end of cold war 1950-1991

peaceful coexistence

Term used by Khrushchev in 1963 to describe a situation in which the United States and Soviet Union would continue to compete economically and politically without launching a thermonuclear war.

Ich bin ein Berliner

JFK gives a speech in Berlin about how Berlin is free and should never succumb to communism and calls himself a Berliner, 1963, shortly after the Berlin wall is erected; increased tensions between US and USSR as JFK insulted Khrushchev

Checkpoint Charlie

The crossing point, manned by US military personnel, between East and West Berlin after the building of the Berlin Wall; tank stand off in 1961 due to dispute over authority of East German military on the border

U-2 Incident

The incident when an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. The U.S. denied the true purpose of the plane at first, but was forced to when the U.S.S.R. produced the living pilot and the largely intact plane to validate their claim of being spied on aerially. The incident worsened East-West relations during the Cold War and was a great embarrassment for the United States.

Berlin Wall

A fortified wall surrounding West Berlin, Germany, built in 1961 to prevent East German citizens from traveling to the West. Its demolition in 1989 symbolized the end of the Cold War. This wall was both a deterrent to individuals trying to escape and a symbol of repression to the free world. JFK claimed East Germans had to be walled in to follow communism, but the wall created a time of peace as there were no border disputes

Khrushchev

Stalin's successor as head of the Communist Party; was more open in his dealings with the West and less menacing; also not was paranoid and secretive as Stalin; was said to believe in peaceful coexistence with the West and challenged the west in economic rather than military competition; helped Fidel Castro.

Dubcek

leader of Czechoslovakia during the Prague of Spring, he expanded freedom of discussion and other intellectual rights at a time when they were being repressed in the Soviet; Warsaw troops + Soviet troops stopped his Prague Spring

Prague Spring

Dubcek's reform program in 1968 where he promoted reforms to the right of speech, press, and movement, travel to western countries, recognition of Israel, and freedom for independent economic enterprises

"socialism with a human face"

slogan for Prague Spring to reassure the communists that Dubcek was still adamant about staying in the Warsaw Pact and instill communism, just with more rights

Arms Race

Cold war competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to build up their respective armed forces and weapons; caused major economic strain on their economies, started a policy of proxy wars rather than direct conflict, worsened diplomatic relations

ICBM

Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, long-range nuclear missiles capable of being fired at targets on the other side of the globe. The reason behind the Cuban Missile Crisis \-- Russia was threatening the U.S. by building launch sites for ICBM's in Cuba.

MAD

Mutually Assured Destruction: the idea that the superpowers had so many nuclear weapons that they would completely destroy each other in a war

Nuclear Proliferation

the spread of nuclear weapons production technology and knowledge to nations without that capability

Brezhnev Doctrine

Soviet Union and its allies had the right to intervene in any socialist country whenever they saw the need.

missile gap

Neither the US nor the USSR had any accurate idea of home many missiles and bombers each had; both countries assumed they had less than the other, leading to intense stockpiling of nuclear armaments

strategic weapons

high-yield nuclear warheads used for enemy cities or installations

tactical weapons

small nuclear-tipped weapons for battlefield use

detente

relaxation of tensions between the United States and its two major Communist rivals, the Soviet Union and China

Ostpolitik

Willy Brandt's policy of "opening toward the east" that increased relations between West and East Germany in 1972; increased solidarity between the East and West states of Germany, encouraged their support for reconnection

SALT I

Treaty signed in 1972 between the U.S. and the USSR. This agreement limited the number of missiles in each nation and led to the SALT II discussions and a slowdown of the arms race between the two countries.

SALT II

Additional arms limitations signings in 1979 which places limits on long-range missiles, bombers and nuclear warheads.

Helsinki Agreements

the final act of the Conference on Security and Co-Operation in Europe. 35 states (US, Canada, and all European states except Albania and Andorra) signed the declaration in an attempt to improve Western relations with the communist bloc.

