cold war flashcards

Main Points of The Tehran Conference (1943)

* The USA and Britain would open a second front on Germany to ease the pressure off the USSR


* USSR would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated
* Poland should be given more land from Germany, but lose some to the USSR

Main Points of the Yalta Conference (1945)

* Germany would be reduced in size, demilitarised and would pay reparations (which would be paid in material, goods and labour)
* Plans had been started for how Germany would be divided after the war
* The Nazi Party would be banned and war criminals tried in front of an international court
* The UN would be set up to replace the League of Nations
* The USSR would declare war on Japan three months after the defeat of Germany
* Poland should be under the soviet 'sphere of influence' but run on 'a broader democratic basis's

Main Points of the Postdam Conference (1945)

* Council of Foreign Ministers would be set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe
* Ban the Nazi party and prosecute surviving Nazis as war criminals in a special court run by the allies at Numerberg
* Reduce the size of Germany
* Divide Germany into 4 zones i.e one for each of the Allies; USSR, USA, UK, France
* Divide the capital of Germany into 4 zones despite the fact it was in the USSR's zone
* Give the USSR a 1/4 of the industrial equipment from each of the other 3 zones, because its zone was the least industrially developed
* The USSR had to supply the other zones with raw materials from its zone i.e coal

Signs of tension in 'The Big Three'

* Although they all agreed to work for democracy, there were disagreements democracy over what it meant
* Stalin believed that a democratic government had to be a communist government because only the communists truly represented the working people
* Roosevelt believed that democracy involved a number of different political parties competing to win the support of the people in free elections

Contents of the Long Telegram (1946)

* Stalin had given a speech calling for the destruction of capitalism
* There could be no peace with the USSR while it still opposed capitalism
* The USSR was building up its military power
* The USA should seek to contain communism

Contents of the Novikov Telegram (1946)

* America desired to dominate the world
* After Roosevelt died the American government no longer wanted to cooperate with the USSR
* The American public was being prepared for war with the USSR

Purpose of the Truman Doctrine (1947)

* Truman began this because he was scared that Stalin would encourage communist revolutions and gain territory. Communism would seem appealing to those devastated by the Second World War.

The Truman Doctrine stated that:

* the world had a choice between communist tyranny and democratic freedom
* America had a responsibility to fight for liberty wherever it was threatened
* America would send troops and economic resources to help governments that were threatened by communists
* Communism should not be allowed to spread and gain territory

Significance of the Truman Doctrine

* It marked a reversal of the USA's traditional policy of 'isolationism' by which America had stayed out of international affairs

Contents of the Marshall Plan (1947)

* America committed $13 billion dollars to rebuild the shattered economies of Europe

Why did Stalin set up the satellite states?

* He believed that the Marshall Plan was "Dollar Imperialism" and that any country that accepted it was effectively an American ally.
* To prevent this he extended his control over Europe by creating a series of satellite states

How did Stalin control the satellite states?

* making sure the Communist Party in each state would actually obey Moscow
* Creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust so that it was difficult for people who opposed soviet rule to trust each other enough to work together
* used police and army states to stamp on any kind of opposition
* arranging economies so that they were dependent on the USSR by 'rationalising' industries to stop satellites being self-sufficient

What was Comecon? (1949)

Stalin's answer to Marshall Aid. It had a lot of economic and political implications

* Politically, it would minimise American influence in Eastern Europe and the USSR
* Economically, it would ensure that the benefits of economic recovery in Eastern Europe remained within the 'sphere of influence'
* It also meant that Eastern Europe did not have to access the prosperity of Western Europe

What was Cominform? (1947)

* Cominform was an international organisation that represented Communist parties across Europe and brought them under the direct control of the USSR.
* Stalin used it to forbid the cominform countries from accepting Marshall aid
* Communist Parties were encouraged to start demonstrations to reject Marshall Aid
* 2 million french workers went on strike in the winter of 1947, demanding that the French government reject Marshall Aid
* Stalin also used it to ensure loyalty in these countries by investigating government ministers and employees and removing those who weren't loyal to him.

What was Bizonia and when did it form?

* In 1947
* The American and British zones (of Germany) were essentially operating as one and they had a very good relationship with France so then they later became Trizonia

What was the Berlin Blockade and how long did it last?

