Post Detente and end of Cold War Flashcards
(167 cards)
1
Q
When was the Shah of Iran overthrown and Israel became an Islamic Republic?
A
1979
2
Q
When the US Embassy was attacked, how many American diplomats were taken hostage?
A
52
3
Q
How long were the American diplomats held during the Iranian Hostage Crisis?
A
444 days
4
Q
When was Operation Eagle Claw?
A
1980
5
Q
What was Operation Eagle Claw?
A
An unsuccessful attempt to rescue the hostages from the Iranian Hostage Crisis. There were 6 helicopters and 1 plane. they were forced to make an emergency landing outside Tehran due to a sandstorm. 2 helicopters broke down and the mission was abandoned. As they were taking off, one of the helicopters crashed into the plane killing 8 soldiers
6
Q
What was the outcome of the Iranian Hostage Crisis?
A
There was a feeling the USA needed to get tougher and the hard-line anti-Communist, Reagan was elected in 1980
7
Q
Why was the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan important?
A
- Ends Detente
- Puts pressure on the Soviet economy, which ultimately collapses
- War gave birth to the Islamic Extremist, Osama Bin Laden, who travelled to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets.
8
Q
When was the dictator of Afghanistan overthrown in a military coup by communist army officers?
A
April 1978
9
Q
Who was the leader of Afghanistan between April 1978 and September 1979?
A
Taraki
10
Q
What did Taraki’s new government do?
A
Cancelled poor farmers’ debts and decreased the power of landowning elites
11
Q
What did secularisation in Afghanistan entail?
A
Allowed women to wear what they wanted
Allowed girls to go to school
Gave ethnic minorities equal rights
12
Q
A civil war broke out between the new communist government and conservative tribes outside of the city. Which city was that?
A
Kabul
13
Q
By which year did it look like the communist government would be overthrown?
A
1969
14
Q
There was another coup in Afghanistan. Who emerged as leader?
A
Amin
15
Q
When was Amin leader?
A
September 1979 to December 1979
16
Q
Amin was a communist. So why did the USSR not support him?
A
They feared he would ally himself with Pakistan, who was allied with the USA
17
Q
Between the 24th and 27th December 1979, how many soldiers did the Soviets fly into Kabul?
A
50000
18
Q
What happened on the 27th December 1979?
A
The presidential palace was stormed and Amin killed
19
Q
Who was made president after Amin?
A
Kamal
20
Q
What did the Afghans (mostly conservative muslims) call the soviets?
A
‘godless foreigners’
21
Q
A holy war was called to fight the soviets. What were the soldiers called?
A
The mujahadeen (soldiers of God)
22
Q
Why was Afghanistan difficult to control?
A
There were few roads and you had to travel everywhere by helicopter
23
Q
By 1982, how many soviet soldiers were being killed per year in Afghanistan?
A
2000
24
Q
By 1985, how many soldiers has died in Afghanistan?
A
8000
25
When did Brezhnev first present the Brezhnev Doctrine?
August 3rd 1968
26
What was the US's response to the soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
Funded the Mujahadeen via Pakistan
Supplied advanced equipment such as stinger missiles
27
Which year did the US boycott the Olympics and the UK only compete under the Olympic flag?
1980
28
Why was Poland important?
It was the largest Warsaw Pact country outside of the USSR
It provided 1/3 of the troops to the Warsaw Pact
29
What happened to the Polish economy in 1979?
It shrunk for the first time since 1945
30
What happened in August 1980 (Solidarity)?
An illegal strike broke out at GDANSK SHIPYARD led by an electrician called LECH WALESA, demanding economic and social refom. It was encouraged by RADIO FREE EUROPE.
31
By when were workers across Northern Poland on strike?
December
32
Why were the strikes illegal?
In communism, you can't form a trade union
33
The strikers formed a trade union called solidarity. They made demands, which the government gave into, fearing a rebellion. What were their demands?
- The right to strike
- Workers to be paid if they are on strike
- A reduction in the retirement age
34
Between Autumn 1980 and the end of 1981, how many people joined Solidarity? What percentage of the Polish workforce was this?
9 million people
80% of the workforce
35
What happened after a solidarity member was beaten up by the police?
