)
non violent resistance to colonazation and gov
Quick Recap: India has been a British colony since 1858. Since then, it has pushed for independence and decolonization through the Indian National Congress and leaders like Mohandas Gandhi. After failed promises of independence after WWI, India looks to gain self-determination after WWII.
Decolonzation after 1900 (India and Pakistan)
: used in many Latin American countries to restructure/create progress after colonialism. At times redistribution of land led to better cultivation and more access for those previously unable to own land, other times led to pushback from landowners - or foreign companies - who saw their acres being taken away.
changes to states (land reform)
