The Cold War 1956-1984

• Eisenhower was the US president from 1953-1961 and was overall reluctant to accept anything USSR wanted to do.
• Peaceful coexistence- Khrushchev's idea where both sides allow each other to exist in peace, even if they didn't like the ideals and policies of the other country. He wanted to avoid confrontation.
• De-stalinisation was the gradual change in the attitude of the Soviet Union towards the West
• The Berlin Wall was built on the 13th August 1961.
• The significance of the Berlin Wall was it created a separation between both sides and it was done without USA permission to USSR.
• The causes of the Berlin Wall were the Brain drain.
• Brain Drain is when people leave their own countries because there are better opportunities elsewhere.
• The space race was important because it proved scientific ability, power, technological supremacy.
• Sputnik was launched by the USSR on October 4th 1957.
• The first Satellite was launched in October 1957 by USSR.
• The first animal went into space in November 1957 by the USSR.
• The first man in space was Yuri Gagarin in 1961 by the USSR.
• The first man on the moon was Neil Armstrong, who was the commander of the Apollo 11 mission. In July 1969 by USA.
• The Poznan uprising took place in June 1956.
• The Poznan uprising included riots in factories after workers went on strike. The soviet union responded by sending the red army to station in Poland.
• The differences in the FRG and the GDR. The FRG had fast economy growth and a multi party state. The GDR had slow economy growth and a one party state.
• Similarities between the GDR and FRG were base flag of Germany, both were controlled by other countries and both well militarised
• Differences between the GDR and FRG were that the GDR was communist and the FRG capitalist
• The arms race began in 1949.
• The space race began in 1957.
• The first launched atomic bomb was in 1945 by the USA.
• The first atomic bomb tested by the USSR was in 1949.
• The first hydrogen bomb test was in 1952 by the USA.
• Mutually assured destruction: each side had atomic capability to destroy one another a war is prevented as neither side would use their weapons.
• Polish Solidarity was an independent trade union that was set up in 1980. It had 8 million members and was started as a result of a major economic crisis.
• Solidarity's demands were better wages, more consumer goods, less corruption and greater political freedom.
• Polish solidarity became very popular in 1981 and was made illegal in 1982, as it was seen as a threat. A success was raising wages in Poland.
• Prague spring was a period of political and social change in Czechoslovakia in 1968. The aims were to increase standard of living and change trading rules.
• The Basic treaty was in 1972. It was negotiations between GDR and FRG, furthering increasing détente and positive relations between the two states.
• The Afghanistan war began in 1979.
• Detente: A period of peace and cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union. The tensions were relaxed.
• Détente started in the late 1960s and lasted through the 1970s.
• Causes of détente were improved relations, a relax of the cold war, treaties and fear of nuclear war.
• Détente ended because of the Afghanistan war, KAL-007, Ronald Reagan and the Space & Arms race.
• Ostpolitik: A west German policy that would create peace with eastern Europe, and would be a way to prevent the spread of communism.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis was in 16th October- 29th October 1962.
• Espionage: The act of gathering information about a country or organization without permission.
• Reagan's influence over the cold war was that he was a strong leader and very aggressive against the USSR, increasing tensions.
• KAL-007 was in September 1983. It was a shooting down of a Korean civil airliner by Soviet interceptor.
• Hungarian Uprising occurred in October 1956.