12 million people went on a warning strike that lasted 4 days, forcing the communist party to launch an investigation into the beatings
36
By when was the polish communist party on the verge of losing control of Poland?
the end of 1981
37
When did Solidarity threaten a general strike if the government tried to make Solidarity illegal?
December 1981
38
When did the Pope John Paul II become Pope?
1978
39
What was Pope John Paul II called before he became Pope?
Karol Wojtya, Archbishop of Krakow
40
Why was Solidarity so successful?
Pope John Paul II actively supported it
41
When does the USSR consider invading Poland to get rid of Solidarity?
December 1980
42
When is Martial Law declared in Poland?
December 1981
43
What is Martial Law?
the suspension of civilian government
44
How many solidarity members were arrested?
5,000
45
How many strikers did the army kill at a coal mine?
9
46
How many were killed when the army opened fire on demonstrators in Gdansk?
1
47
When was Solidarity made illegal?
October 1982
48
How much money did the US give Solidarity each year?
$50 million
49
When was Lech Walesa released from prison?
1983
50
Despite being illegal, how many members did solidarity have?
7000
51
How many different newspapers did Solidarity publish?
500
52
What were Reagan's jobs before he became president?
actor and Governor of California
53
What was Reagan famous for?
His sunny disposition
54
What did Reagan call the USSR?
The Evil Empire
55
What was Reagan's plan?
Borrow trillions to start a new arms race, spending more on defence than the USSR could afford to compete with due to its crumbling economy.
56
How much did Reagan increase defence spending by?
43%
57
How much was the US spending on defence in 1980?
$134 billion
58
How much was the US spending on defence in 1989?
$253 billion
59
What percentage of its GDP was the US spending on defence by 1989?
7%
60
How much was the US spending on defence research in 1980?
$71 billion
61
How much was the US spending on defence research in 1981?
$147 billion
62
What was another name for Star Wars?
The Strategic Defence Initiative
63
What was Star Wars?
A hugely ambitious plan to create a nuclear defence system that fired lasers from satellites in space
64
When was Star Wars first publically announced?
1983
65
How much was spent on developing Star Wars?
more than $200 billion
66
When was Star Wars replaced with Brilliant Pebbles?
1987
67
Why was Star Wars scrapped?
The technology needed for it to work was 'decades away' from being produced
68
What was the difference between Brilliant Pebbles and Star Wars?
It fired rockets instead of lasers
69
When was Brilliant Pebbles scrapped?
1993
70
How much was spent on developing brilliant pebbles?
$25 billion
71
By 1989, how much money was the USSR spending on defence?
$128 billion
72
By 1989, what percentage of its GDP was the USSR spending on defence?
27%
73
When was Operation Able Archer?
1983
74
What was Operation Able Archer?
Nato carried out a huge 'war game' in Western Europe
75
What did the USSR think Operation Able Archer was and what did they consider doing in response?
Cover for a pre-emptive attack on the USSR and considered launching a preemptive nuclear strike in the run up to the war game
76
Which period of time was dubbed the new cold war?
1981-1983
77
When did the USSR boycott the US Olympics?
1980 and 1984
78
What was shot down in 1983 and why?
A Korean Airlines flight from New York to Seoul when it strayed into Soviet airspace. The soviets accused the americans of using civilian planes to photograph military bases (they probably were)
79
How many were killed in the shooting down of the Korean Airlines flight in 1983?
269 civilians. There were no survivors.
80
When did the Soviets deploy the new SS-20 missiles in Eastern Europe?
1976
81
What did the US promise to do in response to the Soviet deployment of SS-20 missiles?
To deploy Pershing missiles by 1983
82
When did the US deploy Pershing missiles to Western Europe despite the soviets believing they wouldn't due to political opposition in Europe?
Between 1984 and 1987
83
When did Brezhnev suffer his first heart attack and why?
1975 because he was a heavy smoker and drinker
84
What did Brezhnev suffer between 1975 and 1982?
Jaw cancer, leukemia and severe heart problems
85
What happened to Brezhnev in May 1982?
He suffered a major stroke but refused to step down
86
When did Brezhnev die and how old was he?
