USH CH 33 Study Guide 2

The USSR experienced economic stagnation due to the failure of central planning, a drop in oil prices, the burden of supporting the Eastern Bloc, and a lack of innovation.

The cost of occupying Afghanistan and attempting to keep pace with Western Defense Spending became an unsustainable burden for the Soviet Union.

After Khrushchev, the Soviet Union was led by three elderly leaders, two of whom died within a year of assuming power, indicating a period of stagnant leadership.

A catastrophic nuclear meltdown in Ukraine and the subsequent attempted coverup deeply angered citizens and the international community, further eroding trust in the Soviet Union.

A policy to roll back communist expansion by actively supporting anti-communist "freedom fighter" insurgent groups globally.

President Reagan's term for the USSR, emphasizing a conservative view of America's long-standing adversary.

Reagan deployed medium range nuclear missiles in West Germany to pressure the Soviets into negotiations and continued to advocate for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

Communism became deeply unpopular in the Eastern Bloc due to years of economic failure and political repression.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, other Warsaw Pact members broke free from communism throughout 1989 and 1990.

Massive protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing were brutally crushed by the armed forces, allowing the PRC to maintain communist rule.

In 1990, the Baltic states declared independence, and other republics, including Russia, followed suit by December 1991.

The US supplied Islamic insurgents with sophisticated weapons to fight the Soviets for over ten years.

US forces were sent as neutral peacekeepers during a civil war; 241 Marines were killed in the Barracks Bombing.

The US invaded the island after a Cuban backed revolution seized power and took American hostages.

The US supported anti-communist insurgents in Nicaragua and the government in El Salvador during their respective civil wars.

A scheme to bypass Congress by selling weapons to Iran and diverting the proceeds to the Contras in Nicaragua.

The US supported rebels fighting against the Soviet backed government.

The US conducted airstrikes in response to the bombing of a nightclub that killed US servicemen.

The US engaged in a one-day naval war in the Persian Gulf in response to Iran's mining operations.

The US invaded in response to threats against US personnel and the Panamanian government's involvement in drug trafficking.

A dictatorship under Saddam Hussein, typically aligned with the Soviets.

An eight-year long conflict that ended in no clear victory for either side, leaving Iraq with massive debt.

Iraq borrowed billions from Kuwait and other nations for the war and demanded that these debts be forgiven.

Iraq accused Kuwait of drilling into Iraqi oil fields from across the border to steal oil.

Iraq asserted that Kuwait was historically Iraqi territory, created by British colonization.

At the time, Iraq possessed the 4th largest army in the world.

A key US ally that feared an Iraqi invasion due to its vast oil reserves and access to the Red Sea.

More than 35 nations contributed 670,000 troops, with 500,000 being American, to deter further Iraqi aggression.

The UN demanded that Iraq immediately withdraw from Kuwait.

A final ultimatum gave Iraq until January 15th, 1991, to withdraw from Kuwait, but Saddam refused.

The term Saddam used for the impending conflict; the media anticipated tens of thousands of Allied casualties.

Involved massive bombing of Iraqi targets, surrounding the Iraqi Army in Kuwait, destroying it, and moving deeper into Iraq.

President Bush announced a ceasefire after all objectives were met; Iraq agreed to all demands. Total Allied KIA was 292, while Iraqi KIA was up to 50,000, with up to 175,000 POWs.

The wide, open terrain of the desert was ideal for conventional armored warfare and effective airstrikes, unlike the dense jungles of Vietnam.

The objectives of Desert Storm were simple and achievable, providing a clear path to victory.

Many Iraqis were exhausted from the Iran-Iraq War and demoralized by the sustained airstrikes, reducing their fighting effectiveness.

The US deployed advanced stealth fighters, and most Allied aircraft and armored vehicles were equipped with thermal vision or night vision, capabilities the Iraqis largely lacked.

The broad allied force provided crucial backing for America's efforts, especially with extensive aircraft contributions, ensuring a unified and powerful front.