It was a military blockade set up by Stalin around West Germany between 1948 and 1949. It's aim was to cut the West off from its capital so that the new government could not control its territory. He hoped that it would prove that a divided Germany could not work in practice.

Why did Stalin decide to build the Berlin Blockade?

* In 1948 the Western Allies started to develop new policies for Trizonia that were at odds with Stalin's plans:
* A German assembly would be set up to create a new German constitution
* There would be a new currency introduced
* the Deutschmark - which would become the new official currency for Trizonia

Stalin had not been consulted about these changes and believed these were the first steps to creating a permanently divided Germany. He opposed it because he...

* was reluctant to all America to have further influence over Germany
* did not want American troops to remain stationed in Germany
* realised that Germany's most valuable resources were in the west and feared that they would be used to wage war on the USSR

How did Truman respond to the Berlin blockade?

He responded with the 'Berlin Airlift'. Allied planes transported supplies to West Berlin. Initially...

* America had 70 cargo planes and airlifted between 600 and 700 tonnes of food and supplies everyday, Then this increased within a couple of weeks...,
* America began airlifting 1000 tonnes a day, At its height the airlift provided over 170,000 tonnes of supplies during January 1949

What was GDR?

When the USSR's fraction of Germany became an independent state and became officially known as the German Democratic Republic.

What was FRG?

When Trizonia became an independent state and became officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany.

What was the military alliance formed in 1949 and how was it significant?

The Western European countries formed NATO to 'keep the USA in and the USSR out'. NATO members agreed that if any NATO country came under attack, all members of NATO would come to their defence. NATO had the specific aim of defending the West against communism.

What was military alliance form in 1955 and how was it significant?

The Eastern European countries form the Warsaw Pact. When the Eastern European countries formed NATO and West Germany joined it was too provocative to ignore.

Describe the arms race between 1945 and 1955

1945 USA became the first country to develop and use a nuclear bomb, 1949 USSR had developed and tested its own nuclear bomb, 1953 Both countries had hydrogen bombs (thought USA bombs were still more powerful than the USSR's), 1955 the USSR developed and test a bomb called 'Sakharov's Third Idea' which was as powerful as America's hydrogen bombs, 1955 America developed the B52 Stratofortress with long range flight capacity, 1955 USSR was also in the process of developing the TU20 Bear

Why was the arms race significant?

It prevented war in Europe. Each side feared each other. For example the Soviets had 3 million troops and could easily capture West Germany. However, they feared nuclear retaliation from America because of the devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the USA had caused at the end of WW2.

What was the communist regime imposed on Hungary in 1949?

* Hungary land was redistributed to other Eastern European countries.
* Hungarian coal,oil and wheat were shipped to Russia while Hungarian citizens were deprived of food.
* Russian officials controlled the government, the police and the army.
* Cominform began a reign of terror, executing popular political leaders and their supporters
* Matyas Rakosi was appointed as Hungry's dictator.

Who was Rakosi and what was he famous for?

He was Hungary's dictator from 1949 to 1956. He developed what were known as the 'salami tactics'.

What were the 'salami tactics'?

Rakosi dealt with his opponents 'slice by slice', so bit by bit. His oppressive regime imprisoned 387,000 and was responsible for more than 2,000 deaths.

When did Stalin die and what was the impact of his death?

\-1953 \n \n Stalin's style of government, Stalinism, was extraordinarily oppressive. He was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million people. It was a turning point in the Cold War. Russia's new leader, Krushchev, had a way more liberal approach to governing the USSR and Eastern Europe.

What did Khrushchev do?

He gave a secret speech in which he promised to end 'Stalinism'.

What did Nagy promise to do as Prime Minister of Hungary?

* Allow free elections
* Allow Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact

He made these bold moves because he hoped for support from the West.

How did Hungary hope to gain support from the West?

* They asked the UN to recognise them as a neutral country. Meaning that if they were to get invaded by USSR troops they would be breaking UN rules and would be removed by UN troops.
* The USA promised aid to those who dropped their communist regimes with military help. The USA encouraged the East by sponsoring the Radio Free Europe and urging people to stand up to their "communists oppressors".

How did Khrushchev respond to Nagy?

* Khrushchev believed that if Hungary was allowed to leave the Warsaw Pact other Eastern European countries would leave too.