November 1982 aged 75
87
Who replaced Brezhnev and how old was he?
Yuri Andropov, aged 68
88
How long was Andropov leader before his kidneys failed and how long did he spend in hospital as a result?
4 months
1 year
89
When did Andropov die?
February 1984
90
Who replaced Andropov and how old was he?
Konstantin Chernenko, aged 73
91
What previous ailments did Chernenko have when he became premier in February 1984?
He already had lung cancer and was unable to walk after suffering a massive stroke in 1983
92
When did Chernenko die?
March 1985
93
By 1984, what percentage of the US's GNP was the entire Soviet GNP?
52%
94
By 1984, what percentage of the US's GNP per worker was the Soviet's total GNP per worker?
37%
95
Why was the Soviet economy not productive?
It was impossible to get fired from your job
96
By the 1970s, what fraction of the Soviet government's revenue was from alcohol sales?
1/3
97
How much shorter was the life expectancy in the USSR than the USA?
12 years
98
Why was the soviet diet poor?
It was impossible to get fruits and vegetables out of season
99
When did the Chernobyl nuclear plant explode?
1986
100
How many people had to be permanently evacuated from Chernobyl?
350,000
101
How much money was spent on the cleanup of Chernobyl?
17 billion roubles
102
Between 1981 and 1989, how many Soviet submarines either sunk or had fatal fires on board?
5
103
Of the fires on soviet submarines, when was the deadliest and how many people died?
1989
42 sailors
104
By 1985, how many soviet soldiers were serving in Afghanistan?
302000
105
By 1985, how much was roughly the cost of the soviet-Afghan was per year?
$8 billion
106
How much do the Americans estimate they spent fighting the Soviet-Afghan War in total?
$50 billion
107
How much did the US spend funding the mujahadeen?
more than $20 billion
108
Between 1981 and 1987, how much did the the US give to Pakistan in military aid to fund the mujahadeen?
$3.2 billion
109
How much did the US give the mujahadeen directly in 1987?
$630 million
110
What was Operation Cyclone?
The American plan to fund the mujahadeen fighting the soviets
111
What was the Reagan Doctrine?
the u.s. would help anyone who was fighting communism in their country by giving them money.
112
Roughly how many men from the middle east travelled to Afghanistan to fight the 'holy war'?
30,000
113
When did Osama bin Laden travel to Afghanistan to fight?
1979
114
How many stinger missiles did the US give the mujahadeen in 1986?
Between 500 and 2000
115
How much did each stinger missile cost?
38,000
116
Between 1986 and 1989, how many soviet helicopters did the mujahadeen shoot down?
87
117
When did the Soviets start to withdraw from Afghanistan, claiming that they had won?
1987
118
When did the last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan?
1989
119
When did the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan fall?
1992
120
Who took over from the pro-Soviet government?
the mujahadeen
121
How much money did the US give the mujahadeen as late as 1991?
$200 million
122
How many soviets were killed in the Soviet-Afghan war?
14,000
123
What was the relationship between Glasnost and the Soviet Afghan war?
After Glasnost, the soviet public see what is actually happening in Afghanistan and it turns them against communism
124
When did Mikhail Gorbachev become leader and how old was he?
1985, aged 54
125
What are the problems facing the USSR when Gorbachev becomes leader?
1) An aggressive US president
2) A crippling arms race in which the USSR can't compete
3)A stagnant economy and poor living conditions in the USSR
4) An unwinnable and expensive war in Afghanistan
126
Who is Gorbachev similar to in his outlook and view on communism?
Dubcek
127
What is Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign?
It became illegal to buy alcohol after midnight (beer and wine don't count)
128
How much income per year did the USSR government lose as a result of the anti-alcohol campaign?
20 billion roubles
129
What does Perestroika mean?
Restructuring
130
What was Perestroika?
-The aim was to restructure the soviet economy to make it work better for Soviet citizens. The government would still be in charge of all major industries, but small, private businesses were allowed.
-An element of competition was introduced between different soviet ministries and different SSRs. They were in charge of their own import/ export policies.
-Foreign businessmen were allowed to set up joint ventures with elements of the USSR government.
