Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization Flashcards
This deck is designed to assist you in understanding the historical processes that occured during the Cold war and its effects, particularly decolonization.
1
Q
What happened after Germany was defeated?
A
The United States and Soviet Union wanted to set up their influence in Europe to allow their world view to dominate; a substantial portion of Western Europe was in the American camp, but Germany and Eastern Europe were another case
2
Q
How did the Allies decide to split up Germany?
A
The Allies had conferences in 1945 to discuss the matter of how to split up Germany and Eastern Europe; it was decided that temporary “spheres of influence” of France, Britain, America, and the Soviet Union would be set up in the regions
3
Q
What was the earliest issue between the USSR and the U.S.?
A
Determined to protect its borders and ideology, the Soviet Union demanded that its neighboring states, places like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, be under its influence as well; issue was that the U.S. wanted those nations to have free elections; the Soviet Union refused and set up puppet states in these countries
4
Q
What happened in Germany in 1948?
A
American, French, and British regions in Germany became democratic West Germany; the Soviet Union’s territory became East Germany
5
Q
What was the Berlin Blockade?
A
Not the Berlin Wall; since the Soviets wanted the entirety of Berlin under its control, they set up this wall to block it from the West
6
Q
What was the Berlin Airlift?
A
The West’s retaliation by flying in foods and fuel to the “trapped” East
7
Q
What happened in 1961 Germany?
A
In 1961, the Soviets built a wall between the two halves, preventing East Berliners access to the West until the wall fell in 1989
8
Q
What was the Soviet bloc?
A
The part of Europe part of the Soviet Union
9
Q
What was the Western bloc?
A
Countries (particularly European) under American influence
10
Q
What was the Truman Doctrine of 1947?
A
Where the United States explicitly stated that they would offer aid to countries threatened by communist takeovers to contain the USSR; this method is known as containment
11
Q
What was NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization)?
A
A military alliance of mutual defense for the Western bloc
12
Q
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A
A military alliance of mutual defense for the Eastern bloc; Soviet version of NATO
13
Q
What was the Iron Curtain?
A
The term Churchill used to refer to the line between the East and West
14
Q
How were India, Ghana, and Indonesia related?
A
These countries refused to take sides in the Cold War in a practice known nonalignment, where they sometimes accepted investment from both sides
15
Q
What was the Bandung Conference?
A
- 1955
- was a meeting of former African and Asian colonies in Indonesia to discuss the Non-Aligned Movement
16
Q
What was the Non-Aligned Movement?
A
This was done so that former colonies would lessen their dependence on world superpowers
17
Q
What was the force behind political strength in the 20th century?
A
Ever improving weapons technology was the force behind political strength in the 20th century.
18
Q
Weapons development continued even after the collapse of the Soviet Union. What happened in regards to this?
A
There were treaties made for it, but some countries chose not to partake in these treaties.
19
Q
What is the only country to have dismantled its nuclear weapons program?
A
South Africa
20
Q
Who was Sun Yat-sen?
A
Led the Chinese Revolution of 1911 that overthrew the Manchu dynasty; China actually became more Westernized to gain power and rid the country of its spheres of influence
21
Q
What were the Three Principles of the People?
A
It was hoped that nationalism would unite the people against foreign interests and give them a Chinese identity. State capitalism, or industrialization financed by the government, was useful in order to improve economic productivity and efficiency while not necessarily redistributing wealth, something Sun did not agree with. Although he advocated for a democratic system, Sun Yat-sen established a political party, the Kuomintang (or KMT), which was dedicated to his own goals.
22
Q
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, two forces wreaked havoc on Chiang’s plans. Chiang, by the way, was the successor of Yat-sen. What were these two forces?
A
- The Japanese Empire wanted to take over Manchuria and China
- The communists, allied with the Soviet Union, were building strength in northern China and were rivals of the KMT party
23
Q
What happened to China’s political state during WWII?
A
During World War II, the United States pumped money into the KMT’s efforts; however, the Soviets were busy dealing with the Germans so they weren’t able to be as active in their support; after the war, the KMT and communist party continued the Chinese Civil War for the next four years
24
Q
Who was Mao Zedong?
A
Led the communists in 1949; railled many peasants and pushed the KMT party southward until they fled to Taiwan, where they established the Republic of China
25
What was the People's Republic of China?
Mainland China after the KMT party fled
26
What happened with the situation regarding the "two Chinas"?
The two Chinas claimed to be the real China, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) became an economic powerhouse; however, it lost its credibility when the UN recognized mainland China as China in 1973; their relationship have grown closer over the years but they are still separate countries
27
What happened after the success of the Communist Revolution in China in 1949?
Mao Zedong brought agriculture and industry under the state/people using policies similar to Stalin's Five-Year Plan; these actually ended up increasing China's productivity (especially the steel industry)
28
What was the Great Leap Forward?
