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UK, Allemagne et US/URSS CW Flashcards

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1
Q

Les 30 Glorieuses

A

30 years after WWII, growth, near full employment, less economic inequalities, more home ownership…

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2
Q

Somber Seventies

A

Britain saw saw massive trade union stoppages against Heath’s Industrial Relations Act (2 generations of protest for Trade Unions).

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3
Q

Heath’s Industrial Relations Act

A

71, the Conservatives, aimed to restrict the power of trade unions and reduce industrial disputes.

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4
Q

Keynesianism

A

emphasizes the role of government in managing the economy (should increase spending and cut taxes to boost demand and reduce unemployment).

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5
Q

Britain’s economy before the 70’s

A

mixed economy (state/private), a legacy of WWII and a broad political consensus. Welfare system: free healthcare, unemployment benefits, State pensions, subsidized housing and education. The state owned key industries : Coal (National Coal Board), Steel (British Steel), Railways (British Rail)… A tripartite system, negotiations were between government, trade unions (millions of workers), and employers.

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6
Q

What changed for Britain after 45 ?

A

retreat of the Empire, deep economic transformation

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7
Q

Who was elected in 1970 ?

A

Edward Heath, the leader of the conservative Tories

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8
Q

Example of disagreements between Trade Unions and Heath

A

Heath wanted the rise of pay to be 4% max for national interest while Unions wanted 35%.

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9
Q

Economic situation in Britain in 1973

A

stagflation (stagnation + inflation), rising industrial competition (West Germany, Japan…), slow rise of unemployment since the end of the 1960’s…

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10
Q

Bretton woods

A

pegged international currencies to the US dollar and the US dollar to gold.

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11
Q

End of the Bretton Woods system

A

Nixon in 71 and recognized by the IMF in 76. (US running a trade deficit, declining of its gold reserves, and increasing of its debt (USSR’s arms race, Vietnam…)

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12
Q

Oil crisis in the beginning of the 70’s

A

73, Egypt and Syria (USSR) attacked Israel (USA). A group of Arab oil producing countries retaliated, raising oil prices by 17% and announcing production cuts -> price of oil quadrupled by 74 increase in energy costs, inflation and hurt manufacturing.

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13
Q

Consequences of the oil crisis on Britain

A

20% inflation and relied on coal again, reinforcing miners Unions.

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14
Q

Second oil crisis

A

6 years later, loss of production in Iran (revolution 79) and Iraq (Iran-Iraq war 80).

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15
Q

74 in Britain

A

three day week, corruption scandals, plots against the PM, IRA bombings and a general strike in Northern Ireland, strike of the now powerful National Union of Mineworkers, cut street lighting by 50%…

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16
Q

three day week

A

commercial users of electricity were limited to three specified consecutive days’ consumption each week

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17
Q

What did Heath do in 74 ?

A

Called for a surprise election, the first hung parliament since 1929 (no majority in the House of Commons).

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18
Q

What did Heath do after the general election ?

A

74, he resigned and Labour won by a small majority (James Callaghan as PM).

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19
Q

Application to the IMF by Britain

A

granted the government $3.9 billion credit as against a $2.5 billion cut in domestic expenditure -> next 18 months : reducing inflation and cutting unemployment.

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20
Q

Oil situation in Britain in the late 70’s

A

oil from the North Sea was also starting to come through

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21
Q

Winter of discontent

A

lagging pay increases and reviving price inflations -> industrial disputes (78-9). Strikes which added poverty and affected the public (transport, dustem, health workers…). almost 30 million working days were lost.

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22
Q

Britain as “the sick man of Europe”

A

Under Callaghan as he could not handle the Winter of Discontent

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23
Q

Margaret Thatcher’s position before being elected

A

free-market rights, monetarist, neoliberal (Hayek), influenced by Sir Keith Joseph and his anti-statist, colonial and immigration views.

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24
Q

Margaret Thatcher’s premiership

A

in 79, the cabinet was mainly moderate but by the end of 81, it became mainly neoliberals, assaulting Keynesian economics.

