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Studyguide Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Realpolitik?

A

A pragmatic approach to politics prioritizing power and national interest over morals or ideology1.

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2
Q

Who is associated with the origin of Realpolitik?

A

Otto von Bismarck (19th-century German Chancellor)2.

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3
Q

What is Containment?

A

A U.S. Cold War strategy to prevent the spread of communism beyond its existing borders3.

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4
Q

Who formulated the Containment doctrine?

A

George Kennan in the “Long Telegram” (1946)4.

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5
Q

What is Détente?

A

A period of eased tensions between the U.S. and USSR (late 1960s–late 1970s) involving diplomacy and arms control5555.

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6
Q

What is the “Iron Curtain”?

A

A term coined by Winston Churchill symbolizing the ideological/physical division between the Soviet Bloc and Western democracies6.

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7
Q

What is the “Domino Effect”?

A

The theory that if one country falls to communism, neighbors will follow (used to justify Vietnam War)7.

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8
Q

What is Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)?

A

The doctrine that nuclear war would destroy both attacker and defender, deterring conflict8888.

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9
Q

What is a Proxy War?

A

A conflict where major powers support opposing sides instead of fighting directly (e.g., Vietnam, Angola)9.

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10
Q

What is the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)?

A

A coalition of developing states refusing to side with the U.S. or USSR, focusing on sovereignty10101010.

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11
Q

What is Realism in IR?

A

A theory viewing states as self-interested actors in an anarchic system, prioritizing power and security11.

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12
Q

What is Idealism in IR?

A

A theory emphasizing moral principles, cooperation, and international institutions for peace12121212.

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13
Q

What is “Triangular Diplomacy”?

A

Kissinger’s strategy to improve relations with both China and the USSR to exploit their rivalry13.

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14
Q

What is “Shuttle Diplomacy”?

A

A mediator traveling between conflicting parties who refuse to talk directly (e.g., Kissinger after Yom Kippur War)14141414.

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15
Q

What is the Brezhnev Doctrine?

A

Soviet policy asserting the right to intervene in socialist countries to protect communism (e.g., Prague Spring)15151515.

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16
Q

What is the Reagan Doctrine?

A

U.S. policy of supporting anti-communist insurgents to “roll back” Soviet influence16.

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17
Q

What is the “New World Order” (Kissinger)?

A

A post-Cold War concept emphasizing a multipolar balance of power and cooperation based on mutual interest17171717.

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18
Q

What is Joseph Nye’s “Power Transition”?

A

The shift of power between states, specifically from West to East (e.g., rise of China)18.

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19
Q

What is Joseph Nye’s “Power Diffusion”?

A

The movement of power from states to non-state actors (e.g., NGOs, terrorists) due to technology19191919.

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20
Q

What was the “Long Telegram”?

A

Kennan’s 1946 analysis stating the USSR was inherently expansionist and must be “contained”20.

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21
Q

What was the Marshall Plan?

A

A massive U.S. economic aid program (1948) to rebuild Europe and prevent communist spread21212121.

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22
Q

What caused the Berlin Blockade (1948)?

A

The Soviets blocked ground access to West Berlin after the West introduced a new currency22.

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23
Q

How did the West respond to the Berlin Blockade?

A

The Berlin Airlift: flying in food and fuel for nearly a year until the blockade was lifted23232323.

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24
Q

When was NATO established and why?

A

1949; a military alliance for collective defense against Soviet aggression24.

