History > Unit 7 Cold War > Flashcards

Unit 7 Cold War Flashcards

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1
Q

What period of rivalry and tension is referred to as the Cold War?

A

45 years after the Second World War

The USA and the USSR confronted each other during this time.

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2
Q

The USA aimed to protect the capitalist system, while the USSR aimed to protect Communism. True or False?

A

TRUE

Both superpowers sought to exert their influence globally.

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3
Q

What was the primary motive behind Stalin’s imposition of Communist governments in Eastern Europe?

A

To create a ‘buffer zone’ of Soviet-friendly nations

This was to guard against any future German attack.

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4
Q

Name the countries where Stalin imposed Communist governments after World War II.

A
  • Poland
  • Hungary
  • Czechoslovakia
  • Bulgaria
  • Romania

These countries became satellite states of the USSR.

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5
Q

What policy did the US government adopt to prevent the spread of Communism?

A

Containment

This policy aimed to stop the further spread of Soviet influence.

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6
Q

In what year was the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) formed?

A

1949

NATO is a defensive military alliance among the USA and Western European nations.

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7
Q

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A

Support for any nation under threat from Communist revolution or attack

This doctrine became the basis for US foreign policy throughout the Cold War.

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8
Q

What did Winston Churchill refer to when he mentioned the Iron Curtain?

A

The division between capitalist American-allied Western Europe and Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe

The term became widely used to describe this division.

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9
Q

In Asia, the USA focused on protecting its network of allied countries and opposing the USSR and Communist China. True or False?

A

TRUE

The USA nurtured pro-Western governments in Japan and Taiwan.

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10
Q

What two separate nations were established in Korea after World War II?

A
  • Democratic South Korea
  • Communist North Korea

This division occurred after the withdrawal of US and Soviet forces.

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11
Q

What was the first major proxy war of the Cold War?

A

The Korean War

It involved combat between US and Chinese armies.

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12
Q

What was the Marshall Plan?

A

A massive programme of financial aid providing $12.7 billion to help rebuild Western Europe

It aimed to prevent the rise of Communism in postwar Europe.

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13
Q

The USA provided Marshall Aid to prevent the people of Western Europe from turning to __________.

A

Communism

This was due to fears stemming from the postwar environment of poverty.

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14
Q

What was the Iron Curtain in relation to Germany during the Cold War?

A

A division through Germany, marking the front line of the Cold War

Germany was occupied by the USA, Britain, France in the west, and the Soviet Union in the east.

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15
Q

In what year did the Berlin blockade occur?

A

1948

Stalin blockaded West Berlin in response to the introduction of the Deutschmark.

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16
Q

What was the Berlin airlift?

A
  • A program to supply West Berlin by airplane
  • Brought vital emergency rations
  • Regular flights delivered supplies every 90 seconds

It was launched in response to the Berlin blockade.

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17
Q

What was the outcome of the Berlin blockade in May 1949?

A

The blockade was lifted

Stalin accepted that his attempt to intimidate the West had failed.

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18
Q

What was the capital of West Germany?

A

Bonn

West Germany was officially merged after the Berlin blockade.

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19
Q

What characterized East Germany under Communist rule?

A
  • Poor living conditions
  • Constant surveillance
  • Censorship
  • Stasi secret police

East Germany was a Soviet satellite state.

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20
Q

When was the Berlin Wall built?

A

13 August 1961

It was constructed to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

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21
Q

What did the Berlin Wall symbolize?

A
  • Division
  • Repression
  • Tyranny

It represented the failure of Communism in East Germany.

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22
Q

How many Stasi agents were there in East Germany?

A

One agent for every 165 citizens

This was a higher level of surveillance than under the Nazi Gestapo.

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23
Q

Why is Germany sometimes referred to as the ‘front line’ of the Cold War?

A

It was the most strategically important nation in Europe during the conflict

The division of Germany represented the broader East-West conflict.

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24
Q

What event marked the beginning of the nuclear age?

