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Cambridge (CIE) iGCSE History > Did the United States Contain the Spread of Communism? > Flashcards

Did the United States Contain the Spread of Communism? Flashcards

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1
Q

When did US hysteria around Communism begin?

A

After Russia experienced a Communist uprising in 1917

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2
Q

What was the Red Scare of the 1920s?

A

The belief that immigration had meant that Communists were everywhere in the USA

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3
Q

What was McCarthyism?

A

A period in the early 1950s when Joseph McCarthy held hearings to expose alleged Communists in the US government

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4
Q

Who was Joseph McCarthy?

A

An ex-soldier and Republican representative in the US Senate who became a powerful anti-Communist figure

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5
Q

What foreign policy did the USA follow before the Second World War?

A

Isolationism

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6
Q

What was the Long Telegram (1946)?

A

A document that informed President Truman that the USA should contain communism to the USSR

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7
Q

What replaced isolationism as US foreign policy after WWII?

A

Containment

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8
Q

When did China turn Communist?

A

In 1949 under Mao Zedong

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9
Q

What is the Domino Theory?

A

The belief that if one country fell to Communism surrounding countries would fall like a row of dominoes

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10
Q

What three major attempts at containment did the USA make?

A

Korea (1950-1953) Cuba (1959-1962) and Vietnam (1955-1973)

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11
Q

Who owned Korea before 1945?

A

Japan

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12
Q

Why was Korea divided in 1945?

A

As part of Japan’s surrender terms following WWII

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13
Q

Along what line was Korea divided in 1945?

A

The 38th Parallel

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14
Q

Who monitored North Korea after the division?

A

The USSR

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15
Q

Who oversaw South Korea after the division?

A

The USA

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16
Q

Who was Kim Il Sung?

A

The Communist leader of North Korea selected by the USSR

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17
Q

Who was Syngman Rhee?

A

The anti-Communist leader of South Korea selected by the USA

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18
Q

When did North Korea invade South Korea?

A

June 1950

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19
Q

Why did the USA want to protect South Korea from communism according to the Domino Theory?

A

They believed that if Korea fell Japan would be next

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20
Q

Why was Japan important to the USA in the Korean War context?

A

Japan was an important market for US exports

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21
Q

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A

A 1947 declaration that the USA would protect any country threatened by Communist uprising

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22
Q

Why was the USSR able to not veto UN action against North Korea?

A

The USSR was boycotting the UN at the time

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23
Q

When did UN forces land in Inchon during the Korean War?

A

September 1950

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24
Q

Who commanded the UN forces in Korea?