* Khrushchev also had access to intelligence reports that indicated that other countries were unhappy too.
* In November 1956, 200,000 soviet troops were sent to Hungary too crush Nagy's government.
* After 2 weeks 20,000 Hungarians were killed and 200,000 fled to Austria and Nagy's government lay defeated.

How was Nagy's trial and execution significant?

Khrushchev stated that Nagy's fate was 'a lesson to the leaders of all socialist countries'. \n \n Basically Nagy sought protection in the Yugoslavian embassy. They and Khrushchev agreed that Nagy should be free to leave Hungary. As soon as he left Nagy was arrested by Soviet troops, accused of treason and hanged in June 1958.

What did America and other UN countries do following Nagy's arrest?

They:

* (USA) offered food and medical aid worth $20 million to Hungary
* (USA) allowed 80,000 Hungarian refugees to move to the USA
* (Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands) boycotted the 1956 Olympics in protest of the Soviet invasion of Hungary

How did Khrushchev reassert Soviet control in Hungary?

He appointed Kadar as the new Hungarian Leader. He published a new 15 point programme which included:

* re-establishing communist control of Hungary
* using Hungarian troops to stop attacks on Soviet forces
* remaining in the Warsaw Pact
* negotiating the withdraw of soviet troops once the crisis was over

What were the refugee problems in Germany?

Between 1949 and 1961 2.7 million East German refugees, of some who were highly valued in the workplace, fled to West Germany. West Germany was highly attractive as its citizens enjoyed much richer lifestyle.

Why did Khrushchev give the US troops a 6 month ultimatum to leave the city of Berlin?

To prevent refugees escaping to West Germany.

How did Eisenhower respond to Russia's ultimatum?

He agreed to hold an international meeting to decide Berlin's future.

What happened at the Geneva summit of 1959?

* Only top officials attended
* It was discussed that Krushchev should visit the USA to hold face-to-face talks with Eisenhower
* No solution to the problem was agreed however it did lay groundwork for Krushchev to visit the USA and hold face-to-face talks with Eisenhower

What happened at the Paris summit of 1960?

* Khrushchev and Eisenhower attended
* An American spy plane had been shot down over Russia. Eisenhower refused to apologise.

What happened at the Vienna Conference of 1961?

* JFK and Krushchev attende
* JFK became the new president of the USA/ Khrushchev saw this as an opportunity to push the USA out of Berlin

What happened at the Summit at Camp David in 1959?

* Only Top Officials attended
* They did not agree to a solution to their problem but did agree that Khrushchev would withdraw his 6 month ultimatum and to hold another conference a year from when the last met

What did Kennedy do in reply to Krushchevs’s ultimatum?

He refused to back down and began preparing America for war. JFK committed the US government an additional $3.2 billion of defence spending. He also made the decision to spend an extra $207 million on building nuclear fallout shelters.

Why did Khrushchev decide to build the Berlin Wall?

* 1961 the USA had 20 times more weapons than Russia and were capable of reaching the USSR whereas Soviet weapons could not.
* JFK called Khrushchev's bluff, forcing him to back down.
* He couldn't make the US troops leave but he still needed to stop the East Germans leaving

When was the Berlin Wall built and what happened to it over time?

* 12th August 1961
* East German troops laid barbed wire around the whole of West Berlin dividing the city into two.
* It was reinforced over the coming months and heavily guarded. Soviet tanks blocked Western access to the East.

What happened on the 27th Oct 1961?

* US and USSR tanks faced each other in a stand off
* After 18 hours both sides began to pull bac
* -Kennedy: "it's not a nice solution but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war."

What was the impact of the Berlin Wall?

* It stopped East Germans escaping into the West and ended the refugee crisis
* It allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with America while still appearing strong
* It became a powerful symbol for the division of Germany and Europe.

What were the areas of concern for each country during the arms race?

* For America it was the rate at which the USSR was building nuclear war weapons and the size of these weapons.
* For the USSR it was that the US missiles were much closer to the USSR than its missiles were to the US.

How was the Tsar Bomb significant?

It was detonated in 1961 by the Soviet Union and was the most powerful, destructive bomb ever.

What US bases were supplied with nuclear missiles and when?

* 1958: UK bases
* 1961: Italy and Turkey

What did Russia launch in 1957?

Sputnik 1 - the world's first man-made satellite.

What did Russia launch in 1960? What did Krushchev say about it?