A

The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945

This event defined the Cold War by introducing the threat of nuclear weapons.

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25
What is the **destructive power** of nuclear weapons?
* Immense blasts * Release of vast amounts of nuclear radiation * Causes radiation sickness and potential death ## Footnote Radiation can lead to cancers and widespread sickness if large numbers of bombs are used.
26
In what year did the **USSR develop** its own nuclear bomb?
1949 ## Footnote This development contributed to the arms race during the Cold War.
27
What is the **deterrent effect** in the context of nuclear weapons?
A theory that a nation with nuclear weapons will not use them because others will not dare to attack ## Footnote This theory relies on the concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD).
28
What does **MAD** stand for?
Mutually Assured Destruction ## Footnote This situation implies that if one superpower uses nuclear weapons, both would be wiped out.
29
True or false: The world came close to nuclear destruction several times during the **Cold War**.
TRUE ## Footnote Both superpowers were on the brink of nuclear conflict multiple times.
30
What was the **Cuban Missile Crisis**?
A 1962 confrontation between the USA and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba ## Footnote This crisis was one of the closest moments to nuclear war during the Cold War.
31
Who was the leader of the **Soviet Union** during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Nikita Khrushchev ## Footnote He placed missiles in Cuba to deter US intervention and support Communist revolutions.
32
What was the **Bay of Pigs invasion**?
A failed attempt by CIA-trained Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro's government in 1961 ## Footnote This event heightened tensions between the USA and Cuba.
33
What agreement did **Khrushchev and Kennedy** reach to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis?
* Kennedy pledged not to invade Cuba * Khrushchev agreed to withdraw missiles from Cuba * Kennedy secretly agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey ## Footnote This deal helped de-escalate the crisis.
34
What was the period of **détente**?
A time of improved relations and limited cooperation between the USA and USSR in the late 1960s and 1970s ## Footnote This period followed the Cuban Missile Crisis.
35
What was the **SALT I** treaty?
A treaty that placed limits on the number of nuclear missiles each side could possess ## Footnote This was a significant step towards arms control.
36
What happened on **26 April 1986** at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant?
An accidental explosion released over a hundred times the radiation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ## Footnote This disaster had severe health impacts, with estimates of deaths linked to it ranging from 4,000 to 100,000.
37
What was the **most destructive conflict** of the entire Cold War?
The Vietnam War ## Footnote This conflict involved significant military engagement by the USA in Southeast Asia.
38
Before the Second World War, who ruled over **Indochina**?
Imperial France ## Footnote Indochina included modern nations of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
39
Who led the **Viet Minh**, the main independent political group in Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh ## Footnote He was a veteran Communist who declared Vietnamese independence in 1945.
40
What was the **First Indochina War**?
A conflict from 1946 to 1954 between the Viet Minh and French forces ## Footnote It ended with the French withdrawal from Indochina.
41
What guerrilla warfare strategy was developed by **Vo Nguyen Giap**?
A strategy using the dense jungle for surprise attacks ## Footnote This strategy made it difficult for the French to counter the Viet Minh.
42
What significant event occurred at **Dien Bien Phu** in May 1954?
A large French garrison surrendered to Giap ## Footnote This event signaled the end of the First Indochina War.
43
What was the outcome of the **Geneva Agreement** regarding Vietnam?
Vietnam was temporarily divided into North and South ## Footnote The North was governed by the Viet Minh, and the South became an American-allied republic.
44
Why were the elections to reunite Vietnam scheduled for **1956** repeatedly delayed?
The USA feared a Communist takeover ## Footnote This fear stemmed from concerns about the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia.
45
What did Ho Chi Minh accept to achieve reunification and independence?
To fight a second war against the United States ## Footnote This led to increased guerrilla attacks in the South starting in 1959.
