Cold War Unit 3 - The Cold War in the 1950s Flashcards
1
Q
Korean War background
A
- Korea freed from Japanese control in 1945
- USSR enter the north and USA enter the south
- Division on 38th parallel
- North - People’s Democratic Republic of Korea
- South - Republic of Korea
- Truman scared of Domino theory
2
Q
Korean War
A
- June 25th 1950 - North Korean forces enter South Korea
- North Korea told to withdraw but ignored
- UN force of 16 countries help South Korea
- Led by US General Douglas MacArthur
- Pushed North Korea near Chinese border
- Chinese enter the war and push U.N out of North Korea
- MacArthur dismissed by Truman April 1951 due to disagreements and fights
- War continues for 2 years
- Final peace leaves border at 38th parallel
3
Q
Impact of Korean War
A
- USA committed to Asia to resist communism - budget tripled
- Strengthened land forces - encouraged Greece and Turkey to join NATO
- September 1954 - SEATO formed - against spread of communism in Southeast Asia
- USSR increases conventional army from 1950-1955 from 2.8m to 5.6m
- West Germany joins NATO 1955
- Warsaw Pact
4
Q
Arms race
A
- US develops atomic bomb - 1945
- USSR develop atomic bomb - 1949
- US develops hydrogen bomb - 1952
- USSR develops hydrogen bomb - 1953
- US develops ICBM (inter-continental ballistic missile) - 1957
- USSR develops ICBM - 1957
- Both used nuclear weapons as a deterrent from war
5
Q
Peaceful co-existence
A
- Eisenhower as US president - 1953
- Khrushchev ruler of USSR - 1965 after Stalin’s death - March 5th 1953
- Both wanted peaceful co-existence
- USSR believed communist superiority would prevail and communism would collapse
- Agreement of Austria governing - Geneva summit meeting - July 1955
6
Q
The Warsaw Pact
A
- May 1955
- West Germany joins NATO - Stalin needs to respond
- Communist defensive military alliance formed
- All Soviet States were members
7
Q
Hungarian uprising background
A
- USSR liberates Hungary from German occupation - 1945
- Non-communist political parties banned
- Key officials chosen by Stalin
- Leader - Matyas Rakes - supporter of Stalin
- 1949-1956 - 300,000 Hungarians sent to prison & more than 2,000 executed
8
Q
De-Stalinization
A
- Khrushchev openly criticized Stalin’s regime in a 1956 speech
- Wants to push relaxation
- Poland sets series of reforms that encourages Hungary
- 1956 - Hungarians protest lack of freedom and problems with fuel shortages and poor harvests
- Riots in capital
- Khrushchev sends Red Army to restore order
- Replaced Rakes with Imre Nagy
- End of October 1956 - Nagy announces reforms including leaving Warsaw Pact and becoming neutral
9
Q
Soviet Invasion of Hungary
A
- November 4th - Tanks roll into Budapest
- Supporters of Nagy fight and beg for Western support
- 20,000 Hungarians killed
- Nagy executed and replaces with Janos Kadar
- Khrushchev used this as a message for Soviet States
10
Q
International reaction of Soviet Invasion
A
- Eisenhower sympathetic
- Some NATO nations take in refugees
- No military support offered
- US not prepared to interfere in Soviet States
- Bad look on the west
11
Q
Impact of Hungarian uprising on international relations
A
- Strengthened Khrushchev’s position in the USSR
- Khrushchev more confident with US due to a lack of invasion
- US strongly opposed USSR’s invasion
- Damaged superpower relations
