How did the Cold War shape international relationships after the Second World War? (1) Flashcards
(10 cards)
After the Second World War, the two countries which emerged as the dominant powers were the ___ and the ___. Between ___ and ___ they competed for world domination. this period became known as the _____ ___.
USA USSR 1945 1991 Cold War
What did the superpowers want to achieve?
They wanted their political and economic systems (communism in the USSR and capitalist democracy in the USA) to become dominant.
What stopped their rivalry from breaking out into open warfare?
Both the superpowers owned nuclear weapons. Direct nuclear warfare would have resulted in the destruction of the world, so this fear stopped their rivalry from breaking out into open warfare. The Cold War never became ‘hot)
What other forms did the rivalry take? (4)
- Competing to achieve dominance in scientific
- Technological developments
- Sport
- Exploration of sport
Although the USA and USSR never went to war with each other, they supported ___ sides in wars in other parts of the world. In some cases, they got involved in this fighting (e.g. the USA in ___).
Opposing
Vietnam
How did the USA and USSR in foreign affairs often intervene?
They often intervened by supplying military and other forms of aid to their allies and in this way used their power to influence more vulnerable states.
Which type of countries did the Cold War effect in Africa?
Newly independent
How did the Cold War affect South Africa?
The USA and its allies gave some support to the Apartheid government because it was anti-communist, while the liberation movements obtained some backing from the USSR and its allies.
How did China complicate the Cold War?
China rose to power under communist rule in 1949. At first, China formed an alliance with the USSR in the Cold War, but in the 1960s this came to an end and China became a major power in its own right.
How and when did the Cold War end?
It finally came to an end with the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
