The End of the Cold War (College Board AP® US History): Flashcards
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What ended détente in 1979?
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Cards in this collection (17)
What ended détente in 1979?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to support its communist government ended détente.
How did the US respond to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
With Great Britain, the US sent support to anti-communist forces.
Who was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Gorbachev was the final leader of the Soviet Union (from 1985), who introduced reforms to modernize the struggling nation.
Define glasnost.
Glasnost ("openness") was Gorbachev's reform allowing greater freedom of speech and the press and open public discussion.
Define perestroika.
Perestroika ("restructuring") was Gorbachev's reform introducing limited free-market opportunities and reducing government control of the economy.
Why did Gorbachev's reforms fail to save the Soviet Union?
Economic stagnation and political unrest persisted, and the reforms weakened the Communist Party's control.
Define Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).
SDI, nicknamed "Star Wars," was Reagan's proposed laser-based anti-missile system to intercept incoming nuclear missiles.
Define INF Treaty (1987).
The INF Treaty was a US-Soviet agreement to eliminate all intermediate-range ground-launched and cruise missiles.
Why did the US back the Contras in Nicaragua?
The US aided the anti-communist Contras against Nicaragua's socialist Sandinista government under the Reagan Doctrine to combat the spread of communism.
Define Iran-Contra Affair.
The Iran-Contra Affair was a Reagan-era scandal in which the US illegally sold weapons to Iran despite an embargo, hoping to free American hostages in Lebanon, and used the profits to fund the Contras.
How did the Iran-Contra Affair affect Reagan?
Investigations damaged his reputation, though he denied direct involvement.
What was Poland's Solidarity movement?
Solidarity was a labor movement founded in 1980 by Lech Walesa whose strikes challenged the communist government, leading to free elections in 1989.
True or False?
Reagan delivered his "Tear down this wall" speech (1987) at the Berlin Wall.
True.
The speech symbolized the US commitment to ending the division between East and West.
What led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989?
The Berlin Wall fell because of dissatisfaction across communist-held countries, including East Germany, and the continuation of glasnost and perestroika.
Which Eastern European communist regimes collapsed in 1989?
Communist regimes collapsed in countries such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 created 15 independent nations and marked the definitive end of the .
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 created 15 independent nations and marked the definitive end of the Cold War.
What did START I (1991) achieve?
Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush agreed to cut strategic nuclear warheads by about 30% and allow inspections of each other's arsenals.
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