Okay, here’s a notecard formatted for the APUSH Cold War topic, following your instructions:
ID: The Cold War
WHEN: 1947-1991 (Roughly)
WHO:
- United States: Led by various Presidents (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, etc.), along with diplomats, military leaders, and intelligence agencies.
- Soviet Union: Led by various Premiers/General Secretaries (Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev, etc.), along with the Communist Party apparatus, military leaders, and KGB.
- Proxy Actors: Various nations and groups aligned with either the US or USSR in different conflicts and regions (e.g., North Korea, South Vietnam, Cuba, various liberation movements).
- NATO & Warsaw Pact: Military alliances led by the US and USSR respectively.
WHAT:
A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. It was characterized by ideological, political, and economic rivalry, as well as an arms race (especially nuclear weapons) and proxy wars, but without direct military conflict between the two superpowers. Key aspects included:
- Ideological Struggle: Capitalism vs. Communism
- Arms Race: Buildup of nuclear and conventional weapons.
- Proxy Wars: Conflicts where the superpowers supported opposing sides (e.g., Korean War, Vietnam War, Soviet-Afghan War).
- Espionage: Extensive intelligence gathering operations.
- Propaganda: Use of media to influence public opinion.
- Containment Policy: US strategy to prevent the spread of communism.
- Deterrence: Maintaining a strong military to discourage attack.
IMPACT: Why Significant?:
- Global Division: Shaped global politics into two major blocs and led to the creation of new nations from former colonies.
- Nuclear Threat: Created the constant threat of nuclear annihilation, leading to arms control treaties and efforts at détente.
- Economic Impact: Massive military spending and technological development, spurring economic growth in some areas but also leading to economic strain.
- Domestic Impact: Increased government power, the Red Scare, anti-communist sentiment, and a focus on national security (e.g., creation of the CIA, expansion of the military-industrial complex).
- Technological Innovation: Space Race and advancements in computing, communications, and other technologies.
- Shaped US Foreign Policy: Justified interventionist foreign policy for decades and influenced alliances and global relationships long after the Cold War ended.
- Fall of Communism: Ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, reshaping the global political landscape.