Unit 6
What was the world symbol of the cold war? Germany's four zones Berlin wall Berlin airlift the thirty-eighth parallel
Berlin wall
What did President John F. Kennedy do to stop the Soviet Union from sending missiles to Cuba? He sent exiles to try and overthrow Fidel Castro. He blockaded Cuba with an American naval fleet. He attacked Soviet ships with an American naval fleet. He asked the United Nations to attack the Soviet Union.
He blockaded Cuba with an American naval fleet.
How was President Nixon's foreign policy different from that of his predecessors? He organized a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. He dropped out of the United Nations. He wanted to contain the spread of communism. He wanted to recognize the government of the People's Republic of China.
He wanted to recognize the government of the People's Republic of China.
Which was not a cause of the cold war? Korean War mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union division of Germany into four zones the forming of NATO and the Warsaw Pact
Korean War
Which event sparked the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)? Cuban Missile Crisis Soviet testing of the atomic bomb end of the Vietnam War Soviet launching of Sputnik
Soviet launching of Sputnik
Which cold war event surprised the United States in 1949? The Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb. North Korea attacked South Korea. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik. The Berlin wall came down.
The Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb.
What was Reagan's policy toward communism?
Upon entering office, Reagan stated that Americans should oppose communism "with all their might." He increased military spending and funded defensive projects such as Star Wars, a system that supposedly destroyed Soviet missiles from space.
Which of the following was not a form of protest during the Vietnam War? men enlisting in the military playing music against the war burning draft cards staging rallies to discuss the war
men enlisting in the military
Which of these was not an attempt to stop communism from spreading in Latin America? the creation of the Alliance for Progress the creation of the Marshall Plan the creation of the Peace Corps providing military aid
the creation of the Marshall Plan
What are satellite nations and how did the Soviet Union acquire them?
A satellite nation is a nation that is controlled politically and economically by a more powerful nation. In this case, the Soviet Union pulled Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and parts of Czechoslovakia into economic and political orbit. Soviet leaders set up communist governments and then broke their promise to hold free elections in those countries, imprisoning or murdering those who opposed their regime. Churchill described the line between these Eastern European countries and the rest of Western Europe as an "iron curtain."
What fear did Americans have concerning communism in America? How were these fears exacerbated in the 1950s?
After the Korean War, Americans worried that communist spies had infiltrated the government and were continuing to pass state secrets to the enemy. The arrest of several government officials substantiated these fears. In 1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy capitalized on and exacerbated these fears when he claimed that he had a list of 205 card-carrying members of the Communist Party who were also government employees. He unsettled the nation with these claims for years until the Senate eventually condemned him for his unsubstantiated accusations.
What combat challenges did soldiers face in the Vietnam War?
American soldiers faced a different kind of combat in Vietnam than any they had faced before. The thick, dense jungles that make up Vietnam's landscape presented tactical challenges. It was difficult to maintain ground gained and to find the Vietcong, who easily hid in the dense jungles. If found, the Vietcong were nearly impossible to identify because they did not wear uniforms and appeared identical to normal villagers. Consequently, American troops focused on destroying enemy positions rather than engaging in hand-to-hand combat with elusive enemies.
What underlying ideological differences existed between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II?
As outlined in figure 7.1, several ideological differences existed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States believed in the autonomy of the individual and that competition would push men to strive and work hard in order to be rewarded for their efforts. The United States believed that capitalism would create the highest standard of living for the people. Americans also believed that the right to own personal property was inherent in the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness promised by the nation's founding documents. The Soviets, on the other hand, believed in the absolute necessity of equality among people. Achieving this equality includes leveling the social and economic disparity among people by abolishing personal property and instituting a community where all members labor for the common good and are given according to their needs. They believed that capitalism inspired greed and selfishness in people and caused the lower classes to be oppressed by the thriving capitalists. For them, happiness could only be achieved by each person having an equal share as distributed by the government.
What events caused the Berlin blockade and how was it resolved?