Human Rights

one of the "baskets" of policies the Helsinki Agreements wanted to improve; called for the improvement of human rights and living conditions; Soviets did not like this policy because they saw it as an international intervention in their own personal policies

Mujahideen

guerrilla fighters in Islamic countries, especially those who are fighting against the Communists during their invasion of Afghanistan; received support from the US as a part of Operation Cyclone

PDPA

The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, installed after the Afghan Army seized power of Kabul and executed President Daoud in April of 1978, led by Nur Muhammad Taraki until his execution; received support from the USSR to maintain communism in the Middle East

Geneva Agreement

UN supported: Signed 14 April 1988. Soviets would withdraw over the next 10 months, they will still supply political and economic support; Pakistan agreed promised not to meddle in each other's internal affairs (Pakistan stop help to rebels); Mujahideen were not included and didn't sign; they did not stop fighting

Taliban

extremist religious group that fought against the PDPA that received funding from the US; eventually took power after the USSR pulled out of Afghanistan

stagnation

motionlessness; inactivity; used to describe the USSR's economy and government during the Cold War as there was no change in government or economic policy, causing civil unrest domestically

proxy wars

During the Cold War, local or regional wars in which the superpowers armed, trained, and financed the combatants; method for the US to fight the USSR indirectly; examples include Afghanistan, Angola, Korean War

Third World

Term applied to a group of "developing" or "underdeveloped" countries who professed nonalignment during the Cold War.

Solidarity

Polish trade union created in 1980 to protest working conditions and political repression. It began the nationalist opposition to communist rule that led in 1989 to the fall of communism in eastern Europe; lead by Lech Walesa

Vaclav Havel

Czech dramatist and statesman whose plays opposed totalitarianism and who served as president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and president of the Czech Republic since 1993 (born in 1936); lead the Velvet Revolution and took power after the USSR left Czechoslovakia

Lech Walesa

A Polish politician, a former trade union and human rights activist, and also a former electrician. He co-founded Solidarity, the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995.

Abel Archer 83

NATO based military exercises which the USSR interpreted as a real attack since Reagan pulled out at the last minute; led to Reagan realizing that he needed to improve communication and relations with the USSR as he realized a simple miscommunication could lead to nuclear fallout

glasnost

a policy of the Soviet government allowing freer discussion of social problems; introduced by Gorbachev; allowed for the Soviet people to realize the corruption within their government more clearly; lead to civil unrest

perestroika

A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring the social and economic status quo in communist Russia towards a market-based economy and society

Chernobyl

nuclear power plant in Russia that had an explosion in 1986 & released radioactive materials into the air; Soviet Union originally hid the evidence of the radioactive materials released until Sweden traced it back to Chernobyl; threatened the people's lives

New Forum

Pro-democracy movement founded in East Germany in September 1989 which led to public demonstrations that accelerated the end of barriers between East and West Berlin and the end of communist government in East Germany

Civic Forum

A movement in Czechoslovakia and East; Germany in the 1980s, which sought to rebuild notions of citizenship and civic life that had been destroyed by the Soviet system; became an organizational and inspirational rallying point for opposition to Soviet domination.

November 9th 1989

Fall of Berlin Wall

Ocotber 3rd, 1990

East and West Germany reconnected; end of the GDR

Boris Yeltsin

President of the Russian Republic in 1991. Helped end the USSR and force Gorbachev to resign.

Why did the Hungarians hate the Soviets?

they were extremely nationalistic and did not want to be a Soviet subset, rigged elections allowed the Soviets to take power, not allowed to practice Roman Catholicism, extreme oppression on opposition

How did Stalin's death change the situation in Eastern Europe?

They were hopeful that the new leadership of Khrushchev would give Hungary more leniency and independence than compared to Stalin's time; Khrushchev was seen being more lenient in Poland and Yugoslavia and his Secret Speech implied less repression as he denounced Stalinism

Why were Hungarians encouraged by Khrushchev's speech in 1955?

His speech insinuates that Khrushchev is a supporter for self-determination as he promoted independence and nationalism for smaller states under the Soviet Union

What did Hungarians want?

They wanted more change in Hungary; breaking away from the Soviet bloc and becoming a neutral country; If the Soviets did not let them leave, they wanted US to intervene because of their containment policy under the Truman Doctrine that stated that the US would intervene if necessary

How did the USSR react to the changes in Hungary?

Khrushchev could not accept Hungary becoming neutral as he was scared that if Hungary left the Warsaw Pact other countries might follow; Hungary was a buffer of friendly colonies created by Stalin

what was result of the Soviet Invasion?

Red Army was sent to Hungary: 200,000 soldiers and 2500 tanks; Hungary fought back (3000 casualties); More powerful Soviet forces took control of Hungary and imposed a new pro-Soviet Government

Imre Nagy

Hungarian Communist Party leader who attempted to end association with the USSR which lead to the 1956 Hungarian revolt.

