Spread of Communism After 1900 - AP World History

1. What does the term 'Iron Curtain' refer to in the context of communism?

   Division between Communist East and Capitalist West Europe. Churchill coined this term to describe the post-WWII European divide.

2. Identify the leader of Vietnam who embraced communism in the mid-20th century.

   Ho Chi Minh. He led Vietnamese independence and established communist North Vietnam.

3. Which 1968 event in Czechoslovakia demonstrated a push against communism?

   Prague Spring. Reforms were crushed when Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia in August.

4. What did the Brezhnev Doctrine justify in terms of Soviet foreign policy?

   Intervention in socialist countries. It authorized Soviet military action to preserve socialism in allies.

5. What was the major consequence of the Sino-Soviet Split?

   Increased tensions between China and the Soviet Union. Ideological differences split the communist world into rival camps.

6. What was the primary economic policy under Soviet communism?

   Central planning. The state controlled all production and distribution decisions.

7. Identify the Eastern European country that split peacefully after communism's fall.

   Czechoslovakia. It became the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

8. What was the effect of the Soviet-Afghan War on the Soviet Union?

   Weakened Soviet resources and morale. The costly war drained Soviet finances and damaged military prestige.

9. Identify the Berlin structure that symbolized the Cold War division.

   Berlin Wall. Built in 1961, it physically separated East and West Berlin.

10. Which Latin American country was a focal point of Cold War tensions in the 1980s?

    Nicaragua. The US supported Contras against the Sandinista government.

11. What was the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?

    Symbolized the end of communism. Its destruction represented the collapse of communist control in Europe.

12. Identify the communist leader who initiated the Cultural Revolution in China.

    Mao Zedong. He launched this campaign to purge capitalist elements from Chinese society.

13. Identify the tactic used by the US to support anti-communist regimes.

    Military aid and intervention. The US backed friendly dictatorships against communist movements.

14. Which African country became communist after its independence in 1975?

    Angola. The MPLA established a Marxist government after Portuguese withdrawal.

15. Name the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

    Sputnik. This achievement marked the beginning of the Space Race.

16. Which country became communist after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959?

    Cuba. Castro's revolution overthrew the US-backed Batista government.

17. Which agreement reduced US and Soviet nuclear weapons in 1987?

    Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to eliminate intermediate-range missiles.

18. What was the strategic defense initiative proposed by the US in the 1980s?

    Star Wars. Reagan's missile defense system aimed to neutralize Soviet nuclear threats.

19. Which communist country experienced economic reforms in the 1980s?

    China. Deng Xiaoping introduced market mechanisms while maintaining communist control.

20. What was the primary goal of the Marshall Plan?

    To rebuild Europe's economy and stop the spread of communism. US economic aid strengthened Western Europe against communist influence.

21. Which US policy aimed to contain communism, announced in 1947?

    Truman Doctrine. Truman promised to support free peoples resisting communist subjugation.

22. Which Asian war was influenced by communist and anti-communist tensions?

    The Korean War. North Korea (communist) fought South Korea (capitalist) from 1950-1953.

23. Which Soviet leader is associated with the policy of Perestroika?

    Mikhail Gorbachev. His restructuring reforms ultimately weakened communist control.

24. What was the main objective of Mao's Great Leap Forward?

    Rapid industrialization. This failed economic campaign aimed to surpass Western production levels.

25. Which Eastern European country transitioned from communism to democracy in 1989?

    Poland. Solidarity movement led the peaceful overthrow of communist rule.

26. What was the outcome of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising?

    Suppression by Soviet forces. Soviet forces crushed the anti-communist rebellion within weeks.

27. Which concept describes the easing of tensions between the US and Soviet Union?

    Détente. This policy reduced Cold War hostilities during the 1970s.

28. Which Soviet policy allowed for more open criticism of the government?

    Glasnost. Openness enabled citizens to criticize government policies and leaders.

29. Which leader's policies led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe?

    Mikhail Gorbachev. Glasnost and perestroika allowed democratic movements to flourish.

30. Which European country experienced a communist coup in 1948?

    Czechoslovakia. Communists seized power and ended the country's democratic government.

31. Which Southeast Asian country fell to communism in 1975?

    Vietnam. North Vietnamese forces unified the country under communist rule.

32. Identify the Soviet policy of openness initiated by Gorbachev in the 1980s.

    Glasnost. This policy allowed greater freedom of speech and press.

33. Which military alliance was formed to counteract NATO during the Cold War?

    Warsaw Pact. Eastern European communist states formed this military alliance in 1955.

34. What was the main purpose of the Comintern established in 1919?

    To promote global communism. Lenin created this organization to coordinate international communist parties.

35. Which country experienced the Velvet Revolution in 1989?

    Czechoslovakia. This peaceful transition ended communist rule without violence.

36. Identify the 1961 U.S. failed invasion to overthrow Castro's government.

    Bay of Pigs Invasion. CIA-trained Cuban exiles failed to overthrow Castro's government.

37. What was the primary ideology of the Soviet Union after 1917?

    Communism. The Bolsheviks established this system after overthrowing the Tsarist regime.

38. Which event marked the beginning of Communist rule in China?

    Chinese Communist Revolution (1949). Mao Zedong's Communist Party defeated the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek.

39. What was the primary strategy of the US to prevent the spread of communism?

    Containment. This strategy prevented communist expansion without direct military confrontation.

40. Identify the leader of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Nikita Khrushchev. He led the USSR during the 1962 nuclear standoff with the United States.

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