Huge communes were created in an attempt to trult achieve Marxism; but, the local governments in charge of these communes lied about their production because they could not mean the high agricultural quotas the central government demanded; this led to the death of almost 30 million Chinese people and made it so that agriculture and indsutry could no longer produce fruitful results; there was another reason that helped this...
29
Why did the Soviet Union, the only foreign supporter of China, withdraw its support?
Because they wanted the world to be communist udner THEIR control, not with the leadership of an individual not Soviet
30
What happened when Mao stepped back to focus on building the Chinese military?
(which was really important if China could no longer have the Soviets backing them up); in the meantime, reforms were made and elements of capitalism was introduced within the economy; China even tested its first atomic bomb in 1964
31
But, Mao was upset that the country was straying from its communist path. So, what did he do?
So he re-focused his attention onto the government and established the Cultural Revolution
32
What was the Cultural Revolution?
A domestic policy that was formed to get rid of any rise of an elite class in China; part of this plan was closing down universities for four years, so skilled individuals that made up the creative, middle class had to work on collective farms; when they re-opened, they focused on communist teachings; political dissidents (people against rule) were imprisoned/killed
33
What was Mao's Little Red Book?
A collection of Zaodeng's teachings on communism
34
How did the Cultural Revolution go, as far as fulfilling its goal that is?
The whole plan failed miserably in advancing china economically or socially; by the early 1970s, China realized it needed to return to its Western influences, so under the new leadership of Deng Xiaoping changed the education policies
35
Confucianism and class structure dominated China. Explain how this changed in the 20th century.
BUT NOTICE!; This all changed with the Cultural Revolution tore this down by getting rid of China's class-based system and not paying mind to Confucian ideas because they did not want something that could go against the authority of the state
36
How did the communists solve China's increasing population issue?
The communists took a practical approach to the overpopulation problem via the use of contraception and abortion; by the late 1980s, the Chinese government instituted a one-child-per-family policy.
37
What's probably the only relatively good thing to come of China's whole communist situation in the 20th century?
The equality demanded in a classless society resulted in considerable advances for women.
38
What happened more recently regarding China's economy?
China's strict communist economy has become more lax and have elements of capitalism; under the leadership of Xiaoping, limited business and property ownership stimulated hard work and innovation and the Chinese government partook in joint ventures with foreign companies; the reforms have been widely successful
39
What was the Tiananmen Square massacre?
Where protestors gathered in Tiananmen Sqaure to advocate for democracy and troops were commanded by the government to open fire; hundreds were killed
40
How was Kore split after WWII?
Korea was split similar to Germany; it was originally part of the Japanese Empire, but after Japan lost the war, it was supposed to gain independence, but it wasn't stable enough; so, the Soviets ruled north of the 38th parallel with the United States below it
41
What happened in 1948 Korea?
Two separate governments were formed, with communism in North Korea and democracy in South Korea; both superpowers withdrew their rule in the year after; but, in 1950, North Korea attacked the South in an attempt to unite Korea under communism; the United Nations reacted by sending American and British troops to South Korea's aid
42
Who was General MacArthur?
Led the UN troops and helped the army advance all the way to the Chinese border until China joined on behalf of the North back onto the 38th Parallel; a truce was made in 1953
43
What's up with today's Korea?
They're still separate nations, with South Korea still under substantial U.S. influence and being an economic powerhouse and North Korea becoming isolationist and suffering massive food shortages but has developed a formidable military and nucelar technology
44
What happened in October 2006 regarding North Korea?
North Korea conducted its first successful nuclear test; the Six-Party Talk was conducted to try and ease the nuclear tendencies of North Korea; North Korea pulled out of the Six-Party Talk in 2007
45
Who was Kim Jong-II and Kim Jung-un, his successor?
Both of these North Korean leaders pursued militaristic and aggressive policies
46
What happened in May 2018 regarding North Korea?
North Korea claimed that it would denuclearize, but it's not entirely certain if this is true
47
Provide some necessary context to understand Vietnam's situation after WWII?
Context: understand that Indochina (future Vietnam) was under French rule at the time
48
What happened in 1954 Vietnam?
The French tried to hold onto Indochina but nationalist known as Vietnimh foight back; their guerilla warfare frustrated the French so much that a agreement was made to divide Indochina into two pieces
49
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
Leader of the communist north of the 17th parallel in Vietnam
50
Who was Ngo Dinh Diem?
Leader of the democratic south under the 17th parallel in Vietnam
51
What led to the Vietnam War to break out, or at least what happened before the Vietnam War that caused tensions to rise?
