The Cold War
What is the main cause of the Cold War?
Capitalism vs Communism
What is the general trend after WW2 between European empires and their colonies?
(What happened to European Empires with their colonies?)
The disassembly of European Empires
Colonial strides for self determination and independence. Wary and hesitant to trust global powers (fear of being dominated again by another foreign power).
Who was the nonviolent leader that helped lead India’s independence movement?
Mahatma Gandhi
This wall, built in 1961, became a symbol of Cold War division and fell in 1989.
This event in 1991 officially ended the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
Berlin Wall
Collapse (dissolution) of the Soviet Union
What was the Western-led military alliance system created after WW2? What did it sought out to do?
Bonus: Who did it replace? Why was it different?
NATO- prevent the spread of communism. Militarily support opposition to communism.
League of Nations
This 1959 revolution in the Caribbean brought Fidel Castro to power and aligned the country with the Soviet Union.
Name two major events that ensued due to it?
Cuban Revolution
Bay of Pigs Invasion & Cuban Missile Crisis
This African nation’s 1957 independence from Britain made it the first sub-Saharan colony to gain independence after WWII.
Ghana!
What was the U.S. conflict in Southeast Asia that reflected containment policy and ended in 1975 with a communist victory?
Vietnam War
What were the 3 WW2 conferences that laid the foundations for the Cold War? (briefly explain each)
Tehran Conference (1943) - Allies agree to an end strategy for WWII - Russia will attack from the east, US and Britain will attack from the West
Yalta Conference (1945) - Allies discuss what to do after WWII in Europe and how to defeat Japan. FDR/US wants free elections and for the USSR to help end the war in the Pacific, Stalin/USSR wants control over Eastern Europe to prevent another Hitler and will help fight Japan if given some islands in the Pacific.
Potsdam Conference (1945) - Allies discuss peace in Europe, and Stalin (who is occupying Eastern Europe) refuses to leave. Germany is split into four sections between Allied powers (Berlin is split as well); tensions between the US and USSR mounts; prelude to Cold War.
Why would some historians argue that the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) marked the beginning of the process of decolonization and dissolution of European colonial empires?
Haitian Revolution- sparked by the desire for Natural Rights (the Enlightenment) leads to ideas of self determination and independence movements.
Haitian Revolution- first non-white colonial revolution. 1st successful slave rebellion.
What was apartheid? Who was Nelson Mandela?
In 1948, this system of racial segregation and minority rule was formally established in South Africa by the National Party. It restricted political rights, controlled movement through pass laws, and enforced separation of races.
One major opponent of this system who was imprisoned for 27 years before becoming the country’s first Black president in 1994. His leadership symbolized a transition from institutionalized racial oppression to multiracial democracy.
Name 3 long term causes for the collapse of the Soviet Union during the late 20th century?
Failures in Proxy Wars- such as the Afghan War. Growing technological gap between U.S. and Soviet military.
Cost of the Arms Race & Space Race between the Soviets and U.S.
Nationalistic uprisings in Eastern Europe
Economy in shambles- failure to house and feed its own people (public outrage)
What is a Proxy War? (definition & explain three examples)
Why would the U.S. and the Soviet Union prefer this type of engagement?
A war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved.
Examples- the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Soviet Afghanistan War.
To avoid a direct military confrontation that could possibly lead to nuclear war
What was the Mau Mau uprising? Which major Cold War power supported it and why?
The Mau Mau Uprising was an anti-colonial rebellion in Kenya against British rule, officially called the “Kenya Emergency” (1952–1960). It was driven largely by members of the Kikuyu ethnic group who had lost land and political power under colonial policies.
Supported anti-colonial movements rhetorically and ideologically because weakening Western empires aligned with Soviet Cold War strategy.
The partition of British India in 1947 created what two new independent states? What was the problem?
New Muslim state of Pakistan & predominantly Hindu state of India.
Causes religious and ethnic tensions and horrible violence that would lead to mass migrations and massacres.
