USA Topic 6 - Cold War Rivalry Flashcards
What were the reasons for US involvement in the Cold War
Fear of communism
Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe
attitude of Truman
What was the red scare
The growing fear of communism in the USA after World War II
What’s the name of the two post war peace conferences
Yalta and Potsdam 
What was Trumans attitude towards the USSR
Truman distrusted Stalin believed he wanted to expand in Eastern Europe
What was agreed at Yalta peace conference
Germany would be divided into four zones
What were the disagreements at Yalta
- How much Germany should pay reparations
- The future government of Poland
What are the contrasting views between Stalin and Truman at the peace conferences
Stalin wanted massive compensation as 20 million soldiers had died during the war
However Truman wanted free elections in Germany to be a barrier to future Soviet expansion
What are the agreements at Potsdam
Demilitarise Germany
Germany pay reparations to cover the Allies equipment and materials
What was the long telegram
When George Keenan gave a telegram describing the USSR as aggressive and suspicious
What was the impact of the long telegram
It heavily influenced Truman’s policies in the Cold War especially containment
What was the Truman doctrine 
Truman’s famous speech to congress in which he suggested a Iron Curtain has descended across Europe
What are the consequences of the Truman doctrine
Rivalry between the USA and USSR increased
USA became committed to the policy of containment
USA gave financial aid to Europe
What was the Marshall plan
The USA believed that by providing economic aid to recovery countries then they wouldn’t need to turn to communism

By 1953 how much are the USA provided through Marshall aid
17 billion
What was the domino theory
If one country turned to communism then all the countries around it would then follow
What are the reasons for the Berlin crisis
- Berlin was in the heart of Soviet controlled East Germany and the western allies were able to gain access to their sectors
- When the Allies announcing new currency and the new West German state, Stalin accused the west of interfering in the Soviet zone
What were the events of the Berlin crisis
Stalin cut access off to Berlin to starve out the allies
The allies decided to airlift supplies from their bases in West Germany
‘Operation planefare’ began in June 1948 and lasted 10 months
What were the results of the Berlin crisis
Stalin called of the blockade in May 1949
The East-West rivalry greatly increased
What was the 1961 Berlin crisis
Khrushchev ordered a wall to be constructed separate eastern West Berlin
There was a stand-off between the US and Soviet tanks for 18 hours and Kennedy was forced to back down but was furious with the USSR 
What are the causes of the Cuban missile crisis
Fidel Castro came to power via a revolution in 1949
The USA retaliated by refusing to buy its biggest export (sugar) however the USSR decided to buy the sugar
By the end of 1961, Cuba converted to communism and Soviet installed ballistic missiles in Cuba posing a serious threat to the USA security
What were the events of the crisis
Kennedy placed a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent Soviet missiles reaching Cuba
Khrushchev Sent a letter to Kennedy insisting Soviet ships would force their way through the blockade
Khrushchev issued a statement saying the USSR would use nuclear weapons in the case of war
Kennedy asked Khrushchev to withdraw the missiles if Kennedy withdrew missiles from Turkey
What were the results of the Cuban missile crisis
Superpowers had almost gone to war that would have destroyed the world 
What were the reasons for US involvement in Vietnam
Diem was overthrown by a series of the governments
Kennedy try to reduce Communist inference through the strategic hamlet policy
Johnson was able to use the Gulf of Tonkin incident to persuade Congress to support greater US involvement
What was ‘operation rolling thunder’
Bombing campaign of North Vietnam lasting 3.5 years in the hope of destroying Vietcong supply routes to the north
Describe the chemical warfare used in Vietnam
Defoliants were used to destroy jungle cover for the Vietcong
‘Agent Orange’ was a highly toxic weed killer used by the USA
Napalm was a bomb that exploded and showered victims with a burning petroleum jelly
What was ‘search and destroy’
Helicopters would land on a village suspected of assisting Vietcong forces and destroy it
What are the reasons for US defeat
The strength of the Vietnam and the weaknesses of the USA
What are the strengths of the communists
- The Vietnamese were fighting for a cause of communism and the reunification of Vietnam
- The ‘low-tech’ guerrilla tactics suppressed the high-tech tactics of the USA
- The Communist forces dug deep tunnels and used them as air-raid shelters
What are the weaknesses of the USA 
- Many of the US troops were too young and inexperienced and unable to cope with guerrilla warfare 
- The opposition at home as a result of a failure to achieve a quick victory and a total of 58,000 deaths
Describe the US withdrawal and peace talks
Nixon promised to withdraw US troops when elected and plan to end US involvement (Also known as Vietnamisation)
Peace talks began in 1968 but there were no signs of progress for four years
Nixon’s visit to China encouraged cooperation from the North Vietnamese government and a ceasefire was signed in 1973
What were the effects of the war
The war had cost the USA US$26.5 billion
The war made Johnson very unpopular and influence his decision to not seek re-election

What was NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty which was signed in 1949 to prevent Soviet expansion
What was the Warsaw Pact
A military alliance against NATO signed in 1955