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25
When was the Warsaw Pact established and why?
1955; a Soviet military alliance formed in response to West Germany joining NATO25.
26
What was the Korean War (1950–1953)?
North Korea invaded South Korea; U.S./UN defended the South, China supported the North26262626.
27
Why was the 38th Parallel significant?
It was the arbitrary dividing line between North and South Korea chosen by junior U.S. officers27272727.
28
What was General MacArthur's strategy in Korea?
Aggressive offense; he wanted to push into China, which led to his dismissal by Truman28282828.
29
What was the Hungarian Uprising (1956)?
A failed revolt against Soviet rule crushed by Soviet tanks, reinforcing dominance in the East29292929.
30
What was the Suez Crisis (1956)?
Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt after it nationalized the canal; U.S. and USSR forced them to stop30.
31
What was the significance of the Suez Crisis?
It signaled the decline of European colonial powers and the rise of U.S./USSR dominance31313131.
32
What was Khrushchev’s Ultimatum (1958)?
A demand for Western powers to leave Berlin, threatening to hand control to East Germany32.
33
What triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?
U.S. discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles being installed in Cuba33.
34
How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
JFK imposed a naval blockade; Khrushchev removed missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba34343434.
35
What was the Prague Spring (1968)?
A period of liberalization in Czechoslovakia ("Socialism with a human face") crushed by Soviet invasion35353535.
36
What was "Ping Pong Diplomacy"?
Exchange of table tennis players in 1971 that thawed U.S.-China relations36.
37
What was SALT I (1972)?
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; froze the number of strategic nuclear missiles37373737.
38
What was the ABM Treaty?
Part of SALT I; limited missile defense systems to maintain MAD stability38.
39
What was the Yom Kippur War (1973)?
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel; led to U.S. shuttle diplomacy and peace talks39393939.
40
Why did Détente end?
Tensions resurfaced, culminating in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 197940.
41
What was the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?
Reagan's proposed missile defense system ("Star Wars") to intercept nuclear attacks41.
42
What was Perestroika?
Gorbachev's economic restructuring policy introducing market-like reforms42.
43
What was Glasnost?
Gorbachev's policy of "openness," allowing freedom of speech and transparency43434343.
44
How did Perestroika/Glasnost impact the USSR?
They weakened central control and fueled nationalist independence movements44.
45
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
November 9, 198945.
46
What led to the fall of the Berlin Wall?
Mass protests and a mistaken announcement that travel borders were open46.
47
When did the USSR dissolve?
December 26, 199147.
48
Why did the USSR collapse?
Economic stagnation, failure of reforms, nationalist movements, and overreach in Afghanistan48.
49
Joseph Stalin
Soviet leader (1924–1953); authoritarian, expanded Soviet empire, started Cold War49494949.
50
Harry Truman
U.S. President (1945–1953); containment policy, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan50505050.
51
Nikita Khrushchev
Soviet leader (post-Stalin); "Peaceful Coexistence," de-Stalinization, Cuban Missile Crisis51515151.
52
John F. Kennedy (JFK)
U.S. President; managed Cuban Missile Crisis, avoided nuclear war52.
53
Leonid Brezhnev
Soviet leader; Brezhnev Doctrine, period of Détente but also stagnation53535353.
54
Richard Nixon
U.S. President; Realpolitik, opened China, Watergate scandal54545454.
55
Henry Kissinger
U.S. Secretary of State; architect of Détente, Triangular Diplomacy, Shuttle Diplomacy55555555.
56
Ronald Reagan
U.S. President; aggressive "rollback" of communism, SDI, demanded "Tear down this wall"56565656.
57
Mikhail Gorbachev
Last Soviet leader; Perestroika and Glasnost reforms, ended Cold War57.
58
NATO Article 5
Stated that an armed attack against one member is an attack against all58.
59
European Union (EU) Foreign Policy
Governed by Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); requires consensus595959.
60
Key EU Foreign Policy Actors
European Council, Council of Ministers, High Representative60606060.
61
Limitations of EU Foreign Policy
Requires unanimity (slow decision making), different national interests among members.
62
Watergate Scandal
Political scandal (break-in and cover-up) leading to Nixon's resignation in 1974.
63
What were the "Helsinki Accords" (implied)?
Not explicitly detailed, but part of Détente era cooperation on security and rights.
64
What is the goal of the UN?
Established 1945 to promote cooperation and prevent future conflicts.
65
Who said "Tear down this wall"?
Ronald Reagan (implied context of Berlin Wall).
66
Who coined "Iron Curtain"?
Winston Churchill.
67
How many flights in Berlin Airlift?
Approximately 278,000 flights delivering 2.3 million tons.
68
Distance of missiles in Cuba to U.S.?
90 miles66.
69
Date of German Reunification (Wall Fall)?
November 9, 1989.
70
The "Evil Empire"
Reagan's term for the Soviet Union.
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