A

General MacArthur

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25
What positive consequence did the Korean War have for the USA?
The peace treaty kept Korea divided and South Korea was protected from Communism
26
What negative consequence did the Korean War have for the USA?
North Korea remained Communist and formed closer ties to China
27
What anti-Communist alliances did the USA create after the Korean War?
SEATO in Southeast Asia and CENTO in Central Asia
28
How many US soldiers died in the Korean War?
50000
29
What was US relation to Cuba before the Cuban Revolution?
The US relied on Cuba's sugar and tobacco exports and US businesses controlled Cuba's trade
30
Who led Cuba before the Cuban Revolution?
Fulgencio Batista who was supported by the US government
31
When did Fidel Castro begin an uprising against Batista?
November 1956
32
When did Castro's forces defeat Batista?
January 1st 1959
33
What four key issues did the USA have with Castro's government?
Land reform Economic policies Diplomatic relationships with the USSR Anti-Americanism
34
How did President Eisenhower respond to Castro's reforms?
He reduced trade with Cuba and began a trade embargo
35
When did the Bay of Pigs invasion occur?
April 17th 1961
36
Who carried out the Bay of Pigs invasion?
1400 Cuban exiles with limited US support
37
How long did the Bay of Pigs invasion last?
Less than 24 hours
38
Why did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail?
The invasion force had limited military training and Castro knew about the invasion before it began
39
What impact did the Bay of Pigs incident have on Cold War relations?
It heightened tensions between the USA and USSR and damaged the USA's reputation
40
When was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
October 16-28 1962 (The Thirteen Days)
41
What triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A U-2 spy plane took photographs of missile launch pads in Cuba on October 14 1962
42
What three options did Kennedy consider for dealing with Soviet missiles in Cuba?
Do nothing Bomb the missile sites Naval blockade of Cuba
43
Why was Kennedy under time pressure during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
US Defense Secretary McNamara said the missiles would be operational two weeks after arrival
44
What was Kennedy's decision regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis?
To implement a naval blockade of Cuba
45
What did Khrushchev agree to do to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Remove missiles from Cuba if the USA promised not to invade Cuba
46
What secret agreement did Kennedy make with Khrushchev?
To remove US missiles from Turkey
47
What positive consequence did the Cuban Missile Crisis have for the USA?
The blockade forced Khrushchev to back down providing a propaganda victory
48
What negative consequence did the Cuban Missile Crisis have for US containment policy?
Cuba remained Communist and allied to the USSR
49
Who owned Vietnam before the Second World War?
France (as part of French Indochina)
50
Who occupied Vietnam during the Second World War?
Japan
51
Who led the Communist armed force fighting against Japan in Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
52
What was the name of the Communist armed force in Vietnam?
The Viet Minh
53
When did Vietnam declare independence?
1945
54
When were the French defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu?
1954
55
What did the Geneva Peace Accords of 1954 decide?
To temporarily split Vietnam with a free election in 1956 to decide who would permanently govern
56
Who became the leader of North Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh
57
Who became the leader of South Vietnam?
Ngo Dinh Diem
58
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
A route used by North Vietnamese to transport weapons and supplies to the South
59
When did Ho Chi Minh declare full-scale war against South Vietnam?
1959
60
What was the National Liberation Front also known as?
The Vietcong
61
What was the Strategic Hamlets program?
A 1962 program to create villages protected from Viet Cong influence
62
Why did the Strategic Hamlets program fail?
It destroyed people's homes and forced them to move gaining support for the Viet Cong
63
When was Diem overthrown and assassinated?
November 1963
64
What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
A 1964 incident where the US claimed North Vietnamese ships attacked two US ships
65
What was Operation Rolling Thunder?
A bombing campaign against North Vietnam that began in 1965
66
What US president escalated American involvement in Vietnam?
Lyndon B. Johnson
67
What chemical agents did the US use in Vietnam?
Napalm and Agent Orange
68
What was the purpose of using Agent Orange in Vietnam?
To destroy the dense forest that the Viet Cong hid in
69
What was the Search and Destroy tactic?
US troops sent in helicopters to find and attack Viet Cong bases
70
What was the Tet Offensive?
A 1968 coordinated attack by the Viet Cong on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam
71
Why was Vietnam significant as the first televised war?
The US public saw photographs and news reports in graphic detail
72
What was the My Lai Massacre?
A 1968 incident where US soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians
73
When did anti-war protests peak in the USA?
1968-1970
74
What happened at Kent State University in May 1970?
The National Guard shot dead four student protesters
75
Who won the 1968 presidential election promising to end the Vietnam War?
Richard Nixon
76
When were the Paris Peace Accords signed?
January 1973
77
What did the Paris Peace Accords do?
Officially ended US involvement in Vietnam
78
When did Saigon fall to North Vietnamese forces?
April 30 1975
79
How many US soldiers died in the Vietnam War?
Over 58000
80
How much did the Vietnam War cost the USA?
Around $168 billion
81
What policy did Nixon pursue after containment failed?
Détente with the USSR and China
82
What were the Viet Cong's main tactics?
Guerrilla warfare Use of civilians The Ho Chi Minh Trail
83
Why was US conscription (the draft) unpopular during the Vietnam War?
It affected black Americans disproportionately and prosecuted over 9000 young men for draft dodging
84
Why did President Kennedy send aid to support Diem's government in Vietnam?
To prevent the spread of communism in South Vietnam
85
Who was Henry Kissinger?
Nixon's National Security Adviser who helped negotiate US withdrawal from Vietnam
86
What did Nixon declare the US withdrawal from Vietnam to be?
Peace with honor
87
Which three countries became Communist by 1975 after US withdrawal?
Vietnam Laos and Cambodia
88
How did the American public initially receive news about the Korean War?
Through sensationalized press coverage that heightened fears
89
What was the outcome of the Geneva Conference in 1954?
The division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel
90
Why was Cuba's proximity to the United States significant?
Cuba was only 90 miles away from the US mainland
91
What role did the USSR play in the Korean War?
The USSR provided financial and military aid to North Korea
92
What evidence did the US have of missiles in Cuba in 1962?
U-2 spy plane photographs showed missile launch pads
93
When did Castro publicly announce he was a Communist?
After the Bay of Pigs incident in 1961
94
How did Kennedy learn about the missile sites in Cuba?
Through intelligence from a U-2 spy plane on October 14 1962
95
What did Robert McNamara later say about US involvement in Vietnam?
He questioned whether it prevented the spread of communism in South and East Asia
96
Who participated in the anti-Vietnam War protests?
Primarily students with 700000 protesters marching in Washington in November 1969
97
What was the domino effect that the US feared in Southeast Asia?
That Vietnam would fall followed by Laos Cambodia Thailand and eventually Japan
98
What did the Long Telegram recommend regarding US policy toward the USSR?
That the USA should contain communism to the USSR

Cambridge (CIE) iGCSE History (5 decks)

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