Written Reaponses Flashcards
- How/why did the Cold War begin?
The start of the cold war can be traced back to the end of World War II. Although the United States and the Soviet Union were allies throughout the war, their contrasting views at the end of World War II lead to a clash of interests. Their ideological clash stems from their opposing views on capitalism and communism, as both parties sought to expand their influence over neighboring countries. The western world started to dislike communism since they feared its inevitable expansion, inventing the domino theory and establishing the foreign policy: Truman doctrine. In addition, the creation of nuclear weapons in the arms race only increased tensions.
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- Who was responsible for escalating the Cold War?
I believe that the Truman doctrine and the founding of NATO were responsible for the escalation of the Cold War. The Truman doctrine escalated the Cold War by involving the United States in conflicts that did not necessarily involve their country as they feared communism around the world. NATO was formed to confront the Warsaw Pact, as the Warsaw Pact was formed to battle capitalism in Eastern Europe, while NATO’s call was to fight against the communist Soviet Union; their ideologies were entirely opposite, and they sought to annihilate each other should conflict break out.
- What were the causes of the Korean War?
The reasons for the Korean War began with after World War II. Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with the Soviet Union in the north and the United States in the south, resulting in a conflict of ideologies between communism and capitalism. North Korea then invaded South Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China which prompted the beginning of war. The invasion, which attempted to unite the peninsula under communist control, sparked a series of conflicts as North Korea fought to impose its political views on South Korea, while South Korea fought back.
- What were the effects of the Korean War?
The causes of the Korean War resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and left both North and South Korea destroyed, which required extensive postwar reconstruction. Furthermore, it resulted in the creation of the Korean demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel, a barrier dividing the two and solidifying the Cold War separation between the two nations, with the north being communist and the south being capitalist.
- How did the Cold War affect United States foreign and domestic policy
The Cold War affected US foreign policy by establishing a policy of containment in order to isolate and contain the growth of communism. This resulted in the United States’ involvement in the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as their participation in the arms race. The Cold War had an impact on the economy because it led to the government spending money on military defense and expansion in order to counter a potential Soviet Union attack, as well as to keep up in all the wars they participated in to prevent the spread of communism.
- What were the causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The Cuban missile was caused by a combination of factors involved in the United States, the Soviet Union in Cuba. Nikita Krishchev and Fidel Castro came to a secret agreement that the Soviet Union would place their missiles in Cuba, to deter the US from invading even though they were not allowed to send middles to Cuba. Eventually US U-2 spy planes were sent to Cuba and took photo evidence of nuclear weapons being constructed in cuba. After a US U-2 jet was shot down over Cuba and Kennedy prepared an attack on Cuba while the two nations tried to search for any possible agreement a member of the US government eventually secretly met up with a member of the Cuban government to which they came to an agreement, thus preventing a potential nuclear war.
- What were the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Following the Cuban middle crisis, the Soviet Union removed all of its nuclear weapons from Cuba and, later, American missiles from Turkey, as well as boosting John F. Kennedy’s image as president and Nikita Khrushchev looks weak and was eventually removed from power.
- What were the causes of the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War was caused by the attempt to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government, as well as the prolonged struggle between communist forces (Soviet Union, China, and other communist states) and the United States (and other anti-communist allies), as well as the struggle for independence and self-determination by the Vietnamese people as they were colonised by the French during the nineteenth century.
- What were the effects of the Vietnam War?
• South Vietnam falls
• US lost
• Anti-war movement in the US
• Draft-dodgers
• Contributing factor to the period of détente during the Cold War
- How did the “domino theory” inform United Sates foreign policy in Asia?
• The US felt it had to intervene in Vietnam and Korea to stop the spread of communism to neighbouring countries
• Intervened in other East Asian countries as well
- What moves did the USA and the USSR make towards détente during the Cold War period?
• Arms limitation treaties
o Nuclear non-proliferation
o Anti-ballistic missile
• Khrushchev visits the US
- What effect did Reagan and Gorbachev have on the Cold War?
• Reagan
o Deeply anti-communist
o Wanted to confront USSR from a position of strength
▪ Increased military spending by 40% in his first 3 years in office
▪ Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”)
o Intervention in Latin America in Nicaragua and Grenada
▪ Reagan Doctrine – Deliberate use of US military and economic power to stop the spread of communism in Latin America
o Contributed to the end the period of détente and increased tensions in the Cold War
• Gorbachev
o Wanted to reform the Soviet Union from within the communist system
o 2 main policies:
▪ Glasnost – openness. Glasnost relaxed censorship, opened communication channels including lifting the ban on Western broadcasting, allowed free elections to the Supreme Soviet which resulted in the communist officials being swept out of office and as a side effect, encouraged the formation of opposition groups critical of the government.
▪ Perestroika – economic restructuring. It allowed more independent actions from various ministries and introduced many market-like reforms.
o Perestroika backfired and resulted in reduced productivity
o Glasnost resulted in the formation of opposition groups
o Gorbachev did not crack down on Soviet satellites moving toward independence
o Ended arms race
o Contributed massively to the fall of the Soviet Union
- Why did the Soviet Union collapse?
• Perestroika backfired and resulted in reduced productivity which resulted in civil unrest.
• Glasnost resulted in the formation of opposition groups critical of the government and encouraged Soviet satellites to become independent.
• Economic troubles
• The USSR’s troubles caused satellite states to start asserting independence
• Gorbachev did not crack down on Soviet satellites moving toward independence
• Communists were voted or forcibly removed from governments
• Weakness in the central government and a flood of nationalism in the Soviet satellite states caused by the failed Moscow coup
- How did the Cold War end?
• USSR undergoes economic and social issues
• Soviet satellite states interpret it as the end of the Soviet system and asset their independence
• Gorbachev doesn’t send in troops
• The Berlin Wall falls
• The Moscow Coup occurs but fails and Yeltsin becomes the people’s hero
• The coup exposes weakness in the central government and results a flood of nationalism in the Soviet satellite states
• Most Soviet satellite states declare independence by the end of August 1991
• In December 1991, Yeltsin meets with the former leaders of U of Ukraine and Belarus and announces that the USSR no longer exists
• On January 1, 1992, the USSR is formally dissolved