Why didn't the US help the Hungarians?

Containment meant the US would fight to stop the spread of communism but not interfere if a country was already communist

what was Mao's response to Khrushchev's peaceful coexistence policy?

thought Khrushchev was a revisionist and crazy for trying to get rid of Stalinism; furthered the Sino-Soviet split

why didn't the UN step into save Hungary?

the USSR vetoed the intervention as they had veto power on the security council

How did the space race start?

the Russians developed the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, before the Americans

Effect of Sputnik

Establishes superiority in the USSR because they were the first to send a satellite into space

US response to Sputnik

Eisenhower creates NASA, JFK promises to send a man to the moon in ten years

What was the effect of the U-2 Incident

The trial of Francis Gary Powers: US is guilty of spying and greatly increased Cold War tension; US embarrassed because they tried to cover up the incident as a weather observation not espionage; worsened US-Soviet relations

What was Khrushchev's opinion of JFK

Young, inexperienced, and a push-over

What did Khrushchev demand at the Vienna Summit?

Berlin would become a neutral city so that the Americans would pull out of their involvement; US must act within 6 months, increased Soviet defense spending by 30%

What was Kennedy's reaction to the installation of the Berlin Wall?

Communism is so awful that people had to be walled in to make sure they didn't run away

What problems were occurring in East Germany prior to the wall?

skilled workers are leaving for higher wages in W. Berlin, scarcity of goods; E. Berlin prices are cheap so W. Berliners are buying the E. Berlin goods

what was an unintended result of the Berlin Wall?

Created a time of peace and calm in Europe because no disputes over people leaving and borders

Why did Khrushchev put missiles in Cuba?

To bargain with the USA: could get US to remove missiles in Turkey/Iran or make a deal over Berlin; To close the missile gap: USA had more nuclear weapons than USSR so putting missiles on Cuba meant it was less likely the USA would launch a 'first strike' against USSR; To defend Cuba: Cuba was the only communist state in America and had become communist itself without invasion from USSR. Cuba was good propaganda for USSR and useful military base; to test the USA: saw how strong USA really was - whether it would step up or back down, To strengthen his own position in the USSR: Khrushchev hadn't been powerful like Stalin. Major success against USA would strengthen his position/authority
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what was Castro's reaction to the Cuban missile crisis?

mad that he wasn't included in negotiations, feels manipulated by Khrushchev

what was Mao's reaction to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Khrushchev was weak and soft; China was going to be the new leader of communism

what did JFK proclaim in his visit to Berlin?

Tells Berliners that the West is with them (Ich Bin ein Berliner)

How did the nuclear threat affect American domestic policy?

Local governments in both countries developed and advertised precautions and responses for a nuclear strike: i.e air-raid sirens, public shelters, Children were taught to duck and cover in case of nuclear flash, Some citizens installed air-raid shelters and stockpiles of food and equipment to sit out long periods of radioactive fallout

What was the previous Czechoslovak regime like?

Characterised by corruption and stagnation that caused tensions among the members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

What type of changes did Dubcek implement?

basic freedoms of speech, press, and movement, allowed travel to western countries, formal recognition of Israel, freedom for economic enterprises to make decisions based on consumer demand rather than government targets, increased rights of autonomy for politically repressed and underrepresented Slovak minority, eventually ended all press censorship, planned to open borders with the West and trade with West Germany

how did Dubcek reassure the USSR?

insisted that Czechoslovakia was a loyal member of the socialist order and wanted to implement liberalization within the framework of Marxism-Leninism; "socialism with a human face"

Why were the other communist countries worried about Dubcek reforms?

They were dominated by staunch communist and feared any challenge to the status quo.

what political vulnerabilities was the USSR facing in 1968?

stagnation, every Warsaw country could demand new reforms and get to the point of revolution

what geographical vulnerabilities did the USSR face in 1968?

if is CZ left, it gives the West a straight shot into USSR, could split the Iron Curtain in half

what social vulnerabilities did the USSR face in 1968?

the Slovaks are the minorities; if they get more freedom, what stops Ukraine and the Baltic Countries from leaving?

Why didn't all of the Warsaw Pact join?

