History - Cold War+

• Which leaders met at the Yalta Conference in February 1945?

  Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill
• What was one of the key agreements made at the Yalta Conference?

  Stalin would join the war against Japan after Germany surrendered
• What was the main disagreement at the Yalta Conference?

  Stalin wanted to move the USSR border further into Poland
• When did the USA drop the first atom bomb on Japan?

  6th of August 1945
• Why do some historians believe the USA dropped the atom bomb on Japan?

  As a warning to Stalin
• What were the key agreements made at the Yalta Conference?

  • Stalin would join the war against Japan after Germany surrendered
  • Germany would be divided into zones run by the USSR, USA, Britain, and France
  • Nazi war criminals would be hunted down and prosecuted
  • All countries would join the United Nations
  • Eastern European countries would hold free elections
  • Eastern Europe would be a Soviet sphere of influence
• What were the main differences between the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences?

  • Change in leadership: Roosevelt replaced by Truman, Churchill replaced by Atlee
  • Increased tension due to Truman's anti-communist stance
  • Stalin's control over Eastern Europe was more evident
  • Development of the atom bomb by the USA
  • Stalin's demand for 10 billion dollars compensation from Germany
• What was the purpose of the Truman Doctrine?

  To stop the further spread of communism
• How much aid was proposed under the Marshall Plan?

  Seventeen billion dollars
• Why did Stalin ban communist states from applying to the Marshall Plan?

  He was suspicious of Marshall aid
• What was the name of Stalin's alternative to the Marshall Plan?

  Cominform
• Why did Stalin initiate the Berlin Blockade?

  Out of fear that Germany was being built up
• How did the Allies respond to the Berlin Blockade?

  They used planes to fly supplies into Berlin
• How long did the Berlin Airlift last?

  11 months
• What was the outcome of the Berlin Blockade?

  Germany was formally divided into two countries
• What were the two countries Germany was divided into after the blockade?

  Federal Republic of Germany and German Democratic Republic
• What were the key events and policies during the early Cold War period?

  • Spread of communism in Eastern Europe (1946)
  • Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech
  • Establishment of Cominform (1947)
  • Truman Doctrine (1947)
  • Marshall Plan (1947)
  • Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949)
  • Division of Germany into FRG and GDR (1949)
• What were the motivations behind the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan?

  • Truman Doctrine: Containment of communism
  • Marshall Plan: Rebuild Europe to prevent spread of communism
  • Both aimed to strengthen Western influence and counter Soviet expansion
• How did the Berlin Blockade and Airlift impact Cold War tensions?

  • Increased tensions between the US and USSR
  • Demonstrated the US commitment to defending West Berlin
  • Led to the formal division of Germany
  • Highlighted the ideological divide between East and West
• What were the consequences of the Marshall Plan and Cominform?

  • Marshall Plan: Strengthened Western European economies, created US allies
  • Cominform: Coordinated communist parties, reinforced Soviet control in Eastern Europe
  • Both deepened the divide between East and West
• Which two countries signed a treaty of friendship in 1950?

  USSR and China
• Who led the UN forces during the Korean War?

  General MacArthur
• What was the significance of the Korean War in terms of superpower conflict?

  It was the first physical conflict between East and West
• Which countries supported North Korea during the Korean War?

  USSR and China
• What was the role of the UN in the Korean War?

  It intervened to help South Korea
• What were the main causes of tension in Asia during the Cold War?

  • Communist revolution in China (1949)
  • Division of Korea (1948)
  • French withdrawal from Vietnam (1954)
  • Superpower support for opposing sides in conflicts
• What were the outcomes of the Chinese Civil War?

  • Communist victory under Mao in 1949
  • Establishment of the People's Republic of China
  • Increased Cold War tensions
  • USA's failure to contain communism in Asia
• In what year did Eisenhower announce the U.S. plan to create a satellite?

  1955
• What was the name of the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union?

  Sputnik
• In what year did the U.S. launch its Explorer 1 satellite?

  1958
• What organization was established by the U.S. in 1958?

  NASA
• Who was the first man sent into space by the Soviet Union in 1961?

  Yuri Gagarin
• What program did President Kennedy set up to send a man to the moon?

  Apollo program
• Why did the superpowers spend so much money on developing their space programs?

  Space technology could also launch nuclear missiles
• What was the name of the first intercontinental ballistic missile tested by the USSR in 1957?

  ICBM
• In what year did America develop its own ICBM system?

  1959
• What type of missiles did America develop in the 1960s that could be fired from submarines?

  Polaris missiles
• What were the key events in the Space Race between 1955 and 1969?

  • 1955: Eisenhower announces U.S. satellite plan
  • 1957: USSR launches Sputnik and sends Laika into space
  • 1958: U.S. launches Explorer 1 and establishes NASA
  • 1961: USSR sends first man (Yuri Gagarin) into space
  • 1969: U.S. lands Neil Armstrong on the moon
• How did the Space Race contribute to Cold War tensions?

  • Development of space technology also advanced missile capabilities
  • USSR's ICBM and secret rocket base increased fear
  • U.S. Polaris missiles and perceived missile gap caused panic
  • Space achievements were seen as symbols of national power
• Who became the leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin's death in 1953?

  Nikita Khrushchev