All Flashcards
What was the Berlin Blockade?
Stalin blockaded all land access to West Berlin. Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift, a massive operation to supply West Berlin by air.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
A massive operation by the U.S. and its allies to supply West Berlin by air during the Berlin Blockade.
What was the Chinese Civil War?
A war between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists (supported by the U.S.) and Mao Tse-tung’s Communists. The Communists won in 1949, establishing the People's Republic of China.
What was the Korean War?
The North (Communist) invaded the South in 1950. The U.S. intervened under the UN banner. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, leaving Korea divided at the 38th parallel.
What was the U-2 Incident?
A U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, exposing U.S. espionage and ending the 'spirit of Geneva'.
What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
A failed attempt by Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, to overthrow Castro in 1961. It damaged Kennedy's reputation.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
In 1962, the Soviets began a massive arms buildup in Cuba, including nuclear missiles. The U.S. imposed a naval quarantine, and Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles.
What was the Geneva Summit?
A summit in 1955 leading to a brief thaw in the Cold War, known as the 'spirit of Geneva'.
What was the SALT I treaty?
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks led to the SALT I treaty in 1972, limiting antiballistic missiles and freezing the number of ballistic missiles.
What was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 ended détente, and the Cold War resumed.
Who was Winston Churchill?
He declared that an 'iron curtain' had descended across Europe, dividing the democratic West from the communist East.
Who was Harry Truman?
U.S. President who adopted the containment policy and the Truman Doctrine to stop Soviet expansion.
Who was Joseph Stalin?
Leader of the Soviet Union during the early Cold War period. He initiated the Berlin Blockade and supported communist movements worldwide.
Who was Dwight Eisenhower?
U.S. President who implemented the policy of massive retaliation and proposed the 'atoms for peace' plan.
Who was Mao Tse-tung?
Leader of the Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War who established the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Who was Chiang Kai-shek?
Leader of the Nationalist forces in the Chinese Civil War. He fled to Formosa (Taiwan) after the Communist victory.
Who was Kim Il Sung?
Communist leader of North Korea who initiated the Korean War by invading South Korea in 1950.
Who was Fidel Castro?
He overthrew the Cuban dictator in 1959 and established a Communist state. The U.S. cut off trade, and Castro turned to the Soviets for support.
Who was John F. Kennedy?
U.S. President during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He declared 'Ich bin ein Berliner'.
Who was Richard Nixon?
U.S. President who pursued détente, visited China in 1972, and signed the SALT I treaty.
Compare the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.
Both were containment strategies. The Truman Doctrine provided military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, while the Marshall Plan focused on economic recovery in Europe to prevent communism.
Compare the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Both were proxy wars during the Cold War. The Korean War was fought under the UN banner and ended in a stalemate, while the Vietnam War was more prolonged and controversial, ultimately leading to a U.S. withdrawal.
Compare the policies of Massive Retaliation and Détente.
Massive Retaliation relied on nuclear deterrence to prevent Soviet aggression, while Détente aimed to reduce Cold War tensions through diplomacy and arms control agreements.
Compare the goals of the United Nations and NATO.
The United Nations aimed for global cooperation and maintaining international security, while NATO was a military alliance focused on collective defense against Soviet aggression.
Compare the US involvement in the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War.
In the Chinese Civil War, the US supported the Nationalists with financial aid, but they were ultimately defeated. In the Korean War, the US actively intervened militarily under the UN banner to prevent the spread of communism.
Compare the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Both were major crises during the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade was a test of wills resolved through the Berlin Airlift, while the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and was resolved through tense negotiations.
Compare the leadership styles of Truman and Eisenhower during the Cold War.
Truman adopted a more direct and confrontational approach with the Truman Doctrine, while Eisenhower favored a more strategic approach with the policy of Massive Retaliation.
Compare the impact of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall on Cold War tensions.
The Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological division of Europe, while the Berlin Wall physically represented that division and became a potent symbol of oppression and the Cold War.
Compare the SALT I and SALT II treaties.
SALT I limited antiballistic missiles and froze the number of ballistic missiles, while SALT II aimed to further reduce strategic arms but was never ratified by the U.S. Senate.
Compare the US foreign policy towards China and Cuba during the Cold War.
The US initially supported the Nationalists in China but failed to prevent the Communist takeover. In Cuba, the US attempted to overthrow Castro through the Bay of Pigs invasion and imposed a trade embargo.