Two Superpowers Face Off and the Cold War

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes on the Cold War, including major events, policies, and outcomes related to the superpowers and their influence around the world.

What was the purpose of the Yalta Conference in relation to Germany?

To divide Germany after World War II among the Allies.

What was established in June 1945 to maintain peace after WWII?

The United Nations (UN) was created.

What promise did Josef Stalin break at the Potsdam Conference?

He broke his promise to allow free elections in Eastern Europe.

What was the main goal of the Truman Doctrine?

To support countries that rejected communism.

What was the significance of the Marshall Plan?

It provided money to rebuild Western Europe to keep the region anti-communist.

What was the Berlin Airlift?

An operation where the US and Britain delivered supplies to West Berlin during a Soviet blockade.

What did NATO stand for?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a defensive alliance formed by the US, Canada, and Western Europe.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

A military alliance formed by the USSR and Eastern European countries in response to NATO.

What conflict began in 1950 involving North Korea and South Korea?

The Korean War.

What was the outcome of the Korean War?

A cease-fire that left Korea divided at the 38th Parallel.

What significant event happened in Vietnam after France's defeat at Dien Bien Phu?

Vietnam was divided into Communist North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam.

What was the outcome of the Vietnam War for the US?

The US essentially lost as it failed to prevent a communist takeover in South Vietnam.

What characterized Third World countries during the Cold War?

They were developing nations often faced with poverty, political instability, and a lack of education.

What year did Fidel Castro lead the Cuban Revolution?

In 1959.

What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

An unsuccessful CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles in 1961.

What event brought the US and USSR close to nuclear war in 1962?

The Cuban Missile Crisis.

What was the purpose of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?

To create a missile defense system against nuclear threats, proposed by Ronald Reagan.

What reforms did Mikhail Gorbachev introduce in the Soviet Union?

Glasnost ('openness') and perestroika ('restructuring') that allowed for more freedoms.

What was the result of protests in East Germany in 1989?

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

What happened in 1991 that led to the collapse of Communism in the USSR?

A coup attempt against Gorbachev was stopped by Boris Yeltsin, leading to the collapse of the USSR.

What was the outcome of the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989?

Thousands of protestors were killed by the Chinese military.