History: The Cold War Flashcards

What was détente in the context of the Cold War?

Answer: A period of relaxed tensions and improved diplomatic relations between the USA and USSR in the 1970s.

Détente refers to the easing of Cold War tensions in the 1970s, marked by diplomatic engagement, arms limitation treaties (SALT I & II), and trade agreements.

Who was the Soviet leader who introduced the policies of glasnost and perestroika in the 1980s?

Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) from 1985, which accelerated the collapse of the Soviet system.

What happened to the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989?

Answer: The East German government announced citizens could cross freely, and crowds began tearing it down.

On 9 November 1989, the East German government announced that citizens could cross the border freely, and jubilant crowds began demolishing the Berlin Wall.

What was the policy of 'containment' pursued by the USA during the Cold War?

Answer: Preventing the spread of communism to new countries rather than rolling it back.

Containment, first articulated by George Kennan, was the US strategy of preventing the further spread of communism without necessarily seeking to overthrow existing communist regimes.

The Korean War (1950–53) was significant in the Cold War context because it was the first time what occurred?

Answer: UN forces (predominantly US) fought against communist forces backed by the USSR and China.

The Korean War was the first 'hot' proxy conflict of the Cold War, with US-led UN forces fighting North Korean and later Chinese communist forces.

In which year did the Soviet Union officially dissolve, marking the end of the Cold War?

Answer: 1991

The Soviet Union officially dissolved on 25 December 1991 when Gorbachev resigned and the USSR was replaced by 15 independent republics.