Other members were more measured and argued that Czechoslovakia could be viewed as an experiment in reform

Which Warsaw Pact countries participated in the invasion?

Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary, and Poland; when the USSR invaded Hungary they invaded alone and received mass criticism.

result of the CZ invasion

Dubcek was arrested and forced to sign a document agreeing to repeal the 1968 reforms

US reaction to the CZ invasion

condemned the invasion and cancelled a planned summit meeting between the US and USSR, no NATO action though

How did the Communists react to the invasion

Outrage and protest came from within the communist world, European communist parties were horrified, protests in China, Romania, Yugoslavia, and even a small demonstration in front of Lenin's tomb

How did the Red Army feel about the CZ invasion

Red Army almost mutinied because they were lied to; they were told the Czechsolvak people wanted them there, which was not true

What was the result of CZ invasion in the USSR

New instability in the communist world as the government could only control the reports not the eyewitness accounts

How did the CZ invasion effect Sino-Soviet relations

China furthered themselves from the USSR as the Soviet revolts scared them during the Cultural Revolution

How did Vietnam contribute to detente?

Caused anti-war protests that force Nixon to seek more peaceful policies to remain popular in the US

how did the soviet economy contribute to detente?

The constant investment in nuclear weapons was only stagnating the Soviet economy; agree to the detente could help the USSR move forward economically

how did the arms race contribute to detente

The USSR had caught up in the arms race, the arms race was costly and negatively affecting their respective economies

how did the threat of nuclear proliferation contribute to detente

Didn't want other countries to start building weapons who couldn't be trusted with them

how did the Middle East contribute to detente

Both were worried about oil supplies being threatened by the conflict near the Suez Canal

how did China contribute to detente

Worried that the USSR would make an alliance with China, started their own nuclear program

Moscow Treaty

West Germany and USSR obligated themselves to non-agressions; declared all border in Europe to be inviolable especially the Western border of Poland

Ping Pong Diplomacy

US sent the US national ping pong team to compete with the Chinese national team in Peking

3 Baskets of the Helsinki Accords

Security in Europe in which post-war frontiers were accepted, Cooperation in science, technology, and environmental concerns, Human rights

START Treaty

Number of warheads were capped at 5000 plus 2500 on ICBMs, also proposed a limit on ICBMs to 850 but was not accepted, finally agreement stipulated each to possess 10000 warheads while limiting the number of fighter planes, attack helicopters, tanks, and artillery pieces

How did German policy change?

Germany was supported heavily by France with de Gaulle, wanted to ease tensions with the USSR by recognizing the East German state so the Soviets would loosen their control over East Germany

What changed in the Middle East?

US support Israel's immersion as a develop state with its economy, USSR support the Arab views, Arab-Israeli hostility bolstered by Soviet arms shipments to Egypt and Syria; US supported Israel's right to exist and felt their presence would result in peace in the region, Soviets felt it was necessary to support Arab forces militarily

What changed in Vietnam?

The US had to pull out their troops and recognize that North Vietnam and other satellite states would maintain extant socialist regimes and they wanted peace with the US to avoid nuclear war

How did the Soviets benefit from the detente agreements?

Detente and Helsinki Final Act helped legitimize Soviet control over Eastern Europe, US and NATO recognized Eastern Frontiers, reduced their costs and subsidies to the Warsaw Pact countries, SALT I helped save them from an expensive arms race

Why did détente end?

Nixon had to resign after Watergate, Ford was vulnerable due to associations with Nixon; Ford lost the Carter whose policies were tempered with domestic problems; Brezhev got ill, military made many of the foreign decisions after 1975; Arms talks continued into the late 1970s and early 80s but there was only one summit in that time, in 1979 when SALT II was signed; Soviets invaded Afghanistan

Why did the USSR get involved in Afghanistan?

wanted to support the new socialist regime in power as it now falls under the Brezhnev Doctrine; provided military assistance to make the Afghans sympathetic towards Marxist

What communist-type reforms did they impose in Afghanistan?

land reforms, gender equality

Why did villagers oppose the new reforms and government?

Muslim culture has very stark gender roles that are undermined by gender equality reforms; Afghan culture is based on patriarchy; communism reverses this; Islamic culture has a strong caste system; communism gets rid of the system through gender and land reforms

what were the mullah's role in the revolt against the communists?

religious leaders (mullahs) had a forum to put forward their ideas and put an organisational structure in place through mosques