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The Cold War Flashcards

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1
Q

What was the policy of containment

A

The policy of containment was aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders.

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2
Q

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan

A

The purpose of the Marshall Plan was to provide economic assistance to help rebuild European economies after World War II.

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3
Q

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis

A

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation in 1962 over Soviet missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing the USA and USSR close to nuclear war.

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4
Q

What was the Berlin Wall

A

The Berlin Wall symbolized the division between East and West during the Cold War and the physical barrier between communist and capitalist ideologies.

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5
Q

What and who were the superpowers

A

A country that holds a dominant and influential position in the world because of having a stronger military and larger economy, they were the USA and USSR

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6
Q

What was a proxy war

A

A conflict where major powers support opposing sides in a smaller conflict, without directly fighting each other.

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7
Q

What are Capitalists

A

An economic system where businesses and resources are privately owned, with the goal of making a profit.

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8
Q

What is communism

A

A political and economic system where the government controls everything – like factories, land, and resources – for the benefit of all, with no private ownership

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9
Q

What was the result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

A

The USSR and the Western Allies relationship returned to mutual suspicion and mistrust.

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10
Q

What caused Japan to surrender and the Second World War to end

A

Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (which was three days later) in 1945

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11
Q

What was the ‘long telegram’

A

An 8,000-word message sent by George Kennan, a US diplomat in Moscow, to the US State Department in 1946, which detailed his views on the Soviet Union and the nature of Stalin’s foreign policy.

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12
Q

What was the Iron curtain

A

The political and ideological barrier that separated communist Eastern Europe from capitalist Western Europe

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13
Q

What was the Truman Doctrine

A

An American policy. Its aim was to stop the spread of communism. This was achieved by helping any country threatened by communism , eg: economic aid was sent to Greece and Turkey, which was under threat from Communism

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14
Q

What was Cominform

A

An organisation created by the Soviet Union in 1947 to strengthen communist parties across Europe and to coordinate their activities

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15
Q

What were the Marshall plans aims

A
  1. Create a market for American goods to benefit the US economy
  2. Aid economic recovery in Europe to making communism less appealing
  3. Promote unity in Europe to halt the spread of communism
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16
Q

What was the Marshall Plan

A

A US program offering financial aid to Western European countries after World War II, aiming to rebuild their economies and prevent the spread of communism

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17
Q

What was the result of the Marshall Plan

A

It successfully rebuilt Western Europe, but it also significantly deepened the Cold War divide

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18
Q

What was Comecon

A

Comecon was Stalin’s response to the US’s Marshall Plan. It’s aim was to provide economic aid and an attempt at deterring countries away from Marshall Aid.

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19
Q

Why was Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform

A

Because the leader Tito defied Stalin and took Marshall Aid from the US, as a result they became a totally independent country

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20
Q

What was the Berlin Blockade

A

When the Soviet Union cut off all land and water access to West Berlin in 1948, aiming to force the Western Allies to abandon the city.

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21
Q

What was NATO and why was it formed

A

the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was formed in 1949, 12 countries signed it to agree that one attack on one member would be considered an attack on all. It was formed to provide collective security, especially against the Soviet Union

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22
Q

What was the Berlin Airlift

A

When the Western Allies, primarily the US and UK, flew supplies into West Berlin to counter the Soviet Union’s blockade of the city

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23
Q

Why did the Chinese Revolution cause concern

A

Because there was a potential threat of communism in the highest populated country in the world, and there were tensions and anxieties about the spread of communism globally because of this

