Flashpoints

Question 1

What was Afghanisatn viewed as by the Soviet Union?

Answer 1

As an important neighbour

Question 2

What happened in Iran in 1979?

Answer 2

Revolution in Iran deposed the Shah (king/emperor)

Question 3

Who was the Shah replaced by?

Answer 3

A muslim fundamentalist government

Question 4

After Iran became a muslim fundamentalist government, what did Afghanistan now form?

Answer 4

An important buffer zone between Iran and the Soviet Union

Question 5

Why was Moscow determined to not let Muslim fundamentalism spread across its borders?

Answer 5

Soviet Union had many Muslim citizens

Question 6

What government would there have to be in Afghanistan to protect Soviet interests?

Answer 6

Pro-soviet government

Question 7

What happened in April 1978?

Answer 7

A pro-Soviet government took control in Afghanistan and received economic assistance from Moscow

Question 8

When was the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan toppled and how?

Answer 8

September 1979 as Hafizullah Amin staged a popular coup

Question 9

How did Moscow feel about Amin?

Answer 9

Initially supported him but his government became increasingly unpopular as other pro-Muslim factions tried to overthrow him

Question 10

When did Brezhnev decide to act on Amin’s government?

Answer 10

When Brezhnev heard rumours that Amin was talking to the USA about possible American support

Question 11

When did Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan?

Answer 11

24th December 1979

Question 12

What did the Soviet forces claim when they invaded Afghanistan?

Answer 12

That they had been invited in by Amin to support his government against terrorists

Question 13

When was Amin assassinated and who replaced him?

Answer 13

27th December 1979 (almost certainly by Soviet commandos) and replaced by pro-soviet Babrak Kamal

Question 14

How long did Soviets stay in Afghanistan after the invasion?

Answer 14

Almost ten years, fighting opponents of Kamal

Question 15

Who were the mujahideen?

Answer 15

The muslim guerilla fighters who fought against the government of Amin and then the government of Kamal and the the Soviet invasion force

Question 16

How long did the mujahideen’s war against the Soviet Union last?

Answer 16

Until the Soviets withdrew in 1989

Question 17

How did the USA help the mujahideen during the war?

Answer 17

USA supplied them with weapons and billions of dollars

Question 18

What was the cost of the war against the mujahideen for the Soviet Union?

Answer 18

$8 billion a year and estimates 15,000 Soviet troops killed. Some estimates suggest 1.5 million civilian deaths

Question 19

Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?

Answer 19

To protect Soviet interests in a neighbouring state

Question 20

What did the Soviet Union see the situation in Afghanistan as similar to?

Answer 20

That in Czechoslovakia

Question 21

What did the Americans believe about the invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 21

It was an example of the Soviet Union attempting to spread communism abroad, which they had worked to resist

Question 22

What did President Carter claim about the invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 22

It posed the biggest threat to world peace since WW2

Question 23

How did Carter respond to the invasion?

Answer 23

Withdrew SALT 2 proposal from the Senate and increased spending on arms

Question 24

What was the Carter Doctrine?

Answer 24

In Jan 1980, in Carter’s state of the union speech to the American people, he said the USA would repel by force, if necessary, any threat to American interests in the Persian Gulf

Question 25

What was the Carter Doctrine deliberately modelled on?

Answer 25

The Truman Doctrine, to show its importance

Question 26

What else did Carter impose?

Answer 26

Economic sanctions on the USSR and began sending weapons and funds to the mujahideen

Question 27

What did the invasion of Afghanistan mark the end of?

Answer 27

Détente

Question 28

Why do some historians argue the Americans deliberately over-reacted to the Soviet invasion?

Answer 28

To 'get out' of détente

Question 29

What did Ronald Reagan (republican candidate) do in the 1980 presidential election?

Answer 29

Ridiculed Carter as weak and argued that the time had come for America to reclaim its position on the world stage and stand up to communism. He won by far

Question 30

What did the invasion of Afghanistan make certain?

Answer 30

Confrontation as it brought about the election of Reagan who believed communism was 'evil' and should be actively opposed

Question 31

What are 12 consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 31

. Second cold war . End of détente . Soviet boycott of LA . US boycott of Moscow . Carter Doctrine . Afghan government replaced . Economic Afghanistan on USSR . War in Afghsniatan lasts 10 years . SALT 2 abandoned . USA support mujahideen . War costs USSR $8 billion a year . 1.5 million civilian deaths

Question 32

What did the USA do in protest against the invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 32

Led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

Question 33

How many nations supported the US boycott?

Answer 33

Over 60

Question 34

Why was the Moscow boycott highly significant?

Answer 34

Olympic games are a global event, which the Soviet Union was hoping to use to promote communism to the huge TV audience who would watch the olympics

Question 35

What did the Moscow boycott reflect?

Answer 35

The influence the USA had in international affairs

Question 36

How did different countries take part in the boycott of Moscow?

Answer 36

It was not easy to tell athletes not to go Britain: didn't prevent athletes from going but encouraged them not to take part Other countries: allowed athletes to take part individually rather than officially representing the country America: athletes who tried to travel to Moscow would have passports taken away

Question 37

How was the boycott of Moscow games so effective?

Answer 37

With many of the best athletes staying away, the events at Moscow looked second-rate

Question 38

How did the Moscow boycott make the USSR feel?

Answer 38

Extremely angry as it was their chance to showcase communism to the world They had been undermined by the USA relations with USA deteriorated further

Question 39

How was the boycott of the Moscow Olympics a significant moment in the 'Second Cold War'?

Answer 39

Relations were so bad that even four years latee, for the LA olympics in 1984, USSR led a boycott of the games

Question 40

How many communist countries took part in the LA boycott?

Answer 40

15