Unit XX: The Cold War- The Age of the Superpowers

United Nations

Organization designed to maintain international peace and security to encourage cooperative solutions to international problems

Great power veto

Each permanent member of the Security Council (in the UN) was granted this ability: US, USSR, GB, France, and China

Cold War

The widening, diplomatic, geopolitical and ideological clash of interests so called because the antagonisms and rivalries (although intense) always stopped short of open/direct military hostilities between the US and the USSR

"Containment"

The idea/strategy employed by US and other allies to stop the advancement of Soviet interests

"Iron curtain"

Coined by Churchill in reference to the satellite states "from Stettin in the Baltic to Theiste in the Adriatic" and separating east and west Germany

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted mainly because of Eleanor Roosevelt's persuasion, but not truly implemented by the UN

Truman Doctrine

March 1947: a broad national policy to contain communism anywhere set out by the US government

Berlin Blockade

In retaliation to the new Deutsche Mark in Western Germany; sharp challenge and test of will; led to a veerryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy famous airlift

Cominform

Reestablishment of the Old Communist International (Comintern), which had been abandoned as a wartime gesture in 1943, renamed the Communist Information Bureau

NATO

Created for joint defense of Western Europe (organized military efforts of allies)

Council for Mutual Economic Aid (Comecon)

A way that the USSR formalized its economic ties in 1949

Warsaw Pact

Coordinated the existing network of military alliances with the USSR in 1955

European Recovery Program

(Marshall Plan) coordinated American aid with each country's needs and with joint European priorities to maximize the benefits

OEEC

Worked closely with Americans: identified projects, coordinated planning and allocated the funds used

Mixed economies

Mainly in Western Europe: government had some control of the economy but the private sector was still the majority of the market share

Countercyclical meeasures (Keynes)

Western European governments increased government spending at sight of decline in the business cycle

Thirty glorious years

1948-1974; Western European economics grew at unprecedented and uninterrupted rates

Wirtschaftswunder

"Economic miracle" for west Germany due to the currency reform of 1948, Marshall Plan and the economic opportunities opened up by the Korean War

"Guest workers"

Immigrants to Western Europe who for so to full open positions in the workforce

Welfare state

Grew after WWII, gave high priority to social objectives; networks of social services to help cope with the instability of competitive capitalism and business cycle

Bretton Woods

An international conference of 44 countries; participants pledged to reduce trade barriers and work for stable currencies in the postwar world

GATT

General agreement in tariffs and trade; consolidated the piecemeal arrangements made by the US in regards to reducing tariffs into a broader agreement; became the foundation for a postwar global commercial system

International Monetary Fund

Provided loans to governments to manage temporary balance of payments difficulties and to help reduce the need for currency devaluation

Council of Europe

1949: delegates representing the parliaments of 10 countries met and established this with the hope that it would evolve into a legislative body for a federated Europe; gained much support and membership but confined itself to the humanitarian, social and cultural issues

European Coal and Steel Community

1952; six Western European countries placed their coal and steel industries under a form of supranational authority eliminated import duties and quotas, placed production under common High Authority with decision-making powers

Treaty of Rome

Signed March 25, 1957, creating the Common Market/European Economic community

Common Market

Large free trade area/customs union with the goal of moving to full economic and political integration

European Community

All 3 "communities" consolidated

European Parliament

merged assemblies of European countries that consolidated members organized by party affiliation, not country, chosen by respecting governments not European electorate; limited legislative authority, supervised budget

"Eurodollars"

Western Europe's accumulation of large dollar reserves during the "dollar glut"

Gold-dollar standard

~1958-1971: each major currency had par value in $ and in good; dollars were accepted as equivalent to gold itself

Beveridge Report

(1942) government report prepared by British economist William Henry Beveridge that proposed to guarantee "full employment in a free society" and social security for all "from the cradle to the grave"

Clement Attlee

Prime minister in Britain form 1945-1951 with the Labour party

Pierre Mendes-France

Led a brief reform ministry in 1954-1955 in France

Monnet Plan

Economic plan that enlarged and modernized France's economic base and paved the way for expansion; flexible form of government planning in which government, management and labor played mutually reinforcing roles

Charles de Gaulle

First president of the Fifth Republic of France

Nuremberg trials

Allies held these war crimes/crimes against humanity trials on Nazis following the end of WWII

Konrad Adenauer

Became chancellor of Germany in 1949

Christian Democrats

Sought to infuse politics with moral idealism and ethical purpose, appealed to more than just Christians

Social Democrats

Abandoned their traditional Marxist ideology at a meeting in 1959 and broadened appeal to middle class and youngins

"Social market economy"

West Germany: government encouraged private industry and capitalist, competitive economy

Basic Law

officially established the Federal Republic of Germany - meant to be temporary

codetermination law

gave workers seats on the boards of directors of larger films

Willy Brandt

Former social democratic mayor of West Berlin that became foreign minister and launched Ostpolitik, became chancellor in 1969, where he negotiated with USSR and Poland

Ostpolitik

policy of Willy Brandt that encouraged building bridges to USSR and Eastern Europe, "Eastern Policy"

Doctors Plot

Officially announced in early 1953, a score of Jewish doctors were arrested for plotting to poison Stalin and other Kremlin leaders; released after Stalin died

De-Stalinization

political reform in the Soviet Union that took place after the death of long-time leader Joseph Stalin in 1953