Ho Chi Minh supported communist guerrillas in the south; and this led to the Vietnam War to break out; French and American forces came to the aid of South Vietnam; the troopa were unable to take over the north and the Vietnam War was full of hundreds of thousands of deaths
52
What happened as United States forces finally withdrew in 1975 from Vietnam?
The Viet Cong, the North Vietnam army, took control of South Vietnam;
Effects: communism took a big step forward and the U.S. defeat had the American public fearful of encountering "another Vietnam"
53
Provide some context as to what happened to Cambodia after WWII.
Cambodia was scared that it was losing its culture to Western influences since the U.S. engaged in combat in the area and involved itself in its elections during the Vietnam War
54
What was the Khmer Rouge?
A communist faction in Cambodia that instituted a rededucation policy towards the professional class and reliigous minorities in response to the increasingly Western government; Pol Pot led this, but this policy caused almost two million Cambodians to pass away; the Communist Vietnamese brought an end to the rule
55
What's the difference between High-Tech Warfare and Guerilla Warfare?
High-tech warfare: devastatingly effective but costly and took time to plan out
Guerrilla warfare: Flexible, unpredictable, works best in small groups but is not as relatively efficient in a singular attack as high-tech warfare
56
Provide some context for the Cuban Revolution.
Context: Cuba gained its independence from Spain after the Spanish-American War
57
What was the Platt Amendment?
In which the U.S. were allowed to be involve in Cuban affairs and allowed for the presence of American military bases
58
The Americans invested heavily in Cuban businesses. In spite of this, what happened?
But these only made a small percentage of individuals wealthy and the masses left with being peasants
59
What was the Batista Dictatorship?
1939-1959; continued policies that only benefitted the wealthy class
60
Who was Fidel Castro?
Led a revolution against the Batista Dictatorship; used guerilla warfare; the U.S. even withdrew its support of Batista
61
What did Castro do after the Cuban Revolution?
After the Cuban Revolution, he took control of the government and established a communist dictatorship; seized the industries and executed his rivals
62
The United States imposed an economic embargo on Cuba. What was the cause and effect of this?
Cause: because they grew wary of Cuba's now communist rule
Effect: ended up strengthening ties between Cuba and the Soviet Russians
63
What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
1961; authorized by President Kennedy; America hoped that using anti-Castro Cuban exiles in America would lead to a revolt against Castro, but they were quickly captured before they even attacked
64
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
In which U.S. spy planes discovered presence of Societ missiles in Cuba in 1962; so, Kennedy has a naval blocakde made around Cuba; it was a tense three months because it was the closest the world had gotten to a full-on nuclear war; it was settled with the Soviets said they would remove thier missiles if the Americans left Cuba alone
65
The Cubans lost their main financial backer. What was the cause and effect of this?
Cause: the death of communism in Europe/the fall of the U.S.S.R.
Effect: huge loss of billions of dollars in aid; Cuban economic conditions withered
66
What happened from 2006 to 2011 in Cuba?
Castro transferred his presidency and then his position as the First Secretary od the Communist Party of Cuba to his brother, Raul Castro
67
Marxism’s anti-capitalist message had great appeal in less-developed countries. Where was this especially prominent?
Especially in Latin America, with the U.S. being so invested in copper-mining and oil-drilling in the region in the 1920s
68
What was the "Good Neighbor"?
The policy supposedly started to irk north Latin and Central America because of its imperial policies
69
Why were Latin American countries exploring so many economic alternatives?
Of course, the U.S. also had to deal with other matters, having just gone through two World Wars, a major economic crisis, and was currently in an ideological war with the Soviet Union, so Latin America explored economic alternatives in this time. These are listed...
70
What were the economic alternatives that Latin American countries developed?
The stability of single-party rule (Mexico’s PRI), brutality of militaristic leaders (Argentina and Chile), and development of socialist democracies (Nicaragua and Guatemala)
71
What were export economies?
The biggest issue with Latin American economies; they are heavily dependent on thier products
Effect: weak domestic economies and tremendous debt
72
What products did Latin American countries especially rely on?
Coffee, fruit, sugar, and oil
73
At the beginning of the 21st century, there has been tremendous growth throughout Latin America. Why?
Some are based on rising oil prices, but some can be attributed to the development of new industries and trade agreements
74
What type of governments do Mexico and Venezuela have?
Democracy
75
What happened in 2000 Mexico?
Mexico had its first multi-party election since its 1917 Consitution; PAN (National Action Party), not the PRI, won; same thing in 2006; but, the PRI won the latest election in 2012
76
How was Venezuela, on other hand?
Nationalized their telephone and steel industries in the 21st century
77
Who currently rules Venezuela?
Nicolas Maduro, who was the successor to Hugo Chavez, and continues his policies (but you know how that goes in terms of economics...)
78
What were the causes of the end of the Cold War?