131
Who were the Russian oligarchs?
People who started businesses and got rich under perestroika. e.g. Roman Abramovich and German Khan
132
What did Roman Abramovich sell and what is his current net worth?
Rubber ducks
$11.5 billion
133
What did German Khan sell and what is his current net worth?
T-shirts
$9.5 billion
134
What does SSR stand for?
Smaller Soviet Republic
135
Why was Perestroika a problem?
1) No-one in the soviet government knew how to run a capitalist economy
2) The infrastructure (i.e. tax collection) didn't exist to run a capitalist economy
3) The people who did well out of perestroika were often 'dodgy'
4) Many of the foreigners who invested in perestroika were also 'dodgy'
5) By 1990, the USSR's central government was losing control of the economy
136
What does Glasnost mean?
Openness
137
What was glasnost?
Gorbachev wanted the USSR's government to be more accountable and open to criticism from the public. As a result, censorship was eased and foreign news was allowed.
138
What were the issues with Glasnost between 1986 and 1989?
1) The soviet Afghan war
2) The failings of the USSR
3) The life of the soviet elite
139
Why was the Soviet Afghan War an issue for Glasnost?
Prior to glasnost, the soviet newspapers had claimed there was little fighting and the soldiers spent most of their time building schools and hospitals. After glasnost, soviet citizens saw the reality
140
Why were the failings of the USSR an issue for Glasnost?
The soviets has always been told that the USSR was perfect and the news was overwhelmingly positive. After glasnost, the citizens saw the failings of the system (e.g. Chernobyl)
141
Why was the life of the soviet elites a problem for Glasnost?
The news had always told the soviet citizens how humble and modest the leaders were. They learned this wasn't the case after glasnost
142
What was the outcome of Glasnost?
Glasnost did irreparable damage to the reputation of the Communist Party in the USSR. Glasnost spiraled out of control and the more freedoms people had, the more they demanded.
143
What was the 'Democratic Union'?
A new political organisation (legally not a party) created in 1988
144
How was religion affected by Glasnost?
Churches, mosques and synagogues were allowed to open
Religious books were allowed to be sold
145
What was the congress of Peoples' Deputies?
An elected parliament with no power set up after Glasnost
146
What percentage did the Communist party win in the congress?
87%, but a politburo member did lose to an independent
147
What was Article 6?
It gave the communist party a leading role in the USSR by default
148
When was Article 6 cancelled?
February 1990
149
What did Gorbachev do in December 1984?
When he was the heir-apparent to the USSR, he travelled to London to meet Margaret Thatcher (a close ally of Reagan)
150
What did Thatcher say about Gorbachev?
'He is a man I can do business with'
151
When was the Geneva Summit?
1985
152
What happened at the Geneva Summit 1985?
Reagan and Gorbachev got on and agreed to work together on the fields of science and culture. Reducing nuclear weapons was discussed.
153
When was the Reykjavik Summit?
1986
154
What happened at the Reykjavik Summit 1986?
Talks broke down at the last minute, but Reagan and Gorbachev got on well. They both seriously discussed banning nuclear weapons
155
When was the Washington Summit?
1987
156
What happened at the Washington Summit in 1987?
The INF Treaty was agreed
157
When was the INF treaty signed?
1988
158
What did the INF treaty do?
Eliminated all short and medium range land nuclear based missiles
159
As a result of the INF treaty, how many missiles had been destroyed by 1991?
2692
160
What happened with the INF treaty in 2018?
Donald Trump pulled out of the treaty
161
When was the Moscow Summit?
1988
162
What happened at the Moscow Summit 1988?
The INF Treaty was ratified. Other topics such as Africa and Central America (where the proxy wars were) were agreed on
163
When did Reagan call the USSR an Evil Empire?
1983
164
When did Reagan rescind calling the USSR an evil empire?
The Moscow Summit, 1988
165
What did Gorbachev say in his speech at the UN in December 1988?
Marxism-Leninism was not the key to ultimate truth
166
When was the Malta Summit?
1989
167
What happened at the Malta Summit, 1989?
George Bush met Gorbachev. Both declared they would not start a war with each other. Seen as the end of the Cold War.
