Vocab
What is the Cold War?
Indirect war between the USA and USSR, involving space race, arms race, proxy wars that lasted about 45 years.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, who placed missiles in Cuba?
USSR
Which was NOT a proxy war fought during the Cold War?
Vietnam War
Yom Kippur War
Korean War
Chinese War
chinese war
Which one of these spending areas was a reason why the USSR collapsed?
Military
Medicine
Education
military
What is the Red Scare?
A period of fear and paranoia towards communists in USA.
During the CMC, where did the USA place their missiles?
Turkey and italy
The USSR was trying to keep up with the USA by spending more and more on what?
During the 1970s, the Cold War experienced a time of “detente” - what does this word mean?
relaxation
What is the My Lai Massacre?
When american soldiers killed innocent vietnamese villagers with the excuse that they were viet cong.
The USA placed an embargo on Cuba during the CMC, what is an embargo?
ban on trade
Glasnost is the russian word for what kind of reform?
Openness
Perestroika is the russian word for what kind of reform?
restructuring
What is the United Nations?
International organization that aims to maintain international peace and security.
What was the Bay of Pigs invasion and was it successful or not?
“Bay of Pigs” invasion, the CIA
planned to train and provide firearms to Cuban
exiles, who would enter Cuba through the Bay of
Pigs and eventually make their way to Havana to
assassinate Castro.
-Not successful
Why was competition with the west a reason for the fall of the soviet union?
The Soviets had little
to no economic
growth, which is a
natural problem
within communism.
As a result, they had
little money to
spend, yet they were
trying to match the
US in defense
spending. They
could not keep up.
The US was
spending billions of
dollars and still only
7% of their GDP
while the Soviets
were spending 27%
of their GDP.
Why was eastern european countries opting out a reason for the fall of the soviet union?
Eastern bloc
countries had long
been “forced” to
remain communist
under the threat of
Soviet invasion;
when Gorbachev
opened up politics
and free speech, it
gave a voice to
dissenters who
opposed
communism. Once
given the chance, the
people revolted in
each Eastern bloc
country.
What is the Tet Offensive? Was it a success or not?
when north vietnam invaded the south during the tet holiday, success and not success bc it led americans to not supporting the war/did not succeed in taking south land.
What was the end result of the Cuban Missile Crisis? Who “won” this conflict?
Both sides took their missiles out from cuba/turkey and italy
Answers vary for winning
Explain what stagnation is and why it was a reason for the fall of the soviet union.
No economic prosperity or increase in wealth + high unemployment.
-People grew lazy and unwilling to work since they were constantly getting free handouts.
At the same time, Soviets became very reliant on US/
Western European banks and grain imports.
Why were unsuccessful reforms a reason for the fall of the soviet union?
In the end, people
were not ready for
either. Openness
allowed for the
public to criticize
leaders, who in turn
became more
secretive and
resentful.
Restructuring of the
economy could not
work since private
business cannot
work effectively
within communism.