Unit 10 Study Guide

• Cold War


  The Cold War was a tense rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union, with fears of nuclear conflict and clashes over opposing capitalist and communist ideologies.
• Containment


  The US strategy to stop communism from spreading by keeping it in check
• Mao Zedong


  The leader of communist China, associated with about 40 million deaths
• Great Leap Forward


  Mao's plan to bring communism to China involved moving people to work on collective farms and in cities to boost agriculture and industry. However, this led to a devastating famine, causing the deaths of around 20 million people.
• Cultural Revolution


  The second attempt by Mao to become a communist nation, involving the reeducation of government officials and teachers, the purging of capitalism to maintain communism, group meetings, hard labor, and mass murders, resulting in about 20 million people being starved or killed
• Space Race


  A competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve space milestones, driving technological progress, national pride, and expanding knowledge of space
• Arms Race


  During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union fiercely competed in nuclear arms and military technology, escalating global tensions and diverting resources from social programs.
• Korean War


  Korea was divided into a North (communist) and South (capitalist), with the U.S. involved due to its alliance with South Korea and its plans of containment. North Korea invaded South Korea, causing the U.S. to invade Korea to help South Korea contain and push North Korea back, but then the U.S. tried to push North Korea even further back to rid Korea of communism, causing tension with China. The end of the Korean War was seen negatively due to the overstretch of American resources and the loss of American lives.
• Hot Spots in Cold War


  • Iran
  • Guatemala
  • Hungary
  • Berlin
  • Nicaragua
  • Afghanistan
• Iran


  The US overthrew the democratic leader of Iran and put in the Shah, angering the leader who wanted to nationalize the production of oil
• Guatemala

  A US company owned a lot of land in Guatemala and grew bananas that they exported to the US and sold. The new president tried to create land reforms, angering the US and leading them to send the CIA to instill a military dictatorship.
• Hungary

  Hungary wanted to separate from the Soviet Union and asked for help from NATO. The USSR intervened with military power to suppress uprisings, killed the leader and maintained control.
• Berlin


  Divided into East (communist) and West (capitalist). Because of the capitalist pocket, people tried to travel through the western side and travel into western Germany. East Berlin built a wall around Eastern Berlin to keep people in.
• Nicaragua


  The US [Reagan] funded the rebel group, the Contra, to overthrow the communist leader of Nicaragua.
• Afghanistan


  The USSR tries to go in and support a communist government. Spend 10 years occupying Afghanistan, while the US is funding a rebel group (Muhja Hadin) that is attempting to overthrow/stop them.
• Vietnam War


  Vietnam was divided into a North (communist) and South (capitalist). The North Vietnam tribes used guerrilla warfare. As the war stretched, citizens felt there was no point in the war. The US withdraws and Vietnam becomes a complete communist nation.
• Cuban Missile Crisis


  Russia sends missiles to Cuba for storage. The US responds by putting missiles in Italy and Turkey. No weapons ever fired. The US promises that they won't invade Cuba.
• Partitioning of India


  Britain colonizes India, then leave and decide to divide India into the country of India (majority Hindu) and the country of Pakistan (majority Muslim), causing confusion and violence as Muslims migrate to Pakistan and Hindus to India.
• Gandhi


  Led protests against the British for India's independence
• Apartheid


  A segregation policy by the South African government to separate citizens by skin color
• Mandela


  Protested against apartheid, went to prison for 30 years, and after apartheid became the first black president of South Africa
• Israel-Palestine Conflict


  Israel was created for Jewish people after the Holocaust and WWII in a spot where Palestine already existed, leading to numerous conflicts since the creation of Israel
• Cambodian Genocide


  The Khmer Rouge, a communist regime, took power in Cambodia from April 17, 1975, to January 7, 1979, leading to the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodian citizens under the leadership of Pol Pot, resulting in 1.5-2 million deaths and a shift towards a self-sufficient agrarian socialist society.
• Detente


  Improved relations after the 1960s, including the relaxation of tensions and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) agreed to by both sides, ending in 1979
• Soviet-Afghan War


  The USSR tried to replace the ruler of Afghanistan, taking 10 years and facing sanctions from the rest of the world
• Mikhail Gorbachev


  The Soviet leader who implemented more lenient policies, freedoms, and democratic reforms that led to the eventual fall of the USSR
• Ronald Reagan


  The US president who increased tensions with the USSR in the 1980s, with the two countries having 12,000 missiles pointed at each other
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall occurred on November 9, 1989
• The Fall of the USSR occurred on December 26, 1991
• Iran: The US overthrew the democratic leader of Iran and put in the Shah. The leader wanted to nationalize (the government would control it) the production of oil… this angered the US and British.
• Guatemala: A US company owned a lot of land in Guatemala and grew bananas that they exported to the US and sold.  The new president tried to create land reforms. This angered the US and they sent the CIA to instill a military dictatorship.
• Hungary: Hungary wanted to separate from the Soviet Union. Hungary asks for help from NATO. The USSR intervened with military power to suppress uprisings, killed the leader and maintained control.
• Berlin: Divided into a East (communist) and West (capitalist). Because of the capitalist pocket, people tried to travel through the western side and travel into western Germany. East Berlin built a wall around Eastern Berlin to keep people in.
• Nicaragua: The US [Reagan] funded the rebel group, the Contra, to overthrow the communist leader of Nicaragua.
• Afghanistan: The USSR tries to go in and support a communist government. Spend 10 years occupying Afghanistan, while the US is funding a rebel group (Muhja Hadin) that is attempting to overthrow/stop them.