Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization Flashcards
How did the conferences between the Big Three set the stage of the Cold War?
Potsdam and other conferences failed to address concerns of world power at end of WWII, setting the stage for the Cold War.
Postdam Conference
Final Big 3 Meeting in 1945 in Germany.
Truman = FREE ELECTIONS IN E. EUROPE!
Stalin = NO
Soviet troops already in the region
Communists gained control backed by USSR in E. Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania
1945 - US and USSR do NOT trust each other, and Cold War rhetoric was beginning.
What did they leave the Yalta Conference with?
Let conference end with vague assurances about E. Europe democracy and a promise from USSR to fight Japan
Why was the U.S. able to become a world power after WWII? (5)
No mainland fighting.
Grew because of government-funded military contracts.
Comparatively low loss of life.
Super prosperous economy - Could even send aid money to W. Europe (Marshall Plan)
US developed a-bomb, making US more formidable
What did the Cold War rely on? (3)
Propaganda, covert operations, arms race
Military - industrial complex
Alliance between defense industries and government becoming overly powerful
Why did WWII make it easier for decolonization?
WWII weakened Great Britain, France, and other imperial powers, making it harder for them to govern the colonies
Why did the League of Nations fail? (2)
- It didn’t have support of the most powerful nations, including the US
- It didn’t have the power to act quickly to stop small conflicts from turning into big ones
Capitalism vs Communism
US, and W. Europe = Capitalism
Economic assets are mostly owned privately
People can act in their own self interest
Private interest influenced economic decisions
USSR and E. Europe = Communist
Economic assets owned by government
Hypothetically emphasized equality and fairness
The Soviet Union and Satellite Countries
USSR wanted surrounding nations to be just like them
Bulgaria, E. Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania became Soviet Satellites
Gov’t functioned like USSR
Were completely economically dependent on USSR
Truman Doctrine
Influenced by Containment
US would do almost anything to stop spread of communism.
Marshall Plan
Providing assistance to W. Europe to help them rebuild and resist communism
Non-Aligned Movement
Many nations had gained independence from imperialism, and wanted to stay out of the conflict between the US and the USSR
Didn’t want the world to be dominated by only two superpowers
Berlin Blockade
Soviets wanted to control all of Berlin . Set up blockade to prevent supplies from going into W. Berlin .Allies didn’t want war
Berlin Airlift - Allies flew supplies into W. zones for 11 months
Soviets ended blockade
East Germany = Soviets
West Germany = U.S./Allies
NATO
Created to coordinate defenses in W. Europe in case of a conflict with the Soviet Bloc in 1949
Mutual support and cooperation within alliance
Warsaw Pact
Soviet response to NATO in 1955. Combined armed forces and based them in Moscow - capital of USSR
Known as Communist, or Soviet Bloc
Korean War
After WWII, Korea was split between the North (occupied by the Soviet Union) and the South (occupied by the US.)
1950 - N invades S to reunite country under communism
UN voted to defend the S militarily
USSR = no troops, but $ and arms
UN forces pushed N. back to Chinese border.
-Chinese allied with N. Korea and sent troops to enter the war
Results: After three years of fighting and 4 million deaths, war ended in stalemate
Korea remains divided with demilitarized zone in between.
Vietnam War
Vietnam was split between Communist N and non-Communist South.
Eisenhower, following Containment, sent “advisors” to S. Vietnam to train them and prevent communist takeover
S. Vietnamese ruler was not democratic, and not popular.
So, US supported military coup to overthrow S. Vietnamese leader.
Next President Johnson followed Domino theory
If one country in SE Asia fell to communism, they all would
Sent more US troops to active
Angola
Fought for 14 years for independence from Portugal - won in 1975.
There was lots of ethnic conflict in the new Angola, as tribal boundaries were not considered when it was created by Europe
Angola had 3 distinct cultural groups that each fought for independence and dominance.
Civil War broke out upon independence
Cease-fire signed in 2002 after 27 years
Threats of violence remained
Great Leap Forward
Peasant land organized into communes
State held land, not private owners
Protest? Reeducation camp.
Failing harvests = severe food shortages
China still sent grain to Cuba and Africa
Convince the rest of the world of their success!
20 million Chinese died of starvation
Muslim League
Founded in 1906 and advocated for a separate nation for Indian Muslims
Birth of Israel
Jews wanted historical homeland of Palestine, but modern Palestine was mostly Muslim.
1917 - Balfour Declaration - GB said Palestine should be Jewish homeland.
After WWII, GB was given mandate in ME and Jews began moving into Palestine
Arabs were upset about lost land and traditional way of life
WWII and the Holocaust further encouraged Jewish immigration
British turned issue over the UN
Decided partition would help like in India:
Palestine
Israel - Jewish Section
Cambodia’s Independence
Cambodia tried to remain non-aligned, but was pulled into the Cold War.
Khmer Rouge - communist guerrilla organization under Pol Pot overthrew government of Cambodia
Instituted ruthless form of Communism.
Slaughter and famine killed more than 2 million.
Vietnam invaded Cambodia to push out Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.
Fighting continued, but Vietnam took control of government and helped them stabilize
1989 - Vietnam leaves Cambodia
1991 - Peace treaty signed allowing free elections
Country developed democratic government with multiple political parties and some market economy traits
al-Qaeda
one of the deadliest groups led by Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden
Carried out numerous attacks
September 11th Attacks
3,000 killed after al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed planes at the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon near Washington D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania
