Cold War Lecture Notes Practice Flashcards

A set of 50 question-and-answer flashcards covering themes, events, and figures of the Cold War as discussed in the lecture notes.

What was a defining characteristic of the Cold War regarding military engagement?

The Cold War did not have any direct military conflict after world war 2.

Which western powers were noted as being weakened after World War 2?

germany , france , italy

Which two nations rose as the new superpowers after World War 2?

the USA and USSR

What is the main ideological focus of the USA's capitalism?

focus on freedom

How is the government structured in the USA's capitalism?

democratic government from free election , multiple parties are aloowed in the government

What are the economic features of USA capitalism?

free market economy , private ownership

What does the USA want to do regarding communism?

wants to resist the spread of communism

What is the main ideological focus of the USSR's communism?

focus on equality

How many political parties are allowed in the USSR's system?

only one party system

How is the economy described under the USSR's communism?

planned economy , public ownership , price are setted by government

What is the goal of collectivism in the USSR?

to create a classless society where everyone wealth are shared

What caused the long term mistrust between the US and the new russian communist government?

US start involving and support the anti communist group during the war

Why was the USSR displeased during the moscow conference regarding Asia?

the US wants to support china to counterbalance the power of USSR in asia

What did the USSR propose at the dumbarton oaks conference to prevent the UN from favoring America?

that everyone should have the power of veto

What was the US stance on Eastern European governments at the yalta conference?

holding democratic elections allowing local people to choose their own governments

Why did the USSR want to establish pro-Soviet communist governments in Eastern Europe?

To create a buffer zone to protect itself from another German invasion

What was the US goal for the German economy at the postdam conference?

wanted to rebuild germany economy , to make them stable , prevent another conflict

How much in reparations did the USSR require Germany to pay at the postdam conference?

$$10 \text{ billion}$$

Who proposed the iron curtain speech and in what year?

Churchill in $1946$

What did the truman doctrine ($1947$) announce?

the US would help counutries that would threaten by communism coutries

What was the purpose of the marshall plan ($1947$)?

economic aid to rebuild western europe to make countries less likely to support communism

How did the USSR respond to the marshall plan in $1947$?

molotov plan

What did the USSR block during the berlin bockade ($1948 - 1949$)?

all the land and water routes , and also electricity supply to west berlin

How did the western powers respond to the berlin bockade?

by airlift which supply west berlin with food and fuel by air route

What was the primary pledge of the NATO organization formed in $1949$?

an atttack on one is an attack on all

Who proclaimed the birth of the people republic of china in $1949$?

mao zidong

Which countries supported North Korea during the korea war ($1950 - 1953$)?

communism countries such as USSR and china

Where did the korea war end in a stalemate?

at the $38 \text{ line}$

Which leaders were involved in the transition to the first detente?

from stalin to khruschev and from truman to eisenhower

What was eisenhower’s domino effect theory ($1953$)?

when a country fell under control of communism , the neighboring countries would also follow

What did khrushchev's peaceful coexistence ($1953$) suggest?

there could be a coexistence of capitalism and communism

Which four countries discussed global security at the genneva summit ($1955$)?

the UK , US , france and USSR

What happened during the $1959$ mutual visit between the US and USSR?

exhibition of trade and culture exchange between Nixon and Khruschev

What specific event ended the first detente in $1960$?

U-2 incident where a american spy plane were shot down over USSR

Why did eisenhower refuse khruschev's demands after the U-2 incident?

he agreed to stop the spy planes but refused to apolygize

What physical structure was built during the berlin crisis ($1961$) to avoid brain drain?

a wall at the boarder of east and west germany

Why did the USSR secretly install missiles in cuba in $1962$?

because the US placed a lot of missile pointing to USSR is its neighboring countries

What is considered the peak of the cold war?

cuban missile crisis ($1962$)

What was the goal of North Vietnam during the vietnam war ($1961 - 1975$)?

to unify vietnam and try to spread communism into south vietnam

How did the vietnam war affect the US?

massive drain of US and resource and morale , and it also negatively affect the economy

What time period defines the second detente?

$$1971 - 1979$$

What was agreed upon in the helsinki agreement ($1975$)?

to respect others , settle their disputes peacefully , and strengthen their cooperations

What served as the ice break between china and the US in $1971 - 1972$?

ping pong diplomacy

In what year was the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and china?

$$1979$$

What ended the second detente?

invasion of afghanistan ($1979 - 1989$)

What was reagan's star war programme ($1981$)?

a space-based system such as laser and missiles to shoot down incoming soviet nuclear power

What was the political goal of gorbachev's glasnost reform?

openness , freedom of speech , open elections , and allowing multiple political parties

What economic shift did perstrokia introduce?

from planned economy to market economy where state own companies can set their own price

Why did gorbachev give up Soviet satellite states in eastern europe?

to reduce the economic burden on the Soviet union

What happened during the august coup in $1991$?

communists house arrested gorbachev to take over the government , but yeltsin called on the public to resist.