Crimes of the Stalin era

revealed to the Soviet people by Khrushchev in an attempt to de-Stalinize the nation

The "thaw"

A greater measure of cultural and intellectual freedom encouraged by Krushchev

KGB

Previously the NKVD; secret political police force with unbridled power under Stalin, but restricted under other leaders

Tito

The independent-minded Communist leader of Yugoslavia

Gomulka

Communist leader of Poland who relaxed Communist controls in Poland and was able to resist Soviet punishment

Imre Nagy

Inspired by Gomulka's success and tried to do the same in Hungary but was forcefully removed by the Soviets

"Third World"

The developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America

"peaceful coexistence"

USSR and USA recognized need to exist peacefully. Agreements between Eisenhower and Khrushchev

Eisenhower doctrine

Money and Military aid to prevent communists from interfering in Middle East

Flexible response

Kennedy's policy that called for mutual deterrence at strategic and tactical levels. Gave USA ability to respond to aggression across the spectrum of war

ICBM

intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US by using space. Created idea of mutual deterrence. Led to fear in Europe that the US wouldn't defend them now because they were vulnerable

Sputnik

Soviets launched the first satellite to orbit in space, began the space race, created implications of missiles traveling through space (ICBM)

Bay of Pigs

In April 1961, a group of Cuban exiles organized and supported by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency landed on the southern coast of Cuba in an effort to overthrow Fidel Castro. When the invasion ended in disaster, President Kennedy took full responsibility for the failure.

Berlin Wall

Created to prevent exodus of people from East to West Germany. Armed by Sentries and Barbed Wire.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Khrushchev put missiles in range of the US in Cuba. Potential for nuclear war, but Kennedy's blockade made Khrushchev back down.

Alexander Dubcek

Communist leader of Czechoslovakia who allowed more political debates that threatened one party rule in the country. Removed from power by the Soviets

"Prague Spring"

Name for Czechoslovakian revolt that was crushed by the USSR

Brezhnev Doctrine

Proclaimed right of USSR to intervene in the name of proletarian internationalism in any Communist Country to protect Socialism from outside forces and prevent restoration of capitalist regime (Justified invasion of Czechoslovakia)

SALT I Treaty

1972, Nixon and Soviet Union reaffirmed goal of peaceful coexistence that consisted of each nation reducing anti-missile defense system, to work towards equality of inoffensive weapons.

Detente

De-escalation of conflict between countries, offered an opportunity to settle un-resulted conflicts of WW2. Most prominent in the 1970s

Helsinki accords

West Europe, East Europe and Neutrals met over 2 years to pledge peace, economic and cultural cooperation. Not a formal treaty, High point of cold war detente.

OPEC

Formed in 1960 by the oil-exporting countries of Middle East, Africa and Latin America to curb the monopoly concessions enjoyed by foreign companies and to assume a larger share of authority over production and prices

"Stagflation"

Combination of stagnation and inflation that created unprecedented problems for governments

Keynesian theory

Gained a wide following in Europe after 1945 and called for government spending and deficit financing in times of economic trouble to buoy demand and keep employment stable; measures became questionable during the recession of 1974

welfare state

Created in many countries (shown by the doubling of GNP spent on social measures)

"Trickle down" theory

Stated that, by increasing production rather than consumer demand, the results would just spread down to benefit everyone, with a safety net in place for the disadvantaged

Margaret Thatcher

British Conserrvative Parrty LEader who became prime minister in 1979; gained international prominence by leading a campaign against the welfare state

Falkland Islands

Thatcher inspired old patriotic feelings by dispatching a small armada of 8,000 here to stop an attempted takeover in 1982

Francois Mitterand

The first socialist president of the Fifth Republic; revitalized the Socialist Party and reached to many who chafed at the social insensitiveness of the Gaullists and Conservatives

Helmet Kohl

chancellor of Germany in 1990; promised a transformation of the East that would take place within four years

"Cohabitation"

Entered the political language to signify a popularly elected president of one party governing with a prime minister who represented the opposing parliamentary majority

OECD

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Maastricht Treaty

Created an integrated Europe without borders; ratified Single European Act common production standards, remove capital barriers, seek uniform tax rates and seek common charter of labor rights.

European Union

an association of European nations formed in 1993 for the purpose of achieving political and economic integration.

SALT II Treaty

Carter and Brezhnev signed in 1979; limited both nations total nuclear forces to 2,250 and placed other restrictions on deployed strategic nuclear forces

Partial test-ban treaty

stopped spread of radioactive material through atmospheric testing and set precedent for a new ware of arms control agreements. Prohibited testing, where the debris falls outside the limits of the state conducting the test

Nonproliferation treaty

promote peaceful use of nuclear energy, but mainly to prevent spread pf nuclear weapons - disarmament

MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction)

Policy that pretty much said, "If you attack me ill attack you"

Antiballistic missiles

undermined deterrence and led to US creating own and better weapons. Soviets designed to shoot down nukes before they could hit

Three Mile Island

1979 nuclear accident in USA - public safety fears and nuclear energy safety

Chernobyl

nuclear disaster in USSR - increased opposition to nuclear energy

"nuclear winter"

a climate event caused by large scale explosion of nuclear missiles - widespread environmental destruction

Afghanistan

Soviets invaded ruining detente, Americans issued embargo on USSR, but Europe refused. Soviets wasted 8 years and lost