The Cold War: Overview Flashcards
(34 cards)
1
Q
What was Deutscher’s Great Contest?
A
- After 1917, USA and USSR were operating different economic and social structures.
- This would lead to hostile relations.
- Foreign policy is an extension of Domestic policy.
- USSR = weak economy after WWI. They were not a threat until 1928.
2
Q
Who was to blame for the beginning of the Cold War?
A
- Orthodox (Until 1960s): Soviet expansionism
- Revisionist (60s and 70s): US Imperialism
3
Q
Yalta Conference
A
- February 1945
- Democratic processes in Europe
- Promoting Economic recovery
- Pursuing anti-Nazi policies
- Helping liberated countries establish provisional governments.
- Germany into 4
- Reparations
- Trials of War Crimes
- Poland
4
Q
The Potsdam Agreement
A
(The five ‘Ds’)
- Denazification
- Democratisation
- Demilitarisation
- Decentralisation
- Decartelisation (Free Market Economy) - Reparations set at $20b
5
Q
The Breakdown of the Alliance
A
- Death of FDR (April 1945) and Churchill not re-elected
- Only US President Stalin trusted - America dropping Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
6
Q
What were the origins of the Korean War?
A
- Divided Korea along the 38th parallel
- North: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
- Backed by the USSR and China - South: Republic of Korea (ROK)
- Backed by the USA - GOAL: Destruction of the other
- North invades South (25 June 1950)
- USSR believed USA would not react - Acheson’s ‘Defensive Perimeter’ Speech.
7
Q
Why was the USSR assumption that the USA wouldn’t react a wrong one?
A
- It goes against the American policy of Containment
- Berlin Blockade and subsequent airlift - USA not giving into communist aggression.
- UN mission (led by USA) to support South Korea
- Not giving communists leeway
- Containment
8
Q
Where the UN right to go to war in Korea?
A
YES: - Defending of South Korea - Democracy NO: - Internal conflict - US manipulation of UN.
9
Q
End of the Korean War
A
- 1951: becomes clear that neither side will win, peace talks begin.
- War doesn’t actually end until 1953.
- Countries were weary of war
10
Q
What were the implications of the Korean War?
A
- Containment had been succesful - forces of communism were contained.
- USA foreign policy became less Euro-centric after Korean War.
- Didn’t put an end to communism in the north or the region (Vietnam)
- Strenghtened US commitment to the region.
- 1954: South-East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) formed to stop communist gains.
- Brough USSR and PRC closer together.
- Exasperated tensions between USA and USSR
11
Q
What was the Geneva conference?
A
- July 1955
- First meeting between USA and USSR leaders since Potsdam.
- Soviets proposed and USA accepted.
- Discussed issues such as Germany and Nuclear Weapons
- No agreement but friendly atmosphere
- Realisation of those present that none wanted war.
- MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) - Geneva Accords
12
Q
What was agreed in the Geneva Accords
A
- A “provisional military demarcation line” running approximately along the 17th Parallel.
- A 3 miles (4.8 km) wide demilitarized zone on each side of the demarcation line
- French Union forces to regroup to the south of the line and Viet Minh to the north
- Free movement of the population between the zone for three hundred days
- Neither zone to join any military alliance or seek military reinforcement.
13
Q
What was Khrushchev’s Secret Speech
A
- A speech that criticised the reign of Joseph Stalin.
- Especially the purges that were used by Stalin
- An attempt to draw the Soviet Communist Party closer to Leninism.
- Served as an ulterior motive to K who used it as a means to consolidate power within the communist party.
14
Q
Result of the ‘Secret Speech’
A
- Poland:
- Riots by factory workers in Poznan (1956)
- Also due to increased production quotas
- Polish engaged in reform and liberalisation
- Gomulka - Communist who favoured reform
- Inspired Hungary - Hungary:
- October 1956: 50,000 students demonstrate against Communist rule outside Polish embassy in Budapest
- Nagy’s Government was accepted
- Dulles congratulated the Hungarians for challenging the Red Army and the US promised financial aid.
15
Q
Causes of the Sino-Soviet Split.
A
- Soviet aid was a loan not a gift, and the USSR charged interest.
- China took out high interest loans to pay for Soviet advisors.
- Stalin disagreed with Mao that a Proletarian revolution could be peasant-based.
- USSR was critical of the Great Leap Forward and later the cultural revolution.
- China accussed the USSR under Khrushchev of perverting Socialism.
- USSR accussed Mao of perverting distorting Marxism to fit with China’s peasant society.
- Mao felt Stalin disrepsected him and the Chinese guests during his stay in 1950.
- When Krushchev visited Mao, they were put in a hotel with no air conditioning.
- Mao was referred to as an ‘Asian Hitler’ and a ‘living corpse’ while Khrushchev was called a ‘redundant old boot’.
- Mao blamed de-Stalinization for unrest in Eastern Europe.
16
Q
Détente and the USA
A
- The main reason for following a period of Détente was the Vietnam war.
- Growing awareness of the dangers of Nuclear War
- The USSR were starting to achieve some parity with the USA. - Nixon, although a hardline anti-communist, believed that Vietnam was having a negative effect on the USA maintaining its superiority over the USSR.
- American public wanted out as well, Ecomomy beginning to decline.
17
Q
Détente and the USSR
A
- Complelling economic reasons
- Stagnation
- Soviet spending on keeping up with the USA
18
Q
Triangular Diplomacy
A
- USA, USSR and China
- USA plays China and USSR off of each other
19
Q
The Berlin Wall
A
- Khrushchev proposes a peace treaty (November 27 1958)
- France, Britain and USA (+USSR)
- Recognise the two states, East and West while Berlin was a free city
- Taken by the Americans as K wanting to integrate Belin in to East. - Mass emigration from East to West.