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25
How was Cllaghan seen by the Labour party ?
some saw him as too centrist : they wanted higher taxation, extensive nationalization, the imposition of central planning, unilateral nuclear disarmament, ‘troops out’ in Northern Ireland -> Enclosed economy at home and socialist foreign policy.
26
Northern Ireland in the 70's
Period of violence, 72 Bloody Sunday, both the Protestant majority and Catholic nationalists moved to the extremes.
27
Monetarism
appeared in the 60s, criticized Keynesianism, didn’t worry about demand but on supply-side, the primary threat to the economy was inflation rather than unemployment (seen as natural), cutting taxes, free market over state intervention.
28
Neoliberalism
Government planning, by crushing individualism, would lead inexorably to totalitarian control. Consumer choice as a form of democratic expression. Wanted the privatization of government services, sharp cuts to government spending, frequently called austerity.
29
Why did Britain fall for neoliberalism ?
General discontent (public disillusionment with traditional party politics and the state’s capacity to deliver prosperity) called for change and it was there (narrative of ‘social democratic consensus’, ‘decline’ and ‘neoliberal revolution’) + The disappearance of a ‘proletarian mode of production’ remade workers into consumers.
30
Triangular diplomacy
the US taking advantage of the sino-soviet split by engaging both communist powers while reducing tensions with both.
31
Nixon doctrine
69, a temporary stop to containment (still helping anti-communist regimes).
32
The Shanghai Communique
72, the first round of negotiation between the PRC and the US since 49 pushed by the normalization of Henry Kissinger and Nixon's visit of Shanghai in 72.
33
Détente
Relaxation during the CW, beginning in 69.
34
Examples of the consequences of the Détente
lifting by the US of the trade embargo imposed on the USSR in 1949 and the signing with Moscow of a trade agreement in October 1972
35
SALT I treaty
72, not to manufacture strategic weapons for a period of five years, not to construct land-based launchers and to limit the number of ABM anti-ballistic missiles
36
Why did the US accept the SALT Treaty ?
USSR and China were in confrontation, they had access to the Chinese market, needed to back off from military containment (needed to deal with internal issues).
37
Why did the USSR accept the SALT Treaty ?
Needed China to not get too close to the US, to avoid isolation, access to trade with the US, needed to deal with internal issues.
38
Détente setbacks in the mid 70's.
Egypt/Israel conflict and the impact on oil, Wtargate (72), Nixon's resignation (74) because too soft on the USSR.
39
The fall of Détente
79, the Iranian revolution (Americans made hostages, humiliation) and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was seen as an escalation.
40
Ostpolitik
Willy Brandt policy (late 1960s) aimed at improving relations with East Germany and the Soviets. Focused on dialogue, recognition, and easing tensions through diplomacy. Wanted long term reunification.
41
Agreements from Ostpolitik
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with the USSR (70), trade agreements, Four Power Agreement on Berlin improved travel and communication, FRG recognised the post-WWII borders, the Basic Treaty (72) in which the two states recognised one another.
42
When did Germany join the UN
Both Germanys did in 73
43
US's reaction to Ostpolitik
the Nixon administration feared it would bring back German nationalism. But Brandt represented human values that had not been associated with German nationalism so Nixon ended up not intervening.
44
Long term significance of Détente and Ostpolitik
Reduced chances of direct conflict in Germany, legitimized peaceful coexistence, allowed limited travel and communication between the East and West, softened ideological barriers...
45
Reagan
took office in 81 with a confrontational approach to the Soviet Union, the “evil empire”. Later, softened his stance facing Gorbatchev.
46
Rollback policy
Reagan thought Containment to not be extreme enough, he wanted to liberalize some Soviet territories.
47
SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative)
plan to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles with lasers and missiles -> a pipe dream that didn’t do much.
48
Impact of Reagan's agressive policies
Conservatives thought that Reagan simply “outspent” the Soviets but Soviet defense spending remained flat throughout the 1980s as Gorbachev was opposed to increasing military spending. Some historians thought that Reagan’s approach pushed the Soviets to elevate a radical reformer, Gorbachev. But in truth, his ideals were unknown when he was chosen, he was chosen because of his youth. (against gerontocracy)
49
Gorbatchev's reforms to save the USSR and their impact
perestroika, glasnost, demokratizatsiya, ultimately caused the collapse of the Soviet Union.
50
Reykjavik summit
87, between Reagan and Gorbatchev. Gorbachev was willing to surrender the Soviet ballistic missile force and agree to complete nuclear disarmament in exchange for limits on US missile defense which Reagan refused.
51
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces INF Treaty
87, eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons : first time the superpowers agreed to reduce the nuclear arsenal.
52
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”.
1987 speech at the Berlin Wall
53
USSR's “Era of stagnation”
Under Brezhnev, from 75 to 82, Soviet economic growth was less than 1% (per capita GDP). Slowed industrial growth (non-military sectors surtout), Labor productivity lagged due to obsolete technology and poor work incentives.
54
Why did the era of stagnation took place ? (USSR)
inefficiencies of central planning, Agricultural failures, dependance on raw materials exports...
55
What were the inefficiencies of central planning ?
quantity>quality, Gosplan allocated most innovations to military use while civil technology lagged way behind, the economy lacked flexibility and failed to adapt + lacked competitiveness so it failed to innovate fast.
56
Why was agriculture failing ? (USSR)
state production of grain remained almost unchanged from the late 1960s to the late 1980s despite the investments because of extreme weather, excessive irrigation in some areas… The demand was rapidly increasing so they became importers (largest importer of cereals in the 70s).
57
Trade in the USSR in the late 80s
the autarky had reached almost the same level of trade openness as the US in the late 80s.
58
Glasnost
openness and transparency, promoting freedom of speech and access to information.
58
USSR's economic problems in the late 80s
the burden of leading the Communist bloc while corruption and mismanagement became endemic, with little accountability or transparency and leading to loss of public confidence in the system.
58
Gorbatchev's final contributions to the end of the CW
pursued arms reduction agreements and scaled back interventions abroad. Never had a true program internally and Glasnost and Perestroika made economic exhaustion and systemic implosion the causes of the USSR's fall.
58
Perestroika
Needed to slowdown the trend of the Soviet economy : softened central planning, creation of the private sector (Soviet Law on Cooperatives), market mechanisms were introduced... -> Managers became real capitalists
58
End of the USSR's influence in Eastern Europe
They reduced support and economic discontent fueled opposition (Poland and Hungary). Symbolized by the fall of the Berlin wall in 89.
59
End of the CW
December 91.

DNL (10 decks)

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