At the end of World War II, world leaders divided Germany among the four main Allied nations: the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Berlin, the capital of Germany, was also divided despite its location deep in Soviet Union territory. In 1948 three of the four nations wanted to reunite Germany. The Soviet Union refused, fearing the affects of a united Germany on the balance of power. In response to the three nations' petitions, Stalin instituted the Berlin blockade. By shutting down the railroads and streets, this blockade effectively cut off Allied-occupied West Berlin from all supplies and electrical power. In an attempt to get supplies to West-Berliners and avoid military conflict with the Soviet Union, President Truman approved the Berlin airlift (Operation Vittles), a project that involved flying supplies into West Berlin, thus avoiding the military blockades. The airlift was a success and Stalin ended the blockade in May 1949. Many East-Berliners defected to West Berlin after the blockade ended, taking their professional skills with them. After years of this trend, Khrushchev approved the building of the Berlin wall in 1961 to prevent such crossing-over.
What conflict was at the heart of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union?
At the heart of the initial tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union was an aggressive fear that each nation held toward the other. The United States feared the spread of an economic system that would undermine its way of life and systematically destroy free enterprise all over the world, while the Soviet Union feared that the United States would control other nations and squelch communist revolutions in other countries.
Which of these is not a similarity between the Korean War and the Vietnam War? The northern part of each country was controlled by communist governments. The United States was deeply involved militarily. Both wars were fought over communist expansion. Communism eventually controlled both countries.
Communism eventually controlled both countries.
What is meant by containment and what policies did the U.S. government institute to further it?
Containment in this context means suppressing or stopping the spread of Soviet influence, which was the goal of U.S. policies at this time. Two of the first U.S. containment policies included the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The Truman Doctrine of March 1947 allotted millions of dollars in economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey as they fought to subdue communist forces in their countries. George Marshall proposed the Marshall Plan in response to the dire conditions he saw during visits to post-World War II Europe. In the wake of the war, nations suffered economically and their people suffered from malnourishment, homelessness, and other ailments. The Marshall Plan dedicated significant funds to aid these countries with the hope that helping them financially would enable them to more effectively repel the encroaching forces of communism.
Why did containment policies become necessary in Latin America? What containment policies were enacted regarding Latin America during the Kennedy administration?
During Kennedy's administration, containment in Latin America became necessary because many people in Latin American countries were turning to communism as the answer to their economic problems. They were experiencing a huge disparity between the very small wealthy class and the inordinately large lower class. In response, the Kennedy administration offered aid through the Alliance for Progress, which provided the resources to build schools, hospitals, and complete other projects if those nations would work at reforming their economies. The Kennedy administration also offered military aid to those fighting against the communists.
Which country was not given part of Germany after World War II? United States France Japan Soviet Union
Japan
Which events from the cold war era are in correct chronological order? Vietnam War, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Soviet collapse Korean War, Vietnam War, Soviet collapse, Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis, Korean War, Soviet collapse, Vietnam War Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Soviet collapse
Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Soviet collapse
Who was president of the United States when military forces were sent into Vietnam? John F. Kennedy Dwight D. Eisenhower Richard Nixon Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
What official alliances formed during the cold war?
Many alliances formed during the cold war. In an effort to establish world peace, fifty nations signed the United Nations charter, which established a world peacekeeping organization that also fought world problems such as hunger and disease. Using loose terms, the United Nations could be considered a world alliance. On the other hand, two alliances that in some ways deepened world tensions included NATO and the Warsaw Pact. NATO united many western European nations and the United States. Their goal was to prevent the spread of communism and protect nations attacked by the Soviet Union. To that end, NATO stated that any aggressive action against any of the member nations would be considered an aggressive action against them all. In response to the formation of NATO, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955. This pact united the Soviet Union with most of the Eastern European nations (including Albania, Romania, Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria).
Which organization was not established after World War II? International Monetary Fund World Bank United Nations NAACP
NAACP
What was the outcome of the Korean War?
No significant changes occurred as a result of the Korean War. At the end of the war Korea remained divided along the thirty-eighth parallel with a demilitarized buffer zone. Both sides maintain significant forces at this boundary even today.
How did Nixon change foreign policy regarding the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union?