46
What chemical was frequently used by the US military in Vietnam?
Agent Orange ## Footnote It was a defoliant that caused severe medical problems for those exposed.
47
What was **napalm** used for during the Vietnam War?
Bombing villages ## Footnote Napalm is a highly flammable substance that clings to targets while burning.
48
What was the **Second Indochina War** more commonly known as?
The Vietnam War ## Footnote This war saw significant escalation of US military involvement.
49
What was the impact of the Vietnam War being broadcast on **television**?
It caused many Americans to abandon support for the conflict ## Footnote The graphic nature of the war shocked the public.
50
In what year did President **Richard Nixon** withdraw US troops from Vietnam?
1973 ## Footnote This withdrawal preceded the fall of Saigon in 1975.
51
What happened to the South Vietnamese state by **April 1975**?
It was overrun by Communists ## Footnote The capital, Saigon, was captured, leading to Vietnam's reunification as a Communist nation.
52
How many American soldiers were killed during the Vietnam War?
58,000 ## Footnote Estimates of Vietnamese casualties range from 1 million to almost 4 million.
53
What was the **My Lai massacre**?
The killing of several hundred unarmed Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers ## Footnote This event occurred during a 'search and destroy' mission in March 1968.
54
True or false: The American army attempted to cover up the **My Lai massacre**.
TRUE ## Footnote The cover-up was exposed by journalists, leading to outrage in the USA.
55
What event marked the **collapse of Communism** in Europe at the end of the 1980s?
The USSR and its network of Eastern European satellite states rapidly collapsed ## Footnote This occurred without attack or sabotage by the West.
56
Who became the **Soviet leader** in 1985 and aimed to revive the failing country?
Mikhail Gorbachev ## Footnote He launched reforms that ultimately led to the abolition of the system he hoped to save.
57
What were the two major new policies introduced by **Gorbachev**?
* Glasnost ('openness') * Perestroika ('restructuring') ## Footnote Glasnost allowed free access to government information, while perestroika introduced elements of capitalism.
58
What was the effect of **glasnost** on Soviet media?
Soviet media began attacking the government over various issues ## Footnote This included criticism of housing conditions and environmental protections.
59
In what year did **Boris Yeltsin** become president of Russia?
1990 ## Footnote He criticized Gorbachev's reforms for not going far enough and called for a full transition to capitalism.
60
Which republic declared independence in **March 1990**?
Lithuania ## Footnote This was part of a broader movement for independence among Soviet republics.
61
What happened in **August 1991** involving a coup against Gorbachev?
A small group of Communist Party politicians attempted to regain control ## Footnote They placed Gorbachev under house arrest, hoping to reverse his reforms.
62
What was the outcome of the coup attempt against Gorbachev?
It collapsed due to massive protests inspired by Yeltsin ## Footnote Yeltsin pushed for the complete separation of all remaining Soviet republics.
63
When was the **Soviet Union officially dissolved**?
26 December 1991 ## Footnote This marked the end of the USSR as a political entity.
64
What did Gorbachev signal in a speech at the **United Nations in 1988**?
He would not use the Red Army to enforce Communism in Eastern Europe ## Footnote This encouraged pro-democracy movements in satellite states.
65
What was the name of the trade union turned political party that won the **Polish election** in June 1989?
Solidarity ## Footnote Solidarity had been formed in 1980 and was previously banned.
66
What significant event occurred on **9 November 1989** in East Germany?
The East German Communists announced plans to allow free exit into West Berlin ## Footnote This led to massive crowds tearing down the Berlin Wall.
67
By the end of **1989**, which countries had overthrown Communism?
* Poland * Hungary * East Germany * Czechoslovakia * Romania * Bulgaria ## Footnote The transition was mostly peaceful, except in Romania where there was violent resistance.
68
What happened to **Germany** in 1990?
West and East Germany were officially reunited ## Footnote This marked the end of division between the two parts of Germany.
69
True or false: The **Berlin Wall**'s fall was a violent event.
FALSE ## Footnote The fall of the Berlin Wall was celebrated and marked the end of Communist control in East Germany.
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