* A robotic spacecraft that landed on the moon.
* Khrushchev boasted that the Americans were 'sleeping beneath a red moon'.

Why did the past American presidents think it important to maintain a healthy relationship with Cuba?

Because it was part of the American 'sphere of influence' as it was only 90 miles away from American soil. Much of the land was owned by American businesses:

* they ran 90% of the phone and electric supply
* they ran 50% of the railways
* they ran 40% of all sugar production

What was the significance of the Cuban Revolution of 1959?

It overthrew Cuba's pro-American government and replaced it with Fidel Castro. They wanted greater independence from America. As part of the new policy, the new government took American property located in Cuba.

What did America do in response to the Cuban Revolution?

They banned the import of Cuban sugar which threatened to bankrupt the Cuban economy.

What did Castro do in January 1959?

He went to the USA and president Eisenhower refused to speak to him or accept his government and the rightful government of Cuba

What happened to foreign land owners in Cuba May 1959?

Castro's Land Reform Act banned foreign ownership of land. Other countries that owned land in Cuba accepted payment except the USA who did not accept Castro's government.

What happened to the USA's land in Cuba in January 1960?

Castro took the land.

what happened in February 1960 between the USSR and Cuba?

Castro made an agreement to sell the USSR sugar and buy its oil

what happened in Cuba in March 1960?

Oil from the USSR arrived by the US refineries refused to take it so Castro nationalised them (put them under state control)

What happened between America and Cuba and Cuba and the USSR in July 1960?

The USA banned all trade with Cuba. Castro nationalised all US businesses in Cuba. the USSR agreed to buy more sugar and provide more goods and loans.

What did the CIA convince JFK to agree to?

the CIA convinced Kennedy to agree to an invasion of Cuba to stir up and overthrow Castro’s government and put back Batista (who was corrupt but an ally of the USA) Back into powers

Why did the CIA want to get rid of Castro’s Government?

they were worried about Cuba’s relationship with the USSR and did not want a communist in their backyard, especially one that was allied with the USSR

Describe the Bay of Pigs invasion

the Cuban exile army of about 1,400 invaded at the bay of pigs on 17th April 1961. Castro answered with an army of 200,000 troops and heavy air attacks. Kennedy sent in planes but was to late, the Cuban exile army was forced to surrender.

what did the CIA assure Kennedy of in accordance with the Bay of Pigs incident?

* they would make it look like a Cuban revolt. they had already been training Cuban exiles in guerrilla fighting and would disguise old US planes to look like Cuban ones for bombing


* Castro’s hold on the country was weak
* most Cubans would join in a revolt against Castro once the invasion began

how was the Bay of Pigs a distaster?

* Castro’s government already knew about the ‘secret’ plan
* most Cubans did not want Bautista back in power
* the first strike by the ‘Disguised’ planes on 15th April, missed most of its targets, including Castro’s air base. the planes were photographed and US involvement was publicly known. JFK cancelled a planned second air strike

What did the USSR negotiate with Castro after the bay of Pigs INcident?

Military ‘protection’ against the USA by placing soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba

Name the events that happened on the ‘13 days’ of 1962

oct 16 Oct - JFK is informed of Khrushchev’s plans to place nuclear missiles on Cuba

20 Oct - Kennedy decides to impose a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent further missiles from reaching Cuba

22 Oct - JFK gives a public address officially declaring the Blockade and calling on Khrushchev to recall his ships

23 Oct - Khrushchev sends a letter to JFK stating that soviet ships will be breaking through the blockade

24 Oct - Soviet ships approach the line of Blockade (5000 miles from Cuba). at 10:32 AM the closest ships suddenly stop or turn around. Khrushchev issued a statement that the USSR was prepared to launch nuclear weapons if America goes to war

25 Oct - American and Soviet armed forces are on the highest alert level - they are told to prepare for war. Kennedy writes to Khrushchev asking him to withdraw missiles from Cuba

26 Oct - Khrushchev responds to Kennedy’s letter, saying that he will withdraw soviet missiles in return for a guarantee that the USA will not invade Cuba.

27 Oct - Khrushchev receives intelligence that the USA is planning to invade Cuba in 24 hours. he proposes a deal: the USSR will withdraw missiles from Cuba if the USA will withdraw its missiles from Turkey and never invade Cuba

\
An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba. American ‘Hawks’ demand retaliation

\
Robert Kennedy approaches the Russian ambassador accepting Khrushchev’s deal but demands that the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey is kept secret.