Once in office, Nixon desired to ease the tensions and improve the relations between the United States and the communist superpowers (China and the Soviet Union). Before that time, the United States government had never recognized the legitimacy of the Chinese government. Nixon initiated secret conversations with both nations and ultimately visited both of them, beginning with China in 1972. His negotiations with the Soviet government eventually led to a trade agreement and to the SALT agreement, which called for limiting the number of nuclear weapons controlled and produced by each country.
Use the following quotes to answer the question below. Speaker O: As your president, I had to overcome many challenges. The development of the atomic weapons by the Russians and McArthur's insubordination during the Korean War were serious obstacles as we developed our policy of containment. Speaker P: As your president I implemented a policy of massive retaliation and ended the Korean War by threatening to use nuclear weapons. Speaker Q: As your president, I tested our containment policy in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, I experienced a crushing defeat and embarrassment during the Bay of Pigs. Speaker R: As your president, I completed many domestic programs initiated by my predecessor. However, my involvement in Vietnam War cost me the trust of the American public. 12. Which of the following cold war presidents can be identified as the author of the quotes above? President Kennedy is Speaker Q President Johnson is Speaker P President Nixon is Speaker O President Eisenhower is Speaker R
President Kennedy is Speaker Q
Which of the following events did not lead to the Soviet Union's downfall? President Nixon's trip to the Soviet Union the Soviet Union's economic struggles government revolutions in Soviet satellite nations the war in Afghanistan
President Nixon's trip to the Soviet Union
What events led to the Vietnam War?
Several events led to the Vietnam War. In 1954, after years of fighting, Vietnamese communist Ho Chi Minh and his army won independence for Vietnam from France. In the ensuing peace talks, leaders divided Vietnam into two countries, one led by Ho Chi Minh and the other led by Ngo Dinh Diem. The Soviet Union supported the North Vietnamese and the United States supported the South Vietnamese. As Diem failed to revive the southern economy, many people joined the Vietcong (an organization that opposed Diem and eventually became communist). As the Vietcong became larger and more militant, America began fearing the collapse of Southern Vietnam into communism. Kennedy and Eisenhower both responded by sending military advice and aid to Southern Vietnam. More significant aid came in 1964 when President Johnson gained power to escalate the U.S. response through the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Following this resolution, the government sent American troops over to Vietnam to help defeat communism there.
How was the Korean War an extension of the cold war?
The Korean War is often considered an outgrowth of the cold war because it grappled with the same issue: democracy versus communism. When Korea was liberated from Japan after World War II, leaders divided Korea between the United States and the Soviet Union along the thirty-eighth parallel. In 1950 the communist North Koreans attacked an unprepared South Korea across the thirty-eighth parallel. President Truman responded by appealing to the United Nations for aid, which they granted. The United Nations (through Truman) put General McArthur in charge of the conflict. Through a series of naval victories, General McArthur drove the North Koreans back into their territory and then started to push them further, which prompted the Chinese to enter the conflict. Victories teetered back and forth until an uneasy stalemate was reached. In 1953 Eisenhower reopened negotiations and ended the war. Korea remains divided along the thirty-eighth parallel.
Why would the United States be concerned about the spread of communism?
The United States felt threatened by the spread of communism because free enterprise and the capitalist system was the basis for American economy and, therefore, the American way of life. The conversion of nations to communistic economic systems would also limit (and potentially destroy) America's ability to engage in international trade because communism would annihilate the need for and the existence of these markets.
How did the Vietnam War end?
The beginning of the war's end occurred with the aggressive Tet offensive made by the Vietcong. This offensive demonstrated to Americans that no matter how strong their presence was in Vietnam, nothing could prevent the attacks of the Vietcong. When voters elected Nixon into office, he promised to end the war, which he eventually did with the removal of all American troops by 1974. Without American aid, South Vietnam could not withstand the Vietcong. A communist flag flew over all of Vietnam by 1975.
What happened to Vietnam after the United States withdrew its troops from the conflict? The communist government took over Vietnam. Nothing changed and they are still fighting today. An armistice was signed and a line divided North and South Vietnam. A deadly stalemate occurred.
The communist government took over Vietnam.
What events led to the decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war?
The decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war was a relatively quick process. It began with the defeat and withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989. In subsequent years, the Soviet Union suffered from a failing economy because of the exorbitant military expenditures of previous years. Although Gorbachev attempted to salvage the Soviet Union by encouraging free speech, improving the economy, and agreeing to the Nuclear Force Treaty (an arms control pact that called for getting rid of all short- and medium-range missiles) with the United States, the Soviet Union continued to crumble. By 1989 the Soviet Union could no longer hold its satellite nations under its thumb. These nations rebelled, holding their own free elections. In 1989 citizens tore down and destroyed the Berlin wall. Gorbachev finally resigned in 1991 and the Soviet Union met its official demise.
What events ended the policy of détente toward the Soviet Union?
The détente policy toward the Soviet Union ended abruptly in 1979 when Soviet troops entered Afghanistan to aid a communist revolt. The United States fiercely condemned these actions and refused to attend the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest. Soviet troops remained in Afghanistan for ten years fighting against soldiers equipped with weapons supplied by the United States. The Soviet Union eventually gave up and removed its troops in 1989.
How were the U.S. and Soviet space programs fueled by cold war tensions?
The space programs of these two nations were fraught with the cold war fears. When the Soviets succeeded in launching the first satellite, Sputnik, into space, the United States feared that the Soviet Union would utilize this technology to launch nuclear weapons from space. The government increased the budget for the U.S. space program and created NASA to focus on developing more sophisticated technology.
Where were North Korea and South Korea divided before the Korean War? They were divided along the equator. They were divided along the thirty-eighth parallel. They were divided along the demilitarized zone. They were not divided.
They were divided along the thirty-eighth parallel.
What events of 1949 shook American confidence concerning the success of the war?
Two main events in 1949 shook American confidence concerning the success of U.S. containment policies. The first came in September of 1949 when U.S. intelligence discovered that the Soviet Union had successfully tested an atomic bomb the previous month in Kazakhstan. This information proved that the Soviet Union was more advanced in their nuclear technology than had been previously thought. During this same year, a civil war broke out in China that ended with the victory of the communist forces under Mao Zedong and the formation of the People's Republic of China. With one-fourth of the world's population now under communist sway, Americans feared the outcome of the war.
How did people in the United States respond to the Vietnam War?
Vietnam was not a popular war in America. For the first time in history, Americans watched the war progress on television. They were horrified by the violence and the deaths of thousands of men, women, and children occurring before their eyes. Young people especially found the war to be unjust and unjustifiable and college campuses all over the nation became the centers for rebellion. Students sang protest songs, burned draft cards, and initiated and carried out rallies. The unpopularity of the war ultimately forced President Nixon to withdraw troops in 1974.
How did the United States respond to a communist presence in Cuba?
With the fall of Cuba to the communist dictator Fidel Castro, America began to fear communist aggression from the small island, which is only ninety miles away from the Florida coast. In 1961 Kennedy attempted to oust Castro through a military operation entitled the Bay of Pigs. This operation called for an army of Cuban exiles to attack Cuba on the south side, gain local support, and bring down the communist regime. The operation failed, and all of the exiles were either killed or imprisoned. Because of this attempted invasion, Cuba received additional support from the Soviet Union. Intelligence eventually revealed that the Cubans were constructing nuclear missile sites and that the Soviet Union was going to provide them with the missiles. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was finally diffused by negotiations and a United States naval quarantine of the island, which prevented Soviet ships from entering Cuba.
What is a détente? a policy to reduce tension between two countries a nation with military, economic, and political strength that can influence the rest of the world a person who has been forced to leave his or her homeland a policy of containment
a policy to reduce tension between two countries
What are the main goals of the United Nations? rallying for human dignity and against communism fighting against communism and world peace opposing local crime and preserving peace advocating human dignity and world peace
advocating human dignity and world peace
What was the U.S. policy during the cold war? the New Deal preserving peace imperialism containment
containment
Which cold war event happened first? Soviet launch of Sputnik issuing of the Truman Doctrine construction of the Berlin wall Nixon's trip to the Soviet Union
issuing of the Truman Doctrine