USSR as a Superpower Flashcards
what is a superpower?
A country with world wide influence due to a dominant economy, culture, political system and military strength
What was the first summit to involve Stalin and when was it?
Tehran Summit in November 1943
When was the Tehran summit?
November 1943
When did Churchil meet with Stalin in Moscow?
October 1944
When did the ‘Big Three’ meet in Yalta?
February 1945
When did the ‘Big Three’ meet in Potsdam?
July 1945
Who were the ‘Big Three’?
FDR, Stalin and Churchil
When and where did the ‘Big Three’ meet?
- Tehran Nov. 1943
- Yalta Feb 1945
- Potsdam July 1945
What reflected the superpower status of the USSR with regards to diplomacy?
The diplomacy of the grand alliance
When was the UN formed?
October 1945
What did the formation of the UN do for the USSR’s superpower status?
They were given a permanent seat on the security council
What was the military strength of the USSR by May 1945?
7.5 milliom well equipt troops
What did the Red Army do in countries they liberated?
Remained in control
Who was in charge of the soviet atomic bomb project?
Beria
When was the first successful test of an atomic bomb by the USSR?
August 1949
What was the Truman doctrine ?
the policy of containing and rolling back communism
When was the Marshall plan announced?
June 1947
What was the Marshall plan?
The injection of aid to rebuild Europe
What did the USSR and subsequent historian see Marshall aid as?
A political weapon designed to extend American influence
What were soviet bloc countries pressured to do in terms of Marshall aid?
Reject it
When did the Berlin blockade begin and when was it called off?
Begun in June 1948 and called off in May 1949
How was the Berlin Blockade defeated?
By the Berlin Airlift
When was NATO formed and what was its purpose?
1949 to defend the West against Soviet aggression and expansion
Example of Soviet military dominance?
Their control over Eastern and Central Europe
How did the USSR create a sphere of influence?
By using military pressure and political influence over local parties to encourage formation of governments that were friendly
What was the purpose of buffer states?
Protest Russia from invasion
What did Moscow do with exiled communists from eastern Europe?
trained them in Moscow and in the 1930s, sent them to infiltrate their governments
What were communist parties instructed to do in democratic countries where they could not win?
Form coalitions with other left wing parties to gain a foothold within the government
What did ‘salami tactics’ allow?
Pro soviet governments in Hungary by 1947 and Czechoslovakia by 1948
Who was the leader of the communists who came to power in Yugoslavia ?
Josip Tito