- By 1961, 2.7m East Germans had emigrated - August 12-13: East Germans erected the Berlin Wall
- “… the wall was the only remaining option.” - Khrushchev
- Stand off between USA + USSR after USA threatened to bulldoze part of the wall.
- Tank vs Tank
- Khrushchev tested the USA and was right in suggesting the USA would not go to war over Germany.
20
Q
Détente in Europe
A
- 1968: Prague Spring - Stability
- Ostpolitik: Eastern Policy
- Moscow Treaty:
- 1970
- Formally ended WWII
- Confirmed division of Germany
- Change of Polish Territory - Final Quadripartite Protocol:
- 1972
- USSR accepted West Germany’s links with West Berlin - Basic Treaty
- 1972
- W. Germany recognises E. Germany as a seperate nation but also aimed to establish closer links - Helsinki Accords:
- 1975
- Aims:
- USSR aim = recognise dominant power in E. Europe and Acceptance of status quo
- USA aim = Borders and Human Rights
- Recognized inviolable border of Europe
- Cooperation - called for closer ties
- Human Rights: Freedom of information, freedom of travel.
21
Q
SALT treaties
A
- Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty
- 1972 + 1979
- Limited the number of Nuclear Arms a country could have.
22
Q
Iranian Hostage Crisis
A
- November 4 1979 - January 20, 1981
- Islamic militants occupied US embassy.
- Held US diplomats and families hostage
- Carter refused to negotiate with militants
- Growing US impatience
- Disastorous rescue mission - Hostages released after 444 days
23
Q
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
A
- 1978: Afghan government overthrwon by the Communist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan
- Negative public opinion
- Many joined the rival Mujahideen
- Guerilla Movement on a holy mission sent by Allah. - December 1979: Brezhnev sends troops to support the Communist government
24
Q
The Cold War became less confrontational after 1970.
A
- Helsinki Accords (1975)
- Ostpolitik (1970s)
- Willy Brandt - SALT I+II
- Basic Treaty
- Final Quadripartite
25
The Cold War did not become less confrontational after 1970.
- Sino-Soviet relations
- Violation of Human Rights
- Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- Rise of the Neo-Conservatives
- Brezhnev's Africa
- Iranian Hostage Crisis
26
End of Détente
- Brezhnev's ill health
- Lack of leadership
- Slow
- Helsinki Accords
- Human Rights
- New scramble for Africa
- Rise of Neo-Cons
- Lance vs Brezinski
- Carter vs Electorate
- Plan B
27
Economic problems in the USSR
- Went into stagnation in 1975.
- Inefficiencies of command economy
- State controlled economy
- Technologically backward
- Corruption and the Blackmarket
- False reports increased inefficiencies
- Poor living standards
- 1980: Only 9% of Soviets owned Cars
28
Communism in USSR in 1980s
- Politically confused
- Alcoholism
- Decreased living conditions and life expectancy
- Increased infant mortality
- Large punishments for small crimes.
29
Ronald Reagan
- Lected November 1980
- Inauguarated January 1981
- Anti-Communism
- Critical of detente
- "Isn't that what a farmer has with his turkey - until thanksgiving day"
- Increased Military spending on unprecedented scale
- Maintain and increase American supremacy
- Very popular with US public
30
Reagan's Foreign Policy
- Massive increase in Arms spending
- SDI: "Star Wars"
- Anti-Ballistic misile system in Space
- Huge cost ($60bn)
- Could/would the USSR compete
- Reagan Doctrine
- Assisting anti-communist governments
- And anti-communist rebels
- Ensure USSR faced great costs to support friendly regimes or communist insurgents
- (US increase arms, therefore USSR would have to increase)
- CND: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
31
Why did the Cold War return in the early 1980s.
- The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 re-opended the Cold War.
- They invaded to put in place a pro-Soviet government under Babrak Karmal.
- This was against the wishes of several Islamic guerilla groups and soon led to a war between them and the Soviet troops.
- President Carter boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 in protest.
- This new Cold War became even 'chillier' when Reagan became President in 1981. Reagan supplied the Islamic groups with money and weapons - including Bin Laden.
- The war lasted until 1989 when the Soviet forces withdrew, after losing 20,000 men.
32
Why was the USSR so keen to end the Cold War?
- In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR (aged 54).
- USSR could not continue to pay 25% of their GDP on weapons.
- Compared to the USA who only spent 3%
- The war in Afghanistan could not be won and was very expensive.
- The standard of living in USSR was very low.
- In the 1980s 10,000 Soviet-made TVs exploded killing 1000 people.
- The USSR depended on Western grain imports
- Paid for in Western currency
- Military spending and Cold War tension had to be reduced so that industry could concentrate on consumer goods.
33
The end of the Cold War
- Gorbachev met Reagan in Washington in 1987.
- INF (Intermediate Nuclear Force) Treaty agreed to destroy all intermdiate range nuclear weapons.
- Followed by START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement with George Bush in 1991 to reduce stocks of long range nuclear weapons.
- Gorbachev was extremely popular in the West. He was the man to end the Cold War.
- He was also very popular in Eastern Europe as the man who let them break free from the Soviet Union.
- Only in the USSR was he less popular because his policy of Perestroika failed to
34
The end of Communism
- Gorbachev's new ideas backfired on him. Perestroika meant that the USSR had a real choice of quality goods
- The prices were high and for the first time there was unemployment
- The various states which made up the USSR demanded their independence: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
- Yeltsin (leader of Russia) wanted nothing to do with Communism or Gorbachev.
- 1991: Communist army generals try to get rid of Yeltsin but most of the army stayed loyal to Yeltsin.
- Yeltsin banned the communist party.