28 Oct - Khrushchev accepts his secret deal

What were the immediate consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

* The CMC was a reduction in Krushchev's authority.
* Because the removal of US missiles from Turkey was kept secret it seemed that Krushchev had backed down and betrayed his allies in Cuba.

What were the long-term consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The two superpowers agreed to:

* A 'hotline' - in June 1963 a direct line between Washington and Moscow was set up
* The Limited Test Ban Treaty - in August 1963 the USA and USSR agreed to ban the testing of all nuclear weapons in space, in sea and above ground. Underground nuclear testing was still permitted.
* JFK signalled his commitment to working with the USSR in a speech in June 1963 where he argued that both superpowers needed to focus on their 'common interests'. This was the beginning of a policy called 'detente'.
* France decided to leave NATO in the event of a nuclear war between Russia and America.
* By 1965 the USA and USSR were both on equal footing in terms of their nuclear capability. American and Russian leaders realised that any nuclear war was bound to destroy both countries. This idea, known as the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction, gave both superpowers an excellent reason for avoiding war.

Why did Prague Spring happen?

* Czechoslovakia was a satellite state and communism had brought little benefit to the Czech people. In the mid 1960's it was controlled by the secret police who brutally crushed all opposition. In addition the economy was also struggling and the majority of the civilisation there had a poor standard of living.
* Political repression and economic problems made the Communist Party Leader Notovtny very unpopular.. His leadership was challened and on 5th January 1968 Dubcek became the new Communist Party Leader.

What was Dubcek's aim?

* To get rid of the most repressive aspects of communist rule, to reform the economy and to allow more cultural freedom.

What were Dubcek's policies of reform?

* a relaxation of censorship


* legalisation of political opposition groups
* official government toleration of political criticism
* more power given to regional governments
* more power given to Czech parliament -'market socialism'
* the reintroduction of capitalist elements into the Czech economy

Why did the Soviet's invade Czechoslovakia?

Because Brezhnev was scared that Dubcek's policies of reform had gone too far (and would lead to the eventual break up of Czechoslovakia from the Eastern Bloc).

How did the USSR justify the invasion of Czechoslovakia?

With the Brezhnev doctrine. According to the doctrine the Soviets had the right to invade any country whose actions threaten the security of the whole Eastern Bloc.

What did America do about the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and why?

Nothing because they were fighting communism in Vietnam.

How did the West respond to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia?

The governments did nothing the communist parties were outraged and declared themselves independent of the Soviet Communist Party.

What treaty did the two superpowers sign in 1967?

The Outer Space Treaty that stopped the arms race spreading to outer space as it pledged that no nuclear weapons would be placed in space by either superpower

What treaty did the two superpowers sign in 1968?

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that agreed that neither superpower would supply nuclear weapons to other states or help other states to develop nuclear weapons. This stopped superpower conflict engulfing other areas of the world.

Describe the contents of the SALT 1 Treaty (1972)

* The USA and USSR agreed that there would be no further production of strategic ballistic missiles (short range, lightweight missiles)
* Both powers agreed that submarines carrying nuclear weapons would only be introduced when existing stocks of intercontinental ballistic missiles became obsolete.
* The ABM (Anti-ballistic missile) Treaty was agreed.

What was the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty? (ABM)

If ABM's were developed more they could shoot down incoming nuclear missiles. If one side achieved this first it would give them a dangerous edge. Both sides were limited to 2 ABM systems each.

What was the significance of SALT 1?

It was the first agreement bewtween the superpowers that successfully limited the number of nuclear weapons they had. It also showed that detente had created an environment in which the 2 side could co-operate on important.

Why were the negotiations for SALT 2 difficult?

Because:

* The West German government was worried that further arms reductions would leave them undefended
* Right-wing American Congressmen thought that detente had gone too far and were reluctant to agree to further compromises with the Soviet Union

How was the Apollo-Soyuz 1975 Mission significant?

It was a mission where an American Apollo spacecraft and a Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked high above Earth. This marked the beginning of superpower co-operation in space

What were the 3 main points of the Helsinki Agreements (1975)?

