Cold War Flashcards

Yalta Conference

Agreement in February 1945 to divide Germany into 4 zones and support free elections in Eastern Europe.

Potsdam Conference

Meeting in July 1945 where tensions rose due to leadership changes and disagreements over reparations.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy established in 1947 to contain communism and support threatened countries.

Marshall Plan

U.S. economic aid program initiated in 1947 to rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Blockade

An event in 1948 caused by the Western Allies introducing a new currency and unifying their zones in Germany.

Berlin Airlift

The Allies' response to the Berlin Blockade, supplying West Berlin for 11 months.

Korean War

Conflict that started in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea to unify under communism.

Outcome of Korean War

Resulted in stalemate; Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel by 1953.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance established in 1955 among communist countries, led by the USSR.

Hungarian Uprising

A 1956 event where Hungary attempted to exit the Warsaw Pact but was crushed by Soviet forces.

Berlin Wall

Built in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Crisis in 1962 caused by the USSR placing nuclear missiles in Cuba, close to the U.S.

End of Cuban Missile Crisis

Crisis ended with the USSR removing missiles from Cuba in exchange for U.S. removing missiles from Turkey.

Détente

Period of improved relations between the USA and USSR during the 1970s.

SALT agreements

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks aimed at limiting nuclear weapons.

End of détente

Ending due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, prompting U.S. sanctions.

Reagan's Cold War approach

Characterized by hardline tactics, increased arms spending, and calling the USSR an 'evil empire'.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader from 1985 to 1991 known for introducing reforms such as glasnost and perestroika.

Glasnost

Policy introduced by Gorbachev promoting openness, freedom of speech, and transparency.

Perestroika

Gorbachev's policy of economic restructuring, including some market-style reforms.

Eastern Europe in 1989

Year of peaceful revolutions which ended communist rule and saw the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Soviet Union collapse

Occurred in 1991 when the USSR broke into independent republics, marking the end of the Cold War.