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Cold War Flashcards
Free History Cards for GCSE and A Level
From the origins of the Cold War and the Berlin blockade to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the arms race, these free History flashcards cover the major events and themes for your exams.
Question
What was the Cold War?
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Answer
A prolonged period of political and military tension (1947–1991) between the USA and its Western allies (NATO) and the Soviet Union and its Eastern bloc allies — characterised by proxy wars, arms races, and ideological rivalry, but no direct armed conflict between the superpowers.
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Question
What were the main ideological differences between the USA and USSR?
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Answer
USA: capitalist democracy — free markets, multi-party elections, individual freedoms. USSR: communist single-party state — state ownership of industry, collective planning, no political opposition.
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Question
What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)?
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Answer
US President Truman's policy pledging US support (financial and military) to countries threatened by communist takeover. First applied to Greece and Turkey — marked the formal start of US containment policy.
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Question
What was the Marshall Plan (1948)?
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Answer
A US programme providing over $12 billion in economic aid to rebuild Western European economies after WWII — intended to prevent war-ravaged nations from turning to communism out of desperation.
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Question
What was the Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948–49)?
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Answer
The USSR blockaded all land routes to West Berlin to force the West out. The USA and Britain responded with a massive airlift, supplying the city for 11 months. The blockade failed and was lifted in May 1949.
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Question
What was NATO and why was it formed?
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Answer
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (1949) — a military alliance of Western nations pledging collective defence (Article 5: attack on one = attack on all). Formed in response to Soviet expansionism.
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Question
What was the Korean War (1950–53)?
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Answer
Communist North Korea (backed by USSR and China) invaded South Korea. The USA led a UN force defending the South. The war ended in armistice with the Korean peninsula still divided at the 38th parallel.
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Question
What was the arms race?
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Answer
The competitive build-up of nuclear weapons between the USA and USSR. USSR tested its first A-bomb in 1949, H-bomb in 1953. Both sides developed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear submarines — leading to mutually assured destruction (MAD).
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Question
What was the Hungarian Revolution (1956)?
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Answer
Hungary's attempt to break free from Soviet control under Prime Minister Nagy — including withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact. Soviet tanks crushed the uprising. The West did not intervene, showing the limits of "rollback" policy.
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Question
What was the space race?
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Answer
Competition between the USA and USSR to achieve milestones in space exploration. USSR launched Sputnik (1957) and first human in space (Gagarin, 1961). USA landed the first humans on the Moon (Apollo 11, 1969).
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