SECURITY:

* All countries boundaries were accepted
* All disputes were to be settled peacefully, not by the use of threats or force
* No country would interfere in the internal affairs of another country
* Countries would inform each other about any big military manoeuvres and would accept representatives from other countries to observe them.,

CO-OPERATION:

* Economic co-operation through trade (so the USA would buy oil from the USSR, whilst the USSR would buy wheat from the USA)
* Industrial co-operation through setting the same standards and running joint industrial projects
* Scientific co-operation through sharing information and research (for example in medicine or space)
* Educational co-operation (Learning languages, student exchanges)

HUMAN RIGHTS:

* Freedom of speech
* Freedom of movement
* Freedom of religion
* Freedom of information

What was the Kabul revolution of April 1978?

it was an overthrow of the government in Afghanistan. Stalin saw it as an oppertunity to extend his territory to the oil-rich middle east.

What did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

* Because although Amin (the new president of Afghanistan) was a communist the USSR did not trust him. The Soviet secret police reported that he was a spy.
* He was unpopular with a large number of Muslims and Brezhnev feared that Muslim groups were planning to take control of the country
* The USSR was concerned that, as a result of the civil war, Afghanistan would become an Islamic state and influence nearby Soviet republics to do the same. The Islamic states were not communists so had no reason to become allies of the USSR
* Kamal, an Afghani communist, argued that he had enough popular support to form a new government but needed Soviet help to defeat Amin's military
* Brezhnev believed that America would tolerate the invasion.

How long did the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan December 1979 last for?

10 years and around 1.5 million people died, including around 15,000 Russian soldiers.

What steps did Jimmy Carter take to remove soviet troops from Afghanistan?

* He formed an alliance with China and Israel to support Afghan rebels, who were opposed to the invasion and new communist government. The CIA provided weapons and funds to the rebels.
* He imposed economic sanctions stopping all trade with Russia
* He ended diplomatic relations with the USSR

What happened to SALT 2?

Carter refused to ratify it in response to the Afghan invasion

What happened at the same time as the end of SALT 2?

Carter increased the US defence spending by 5%. He also ordered the US military to come up with plans for surviving and winning a nuclear war with the USSR.

What did Carter do about the Olympic games?

He led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic games and around 60 countries (including China, Malawi, West Germany and Zaire) followed America's lead and refused to attend the games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The American government set up an alternative Olympics called the Olympic Boycott Games, which was held in Philadelphia.

What did the Communists do in response to the Olympic Boycott Games?

they refused to attend the Olymic games of 1984 held in LA and set up their own boycott games in retaliation: “the friendship games”

What was Reagans vision in regards to SDI (strategic defence initiative)?

His plan was to launch an army of satellites into space and equip them with powerful lasers that would intercept and destroy soviet missiles before they could reach America. SDI broke the terms and conditions of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.

What were the problems that meant that the USSR could not compete with Reagan's SDI?

* America had won the race to the moon (1969)
* In the early 1980s it had developed the next generation of the spacecraft: the space shuttle
* The Soviet economy was not producing enough wealth to fund consumer goods, conventional military spending and the development of new space-based weapons.
* The USSR was behind in its computer-based technology. This was because the communist party was concerned that they could be used to undermine their power by, for example, printing off propaganda or leaking government secrets to the governments in the West.

What did Gorbachev try and hide from the Western Governments?

The Chernobyl Crisis in April 1986.

What problems did communism face in Russia?

* The economy. Everyday life was dominated by shortages
* Many Soviets had lost faith in the communist way of life.

What were Gorbachev's plans for reviving communism in Russia?

* Perestrokia (reconstructing) - economic reforms designed to make the Soviet economy more efficient


* Glasnost (openness) - censorship of the press was to be relaxed.

Why did Regan change his mind about the USSR?

* He could see that the public opinion was against another arms race. He wanted to save the money that would have been spent on new technology for the arms race.
* There was also widespread approval of Gorbachev and his changes in the USSR. \n -He got on with Gorbachev and seems to have believed that Gorbachev wanted reforms in the USSR and an end to the Cold War.

How significant was the Geneva summit of 1985 significant?

The 2 leaders were able to talk face-to-face and develop a personal relationship but no agreements were made in accordance with the arms race and Reagan's SDI project.

How was the Reykjavik summit of 1986 significant?

Reagan proposed scrapping all ballistic nuclear missiles while Gorbachev was reluctant to do this as Reagan refused to drop his SDI project.