All Flashcards
Who was Ronald Reagan?
US President who intensified the Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative.
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Soviet leader who introduced Glasnost and Perestroika, seeking to improve relations with the US and reform the Soviet Union.
Who was Oliver North?
NSC staffer who was put in charge of soliciting donations from wealthy right wing Americans. In what North later described as a “neat idea”, he could use profits from the sale of weapons to Iran to finance the Contras.
Who was Boris Yeltsin?
President of the Russian Republic who disbanded the Communist party and attempted to establish a democracy and free market economy.
Who was Saddam Hussein?
The leader of Iraq who invaded Kuwait in 1990, leading to the Persian Gulf War.
Who was General Schwarzkopf?
The general who led the combined forces troops directly into Kuwait City during the ground assault.
Who was General Colin Powell?
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs who advised President Bush to halt the advance and agree to an armistice with Iraq.
Who was Vladimir Putin?
Yeltsin's elected successor who took office in 2000.
Who was Slobodan Milosevic?
Serbian leader who ended Kosovo’s autonomy within Yugoslavia and imposed Serbian rule.
Who was Ayatollah Khomeini?
The leader of Iran during the Iran-Contra affair, when Americans were held hostage in Lebanon.
Compare Reagan's and Gorbachev's approaches to the Cold War.
Reagan: Focused on military buildup and confronting the Soviet Union. Gorbachev: Sought to reform the Soviet Union and improve relations with the US through Glasnost and Perestroika.
Compare the US intervention in the Persian Gulf War and the Vietnam War.
Persian Gulf War: Decisive victory with limited casualties. Vietnam War: Protracted conflict with high casualties and political division.
Compare Yeltsin's and Putin's leadership in Russia.
Yeltsin: Focused on establishing democracy and a free market economy, but struggled with corruption. Putin: Consolidated power and oversaw a period of economic growth, but with concerns about authoritarianism.
Compare the US response to the Tiananmen Square protests and the Kosovo conflict.
Tiananmen Square: Limited direct intervention. Kosovo: Military intervention through NATO to stop ethnic cleansing.
Compare the causes of the Cold War's end and the start of the Cold War.
Start: Ideological differences, Soviet expansionism. End: Soviet economic problems, Gorbachev's reforms, Reagan's pressure.
Compare Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Desert Shield: Defensive buildup to deter further Iraqi aggression. Desert Storm: Offensive military operation to liberate Kuwait.
Compare the US involvement in Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide.
Yugoslavia: US intervened to stop ethnic cleansing. Rwandan genocide: US did not intervene.
Compare the impacts of Glasnost and Perestroika.
Glasnost: Increased political openness and freedom of expression. Perestroika: Restructuring of the Soviet economy with some free-market practices.
Compare the goals of the Sandinistas and the Contras in Nicaragua.
Sandinistas: Overthrew the authoritarian regime and implemented leftist policies. Contras: Exiles fighting against the Sandinistas to disrupt the economy.
Compare the effects of the INF Treaty and the SALT treaties.
INF Treaty: Removed and destroyed intermediate-range missiles in Europe. SALT Treaties: Aimed to limit the growth of nuclear arsenals.
When was the Tiananmen Square protest?
Spring of 1989; pro-democracy students demonstrated in Beijing, but the Chinese government crushed the protest.
When did the Soviet Union dissolve?
December 1991; the remaining republics dissolved the Soviet Union after a failed coup against Gorbachev.
When did Iraq invade Kuwait?
1990; Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the Persian Gulf War.
When was Operation Desert Storm?
January 17, 1991; the US unleashed an aerial assault on Iraq, followed by a ground assault to liberate Kuwait.
When did the US launch air strikes at al Qaeda training camps?
After al Qaeda tried to blow up the World Trade Center in 1993, attacked two American embassies (Kenya and Tanzania), and attacked the USS Cole in 2000.
When was the INF Treaty signed?
1987; the US and the Soviet Union agreed to remove and destroy all intermediate-range missiles in Europe.
When did the Baltic republics declare independence?
1990; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union.
When did Clinton order an aerial assault in 1999?
When diplomatic efforts failed, Clinton and the heads of NATO governments ordered an aerial assault in 1999 after Milosevic stepped up the ethnic cleansing in response.
When did the US get involved in Yugoslavia?
Largely through air power after ethnic cleansing occurred during a civil war between various ethnic and religious factions.
When was the Rwandan genocide?
1996; Clinton controversially did not intervene during the 1996 Rwandan genocide.