Cold War Detente and Its Consequences

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the Cold War, focusing on detente, significant historical figures, and events that shaped the geopolitical landscape.

Detente

A period of relaxed tensions and improved relations between the US and the USSR during the Cold War, particularly in the 1970s.

Khrushchev

Soviet leader from 1953 to 1964 known for initiating a period of cultural exchanges and detente with the West.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A major confrontation in 1962 between the US and the USSR over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, leading to the establishment of arms control agreements.

Arms control agreements

Treaties and negotiations to limit the number of nuclear weapons and reduce the risk of nuclear conflict between superpowers.

Mujahideen

Islamic fighters in Afghanistan who resisted Soviet invasion and were supported by the US during the Soviet-Afghan war.

Gorbachev

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 whose policies of glasnost and perestroika led to significant changes in Soviet society and politics.

Glasnost

A policy of openness and transparency in government instituted by Gorbachev, allowing more freedom of expression.

Perestroika

An economic reform policy initiated by Gorbachev aimed at restructuring the Soviet economy to incorporate some market elements.

Solidarity

A trade union and social movement in Poland that emerged in the 1980s, advocating for workers' rights and leading to political reform.

SALT II Treaty

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreement intended to limit nuclear weapons, which was not ratified by the US Senate after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The Iron Curtain

A term popularized by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Western democratic countries and Eastern communist countries during the Cold War.

Taliban

An Islamic fundamentalist group that emerged from the Afghan resistance to the Soviet war and later ruled Afghanistan.

Cold War

A geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, characterized by political, military, and ideological rivalry from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.

Cultural Exchange

Programs and events that promote mutual understanding and cooperation between countries through art, music, and education.

Nixon administration

The presidency of Richard Nixon (1969-1974) notably associated with the policy of detente, including relations with China.

Vietnam War

A conflict in Southeast Asia where the US supported South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam, leading to a significant alteration in US foreign policy.

Helsinki Accords

A 1975 agreement aimed at reducing tensions between the Soviet bloc and the West, focusing on human rights and economic cooperation.

Poland's 1980 protests

Labor strikes and protests that gave rise to the Solidarity movement and undermined communist control in Poland.

Iron Curtain countries

The Eastern European nations under communist control during the Cold War, often associated with the Soviet Union's influence.

Cultural loosenings

A period during the Cold War when the Soviet Union allowed more cultural influences from the West, including music, art, and performance.

Elton John concerts in 1979

Events in the Soviet Union where popular Western music was introduced, representing a cultural opening and exchange.