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24
Q

When did China and the USSR sign the Treaty of Friendship

A

Feb 1950

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25
What was the Treaty of Friendship
A treaty that establishes or solidifies close relations between countries
26
Why did the relationship between the Soviets and China begin to deteriorate
Differing ideological views and a growing sense of competition between the two, and the USSR's leader, Khrushchev, wanted a peaceful coexistence with the West, while Mao Zedong wanted continued confrontation
27
Why did war break out between North and South Korea
Because of the division of Korea following World War II and the political and ideological differences/tensions between the North and South leaders.
28
Why did America get involved with the Korean War
They were motivated by the policy of containment and the fear of communist expansion, so they intervened in support of South Korea after the North invaded
29
How did the Soviets get involved with the Korean War
Soviet Union, while not directly involved in the military conflict, supported North Korea through the providence of weapons
30
What were the consequences of the Korean War
For the US, it led to formation of anti-communist alliances, and increased tensions with the Soviets
31
What was Vietcong
A South Vietnamese communist guerrilla force that fought against the South Vietnamese government and its US allies during the Vietnam War. They were supported and supplied by North Vietnam.
32
Why did the Americans involvement in Vietnam escalate in 1963
Due to the increasing instability in South Vietnam, the growing communist threat, and the failure of the Diem government.
33
What was the Warsaw Pact
A military alliance of communist countries, primarily formed to counter NATO and the threat of Western influence in Eastern Europe
34
What was De-Stalinisation
It was initiated through Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" at the Twentieth Communist Party, in 1956, in which he criticised Stalin and suggested a peaceful approach.
35
Who launched the first manmade satellite
The Soviets in 1957 sent Sputnik into orbit, it was a huge victory as the US always seemed to be one step ahead in technology
36
Who was the first man in space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, in 1961
37
Who was the first man on the moon
Neil Armstrong in 1969
38
Why was there a space race
It was fuelled by a desire for technological and political superiority during the Cold War.
39
How did the space race implement tension between the US and Soviets
US feared the Soviets could launch nuclear missiles in the same way as rockets
40
What was the arms race
A period of intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, focused on building up military forces, particularly nuclear weapons
41
When was the most powerful bomb detonated
On October 30 1961 by the Soviets
42
What was Mutually Assured Destruction
A full-scale nuclear attack by one superpower would be met with a response attack by the other, resulting in the complete destruction of both
43
What was Brinkmanship
A practise of trying to deliberately push dangerous situations to the brink of conflict to achieve a desired outcome
44
When did tensions reach its height
1961, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, politicians believed nuclear war was more likely than not
45
What was the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
A campaign in Britain which organised marches and protests against the power bombs, By 1960 their message was spread across Europe and was known as 'ban the bomb', they called for unilateral disarmament so Britain would give up their nuclear weapons in hopes that it would encourage others to do the same.
46
What did Kennedy and Khrushchev do to avoid possible nuclear war in the future
1. Introduced a direct phone line between the White House and the Kremlin (the 'hotline') 2. Agreed to a Partial Test Ban Treaty which placed limits on nuclear tests
47
Why was there an Hungarian Uprising in 1956
The uprising was sparked by widespread discontent with the Soviet-imposed communist regime
48
What did students do to protest in Hungary
They took to the streets, demanded various reforms, including the withdrawal of Soviet troops and a more independent government
49
How did Nagy compromise with the Hungary protesters
By implementing changes that addressed their core demands, including free elections, greater independence from Soviet control, the withdrawal of Soviet troops and Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.
50
What was the Soviet response to the Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact
The Soviet response in 1956 was a brutal military intervention. Thousands of Soviet troops and tanks were deployed to crush the uprising, leading to the arrest and execution of Imre Nagy
51
Who was the new leader after Nagy's death
Janos Kadar, a loyal communist
52
What was the American's response to the Hungarian Uprising
United States' response to the 1956 Hungarian uprising was to not get involved and provided limited support for Hungarian refugees.
53
What was McCarthyism
Refers to the practice of publicly accusing people of disloyalty with little or no evidence
54
What happened to the U2 plane
1960 incident where a US U2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over the Soviet Union.
55
What did the shooting down on the U2 plane trigger
Triggered a major international crisis and led to the collapse of a planned summit conference between the US and USSR.
56
Why was the Paris summit planned in 1960
To address the growing tensions of the Cold War, particularly focusing on nuclear weapons, the status of Berlin, and the situation in Cuba
57
What was the result of the Paris Peace Summit
Khrushchev walked out of the summit in protest, and the summit ultimately failed to resolve any major issues
58
Why were East Berliners defecting to West Berlin
Because the West had more freedom and luxury goods
59
When was the Berlin Wall implemented
13 August 1961
60
What did the Berlin Wall stop the East Berliners doing
It prevented East Germans from escaping to the West, stopped further Western influence in the East
61
Why was the Berlin Wall built
To maintain the communist regime's control over its citizens
62
What was Kennedy's response to the Berlin Wall
A mix of concern and a strategic decision to avoid a direct military confrontation.
63
What was Checkpoint Charlie
Border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War
64
What did Kennedy address in his speech about the Berlin Wall in 1963
He outlined his belief about the evils of communism and the need to protect West Berlin, proclaiming, 'Ich bin ein Berliner' ('I am a Berliner')
65
What was the Bay of Pigs
A failed attempt by the United States, in April 1961, to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist government in Cuba
66
When did the Bay of pigs occur
1961
67
How did the Bay of Pigs fail
Due to poor planning, lack of US air support, and the CIA's misjudgment of Castro's strength and the Cuban public's support for him
68
What was the Brezhnev doctrine
the right that Soviet Union were allowed to intervene in the affairs of other socialist countries if their communist governments were deemed to be threatened
69
In Czech, who replaced Novotny in 1968
Alexander Dubcek
70
What new reforms did Dubcek create in Czech
1. Removed state controls on industry allowing Czechs to run their own businesses 2. Allowed public meetings and freedom of speech 3. Ended press censorship 4. Gave Czechs the right to visit non communist countries
71
What was the ‘Prague Springs’
A brief period of political liberalisation in Czechoslovakia in 1968, led by Alexander Dubček, who promised "socialism with a human face."
72
What led to the Soviets invading Czech in 1968
The invasion was driven by the Soviet fear of losing control over the Eastern Bloc and the spread of liberal reforms in Czechoslovakia
73
What was the communist response to the invasion Czech
Some communist parties in Western Europe and China experienced protests and many Europeans saw the attack as a betrayal of communism
74
What was the American response to the attack on Czech
US condemned the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 but offered no military assistance. This lack of action was largely due to US involvement in the Vietnam War
75
What was Detente
A reduction in tensions and an attempt to improve relations between the United States and the Soviet Union
76
What were the reasons for detente
1. The china and soviet spilt 2. Nuclear issue 3. Lesson of conflict 4. Economic issue

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