Causes of the fall of communism:
Standards of living in Western Europe improved greatly and the state-run industries of Eastern Europe couldn't keep up; some individuals in Eastern Europe started to notice this and revolt;
Multiple ethnic identities wanted to decide thier own fate
79
What happened in 1980 regarding the Solidarity Movement IN POLAND?
In which thousands of workers joined a strike for a reform against the communist government; it was led by Lech Walesa; the government imposes martial law and had Walesa arrested
80
What happened in 1988 Poland?
In 1988, the reform-minded Rakowski became prime minister and legalized the Solidarity movement
81
Who was Tadeusz Mazowiecki?
Became Prime Minister of Poland in the first open elections since the end of WWII
82
When was Lech Walesa elected president?
1990
83
What happened in 1990s Poland?
Poland's economy improved and now had a democracy
84
How was early 2000s Poland?
By the early 2000s, Poland was part of the West by joining NATO and the European Union
85
East Germany cut ties with the Soviet Union and began negotiations with West Germany. Why?
Because the two regions wanted to re-unite
86
What happened in 1989 Germany?
The year when Berlin Wall was torn; the East Germans went to the West in absolute joy
87
What was still an issue in both West and East Germany after the Berlin Wall fell?
Unemployment
88
The (West, by standards if you know what I mean) German government nonetheless did not abandon its ambitious reconstruction program. What was this program aimed at?
They wanted to modernize East Germany and esrablish nationwade communication and transportation lines (*cough**cough* railroads); it seems to have been successful with Germany emerging as a leading economy in Europe and being overall resilient
89
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Came to power in the Soviet Union in 1885; instituted a lot of reforms, such as adding the prospect of private enterprise to the economy; having a nuclear arms teatise with America; denouncing the Great Purge; overall, the Soviet Union seemed to start to ease itself
90
When did the Soviet Union disintegrate?
1991
91
Some observers were shocked by the degree to which so many different nationalities within the former Soviet Union wanted to form their own countries, and further shocked that most of the shifts in power happened relatively peacefully. What were some exceptions?
Nationalism in the former Yugoslavia fostered an environment of resentment towards Bosnian and Albanian Muslims in an act of "ethnic cleansing"; this led to the aforementioned being raped and slaughtered by Christian Serbians; it was so violent that UN troops came in during much of the 1990s
92
Why did Chechnya, a Russian region, want to break away?
Because of nationalism; it was a Muslim-dominated region; to advance their cause, violence was used
93
What happened in the 1990s in the old Soviet bloc countries?
Most of the new countries in the former Soviet bloc created constitutional democracies based on variations of capitalism
94
What happened by the end of 1991?
By the end of 1991, the Cold War was over, the Warsaw Pact had disbanded, and the United States found itself as the world’s only superpower.
95
What happened to Russia under a 1993 constitution?
The Russian Federation (modern-day Russia) was formed, is the largest country in the world, and has multiple resources; but there were also corrupt Soviet bureaucrats looking to get rich
96
What does it mean when Princeton Review says that, "the new Russia looked very much like a perfect federal state" in 1993?
Meaning that it appeared as though it functioned very similarly to America's way of functioning (federal democracy and all that); however, Russia's abrupt introduction to democracy and capitalism, like in the previous states of the Soviet bloc, led to a 10-year period of corruption and unemployment
97
Who was Boris Yeltsin?
The first president of Russia; he had to reform both the structures of Russian state and society; it required completely new systems of government and trade; resigned in 1999
98
What was the KBG?
FBI but for the Soviet Union
99
Who was Vladimir Putin?
Was president of Russia in 2000 and 2004, then became Prime Minister in 2008, and then became president again in 2012
100
What was the new style of Russian democracy that we can assume to still be in place today?
This new style of Russian democracy has been marked by corruption and an authoritarian strengthening of the executive branch
101
What are three notable struggles that Russia experiences to this day despite itsr considerable 21st century economic growth?
Conflicts with the United States continue over plans for expansion of NATO, the placement of missiles in Eastern Europe, and the sale of technology to Iran
102
What was the Annexation of Crimea?
Crimea, a region in Ukraine, was annexed by Russia in 2014; this is an issue since it has led to the deaths of thousands of people
103
What did the word "West" denote?
United States; democratic; capitalist; more prosperous im general
104
What did the word "East" denote?
Soviet Union; communist; totalitarian; less prosperous than the West in general
105
After World War II, a wave of independence movements marked the beginning of the end of European imperialism. Why?
Cause: United States and Western Europe were fighting a war to defend people's self-determination, ability to choose their own futures under democracy; it became difficult for subjugated peoples to tolerate their treatment
106
What was the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League?
INC: 1885
ML: 1906;
Both wanted to increase the rights of Indians under colonial rule