Explain one major difference between resistance in the 1970s and resistance in the 1980s within the Soviet Union/Eastern Bloc.
1970s: Resistance was suppressed (e.g., dissidents like Solzhenitsyn, Prague Spring aftermath).
1980s: Resistance became more visible and organized (e.g., Solidarity in Poland, Baltic independence movements).
Gorbachev’s refusal to use force marked a major turning point.
Name and explain 4 MAJOR U.S. or Soviet interventions/events during the Cold War. (Not proxy wars)
Bay of Pigs Crisis (1961)-Kennedy/US government gave support to Cuban exiles, who were trained by the CIA to invade Cuba and assassinate Castro; it fails splendidly as Castro literally sees them coming
Berlin Blockade, Airlift, and Berlin Wall- USSR wants to control all of Berlin, so blockades the zones to prevent the West from accessing it/sending supplies. Allies fly supplies over blockade and airdrop necessities to west Berlin. Citizens of East Germany migrate to the West, about 2.5 million; but the USSR views this as a threat to their economy and their pride, so they st up fence and then a permanent wall in 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)-The US and USSR come to the brink of nuclear war during this time, especially when a charge dropped to force a USSR sub to surface almost leads the commander of the submarine to fire. USSR/Khruschev agree to remove missiles in Cuba if the US/Kennedy remove missiles from Turkey.
Space Race- competition between the US and USSR to achieve milestones in space
Arms Race: stockpiling and mass production of nuclear weapons. Mutually Assured Destruction: “even if you win, you lose”. Military-Industrial Complex: close relationship between military and industry that develops weapons, leads to informal alliance between government and large defense contractors
Who was Mao Zedong? What was the Great Leap Forward? What were People’s Communes?
In 1958, this communist country launched a massive economic and social campaign that attempted rapid industrialization through collectivized agriculture and backyard steel production. The policy led to widespread famine, millions of deaths, and weakened the leader’s political standing.
The campaign reorganized rural life into communes and attempted to surpass Western steel production, ultimately resulting in one of the deadliest famines in world history.
Name and explain 5 examples of decolonization after 1900?
Partition of India 1947- Creation of Pakistan and India
Israel’s Creation: Palestine is split into Palestine (Arab section) and Israel (Jewish section). Leads to a lot of religious and ethnic conflict!!
Canada/Quebec- Quiet Revolution (1960's). Quebec’s attempt at changing social and political policies to separate from British-controlled Canada. Led to expansion of nationalism and some violent terrorist actions in 1963.
Vietnam 1954-War of independence 1954: ends with a treaty that divides Vietnam between communist North and non-communist South; Leads toVietnam War.
Cambodia- Khmer Rouge: Communist guerrilla group that overthrows the government of Cambodia. 1991 UN Agreement: leads to free elections and the creation of a democratic Cambodia
Ghana 1957- West African colony that combines with Togoland to gain independence from Britain, becomes the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence in 20th century with the help of the UN
Algerian War for Independence from France 1954. Leads to Algerian Civil War in 1991.
Egypt- 1922 Egypt became mostly independent in 1922 after being under control of Ottoman Empire; British have some treaty rights and mandates in Egypt still. 1952 General Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew reigning king of Egypt and established Republic of Egypt. Leads to Suez Crisis 1956. The UN: with the US and USSR helped negotiate an agreement that made the canal an international waterway under Egypt’s sovereignty
What was détente?
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
What were glasnost and perestroika?
Détente was a period in the 1970s when tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union temporarily eased.
It included: Arms control agreements like SALT I, Increased diplomatic meetings, Efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war.
Mikhail Gorbachev was the final leader of the Soviet Union (1985–1991). He attempted to reform and modernize the struggling Soviet system.
Glasnost ("Openness"): Allowed more freedom of speech and press. Encouraged transparency in government. Reduced censorship
Perestroika ("Restructuring"): Economic reforms to decentralize planning. Limited market-style reforms. Attempted modernization of industry