| Key Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cold War | A long period of tension and rivalry between the USA and the USSR after 1945. |
| Capitalism | An economic system where businesses and industries are privately owned for profit. |
| Communism | A system where the state controls industry, wealth and the economy. |
| Democracy | A political system where people vote in free elections. |
| Dictatorship | A system where one leader or party holds total power. |
| Superpower | A very powerful country able to influence world events. |
| Ideology | A set of beliefs or ideas about politics and society. |
| Yalta Conference | A meeting in February 1945 between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt to discuss post-war Europe. |
| Potsdam Conference | A meeting in July–August 1945 between Stalin, Truman and Attlee after Germany surrendered. |
| Big Three | The leaders of the USSR, Britain and the USA during the Second World War conferences. |
| Occupation Zone | An area controlled by a foreign army after a war. |
| Buffer Zone | Countries surrounding the USSR intended to protect it from invasion. |
| Reparations | Payments demanded from a defeated country for war damage. |
| United Nations (UN) | An international organisation created in 1945 to maintain world peace. |
| Eastern Europe | Countries east of Germany that came under Soviet influence after the war. |
| Atomic Bomb | A powerful nuclear weapon first used by the USA against Japan in 1945. |
| Arms Race | Competition between countries to build more and stronger weapons. |
| Hiroshima | Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb on 6 August 1945. |
| Nagasaki | Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb on 9 August 1945. |
| Containment | The American policy of stopping the spread of communism. |
| Soviet Union (USSR) | Communist state led by Russia from 1922 to 1991. |
| Allied Powers | Countries that fought against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. |
| Free Elections | Elections where citizens can choose leaders fairly and without pressure. |
| Division of Germany | The splitting of Germany into four occupation zones after 1945. |
| Berlin | Germany’s capital city, also divided into four zones after the war. |
| Mistrust | Lack of trust between countries or leaders. |
| Propaganda | Information used to influence opinions, often biased or misleading. |
7.1.1 The end of the Second World War
The end of the Second World War: Yalta and Potsdam Conferences; the division of Germany; contrasting attitudes and ideologies of the USA and the USSR, including the aims of Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, Attlee and Truman; effect of the dropping of the atom bomb on post-war superpower relations.
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7.1.2 The Iron Curtain and the Evolution of East-West rivalry
The Iron Curtain and the evolution of East-West rivalry: Soviet expansion in East Europe; US policies; the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, their purpose and Stalin’s reaction; Cominform; Comecon; Yugoslavia; the Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
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7.2.1 The significance of events in Asia for superpower relations
The significance of events in Asia for superpower relations: USSR's support for Mao Tse-tung and Communist revolution in China, and the military campaigns waged by North Korea against the UN and by the Vietcong against France and the USA.
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7.2.2 Military rivalries
Military rivalries: the arms race; membership and purposes of NATO and the Warsaw Pact; the space race, including Sputnik, ICBMs, Polaris, Gagarin, Apollo.
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7.2.3 The ‘Thaw’
The ‘Thaw’: Hungary, the protest movement and the reforms of Nagy; Soviet fears, how they reacted and the effects on the Cold War; the U2 Crisis and its effects on the Paris Peace Summit and the peace process.
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7.3.1 Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall: reasons for its construction and Kennedy’s response.
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7.3.2 Tensions over Cuba
Tensions over Cuba: Castro’s revolution, the Bay of Pigs and the missile crisis: the roles of Castro, Khrushchev, Kennedy; fears of the USA and reaction to missiles on Cuba; dangers and results of crisis.
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7.3.3 Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia: Dubeck and the Prague Spring movement; USSR’s response to the reforms; the effects the Prague Spring had on East-West relations, including the Warsaw Pact; the Brezhnev Doctrine.
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7.3.4 Easing of Tension
Easing of tension: sources of tension, including the Soviets' record on human rights; the reasons for Détente and for SALT 1; the part played by key individuals Brezhnev and Nixon.
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