The Cold War - AP European History

1. What was the main ideological conflict during the Cold War?

   Communism vs. Capitalism. Two opposing economic and political systems competing for global influence.

2. What was the primary goal of the United Nations during the Cold War?

   Maintain international peace and security. Promoted collective security and mediated superpower conflicts.

3. Identify the Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

   Nikita Khrushchev. Soviet premier who placed missiles in Cuba and negotiated their removal.

4. Identify the year the Berlin Wall fell.

   1989. Symbolized the end of the Cold War and German reunification.

5. What was the Soviet response to NATO called?

   Warsaw Pact. Eastern European communist alliance formed to counter NATO in 1955.

6. What doctrine aimed to contain the spread of communism?

   Truman Doctrine. Policy to support free nations resisting communist takeover.

7. What was the main purpose of the Berlin Wall?

   Prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. Stopped mass exodus that was embarrassing East German government.

8. What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

   Economic aid to rebuild Europe. Helped prevent communist expansion by rebuilding Western European economies.

9. Identify the conference where Allied leaders discussed post-WWII Europe.

   Yalta Conference. 1945 meeting where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin divided post-war Europe.

10. What event in 1962 brought the world close to nuclear war?

    Cuban Missile Crisis. Soviet missiles in Cuba created a 13-day nuclear standoff.

11. Which conflict is often seen as a 'hot' part of the Cold War?

    Korean War. Proxy war between communist North and capitalist South (1950-1953).

12. Identify the leader who initiated the process of reform in the Soviet Union.

    Mikhail Gorbachev. Final Soviet leader who introduced glasnost and perestroika reforms.

13. Which US policy aimed at preventing Soviet influence in the Middle East?

    Eisenhower Doctrine. Extended containment policy to protect Middle Eastern allies.

14. What year did the Soviet Union dissolve?

    1991. Marked the end of the Soviet empire and Cold War.

15. What was the Soviet economic plan for Eastern Europe post-WWII?

    Comecon. Council for Mutual Economic Assistance coordinated Eastern European economies.

16. Which treaty limited the number of nuclear missiles?

    Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). First major nuclear arms control agreement between superpowers.

17. What was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the USSR?

    Sputnik. 1957 launch shocked the West and began the space race.

18. What term describes nations not aligned with either Cold War superpower?

    Non-Aligned Movement. Countries that remained neutral during the Cold War bipolar struggle.

19. What was the policy of openness initiated by Gorbachev?

    Glasnost. Gorbachev's policy of political and social openness in the USSR.

20. What event marked the beginning of the space race?

    Launch of Sputnik. First artificial satellite demonstrated Soviet technological superiority in 1957.

21. Which Southeast Asian war was a significant Cold War conflict for the US?

    Vietnam War. Proxy war where US supported South Vietnam against communist North.

22. Who was the US President during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

    John F. Kennedy. Led US response to Soviet missiles placed in Cuba.

23. What defensive alliance was formed by Western nations in 1949?

    NATO. North Atlantic Treaty Organization provided collective security against Soviet threat.

24. Which US President called for the destruction of the Berlin Wall?

    Ronald Reagan. Famously demanded 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'

25. What was the main economic system in the Soviet Union?

    Command economy. State-controlled economy with central planning and no private ownership.

26. What was the plan to deliver supplies to West Berlin during a Soviet blockade?

    Berlin Airlift. 1948-49 operation flew supplies over Soviet blockade of West Berlin.

27. Identify the year the Berlin Wall was constructed.

    1961. Built to prevent East Germans from escaping to West Berlin.

28. What was the main goal of the US policy of détente?

    Reduce tensions with the Soviet Union. Easing hostilities through diplomacy rather than military confrontation.

29. Which US President initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative?

    Ronald Reagan. Proposed space-based missile defense system known as 'Star Wars.'

30. What was the main forum for US-Soviet nuclear arms negotiations?

    Geneva Summit. Various summit meetings held in Geneva for arms control discussions.

31. What was the name of the first man in space?

    Yuri Gagarin. Soviet cosmonaut who orbited Earth in 1961, advancing USSR in space race.

32. What term describes the easing of Cold War tensions in the 1970s?

    Détente. Period of reduced hostility between superpowers during the 1970s.

33. Who were the two superpowers during the Cold War?

    United States and Soviet Union. The two dominant global powers that emerged after WWII.

34. What was the restructuring policy introduced in the Soviet Union?

    Perestroika. Gorbachev's economic and political reforms to modernize the Soviet system.

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