The Cold War 1945-1990

US vs Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Definition

  • A political, strategic and ideological struggle between the US and the Soviet Union
  • Political – differences of opinion on government, they had communism, we had democracy
  • Strategic – who could do things first: got to the moon, space, nuclear weapons, one upping the other person
  • Ideological – having different ideas
  • Spread throughout the world – Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America

Warsaw Pact

  • The Warsaw pact was basically a pact that stated that all participating countries were going to cooperate and coexist in mutual friendship and mutual assistance
  • Book definition: Military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, organized in 1955 in answer to NATO; the Warsaw Pact included Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia
  • Student definition: Basically a treaty signed by a bunch of communist country in reaction to NATO

CIA – Central Intelligence Agency

  • Book definition: The CIA is a foreign intelligence service of the US Government, tasked with gather, processing and analyzing national security
  • A government organization in the US that collects secret information about other countries

The KGB

  • Book definition: military service that was governed by army law and regulations
  • Student friendly: The KGB was the security and intelligence agency of the Soviet Union
  • Was the CIA of the Soviet Union

Peaceful Coexistence

  • Book definition: they can coexist without war
  • Competition without war
  • Between communist and non-communist nations

De-Stalinization – After 1953

  • Wanted to undo what Stalin did
  • Wanted to make their country stronger by reversing what he did
  • Took down statues, etc. of Stalin
  • Lightened up on people, not as strict as he was

Glasnost

  • Book definition: declared public policy within the Soviet Union of openly and frankly discussing economic and political
  • The law in the Soviet Union of talking about political happenings freely, encouraged open debates

Nuclear Powers of the World

  • US, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China
  • India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel? , Iran?
  • Current event: Deal was struck with Iran – 4/2/15: Iran would stop making nuclear weapons if the US would lift sanctions between them. 4/9/15: Iran said they wouldn’t agree unless the sanctions were lifted first and then they would stop. The US wants it the other way around.

Missile Defense System

  • Type of missile defense intended to shield a country against missile attacks
  • Anti-Rocket/Missile system that can disable or shoot down a projectile being launched
  • Thought of during Cold War to stop nuclear attacks
  • Used to fight against terrorism

Détente

  • Relaxing of tension, especially between nations,
  • Countries negotiation to keep peace and end hostility
  • During the 70s

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

  • Treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere in outer space and under water signed in Moscow
  • Treaty that banned the test of all nuclear weapons
  • Underground was legal

Brinkmanship

  • Art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping
  • Going beyond the limit of safety to play a dangerous move before having to stop
  • Going to the brink of war without actually going to war and hoping the other one backs down

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

  • A treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and the use of them in war and to encourage peace and peaceful uses of nuclear energy
  • Still around today

SALT I Treaty – 1972

  • Strategic
  • Between the US and the USSR
  • Froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels
  • Limited new submarine – launched ballistic missile
  • Brezhnev and Nixon

Ant-Ballistic Missile – 1972

  • US/USSR
  • Limited weapons that would seek out and destroy nuclear weapons launched
  • In the 1980’s President Ronald Reagan announces the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
  • US withdraws in 2002 under George W. Bush
  • Withdrew due to missile defense system

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty - `996

  • Signed by President Bill Clinton
  • Not ratified by the Senate
  • Banned all testing, even underground