The Cold War - AP World History

1. Identify the main ideological conflict in the Cold War.

   Capitalism vs. Communism. Two opposing economic and political systems that shaped global alliances.

2. Which US President initiated the policy of containment?

   Harry S. Truman. Announced the doctrine in 1947 to Congress requesting aid for Greece and Turkey.

3. What year did the Berlin Wall fall?

   1989. Marked the beginning of the end of communist control in Eastern Europe.

4. What was the significance of the Helsinki Accords?

   Improved relations between the communist bloc and the West. 1975 agreement recognized borders and promoted human rights across Europe.

5. What event marked the start of the Space Race?

   The launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957. First artificial satellite demonstrated Soviet technological superiority and shocked America.

6. When was the Berlin Wall built?

   1961. Constructed overnight to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

7. What was the Iron Curtain?

   A metaphorical division between Eastern and Western Europe. Churchill's term describing Soviet control over Eastern European satellite states.

8. What was the main outcome of the Yalta Conference?

   Division of Germany into occupation zones post-WWII. Big Three leaders agreed on post-war occupation and spheres of influence.

9. Who coined the term 'Iron Curtain'?

   Winston Churchill. British Prime Minister who used this metaphor in his 1946 'Sinews of Peace' speech.

10. What does 'perestroika' mean?

    Restructuring. Economic and political reforms to modernize the Soviet system.

11. Define the term 'detente'.

    Easing of tensions between the US and Soviet Union in the 1970s. Period of reduced hostility marked by arms control agreements and diplomatic dialogue.

12. What was the Non-Aligned Movement?

    A group of states not formally aligned with any major power bloc. Led by countries like India and Egypt, sought independence from bloc politics.

13. What was the primary goal of the policy of containment?

    To prevent the spread of communism. Core US strategy to limit communist expansion without direct military confrontation.

14. What was the Domino Theory?

    The belief that communism would spread to neighboring countries. Theory that communist victory in one nation would trigger regional spread.

15. What was the Korean War's relation to the Cold War?

    A proxy war between communist and capitalist forces. First major Cold War conflict testing containment policy in divided Korea.

16. What was the Truman Doctrine?

    A US policy to contain the spread of communism. Established to support free nations against communist expansion and Soviet pressure.

17. What was the significance of the Vietnam War in the Cold War?

    A major conflict symbolizing US efforts to prevent communism. Costly American defeat that weakened public support for containment strategy.

18. What was the Cold War?

    A geopolitical tension between the US and Soviet Union after WWII. Defined by nuclear arms race and proxy wars without direct military confrontation.

19. Which Soviet leader introduced policies of glasnost and perestroika?

    Mikhail Gorbachev. His reforms of openness and restructuring ultimately led to Soviet collapse.

20. What was the purpose of the Warsaw Pact?

    A military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe. Soviet response to NATO, created in 1955 to unify Eastern European forces.

21. What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

    Soviet policy to intervene in support of communism. Justified 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia to preserve communist rule.

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

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

23. Which two alliances were formed during the Cold War?

    NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Opposing military alliances representing Western and Eastern bloc nations respectively.

24. What was the purpose of the SALT agreements?

    To limit the number of nuclear weapons held by the superpowers. Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties sought to control nuclear weapon stockpiles.

25. Which country launched the first human into space?

    The Soviet Union. Yuri Gagarin's 1961 flight gave Soviets another major space achievement.

26. What was the Marshall Plan?

    An American initiative to aid Western Europe's economic recovery. Provided $13 billion to rebuild Western Europe and counter Soviet influence.

27. What event symbolized the end of the Cold War?

    The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. USSR's breakup into independent republics ended bipolar world order.

28. Identify the main effect of the nuclear arms race.

    Increased global tension and fear of nuclear conflict. Created climate of mutual suspicion and massive military spending.

29. Who led the Soviet Union during its dissolution?

    Mikhail Gorbachev. Last Soviet leader whose reforms inadvertently accelerated the USSR's collapse.

30. Which US policy aimed to rebuild Europe after WWII?

    The Marshall Plan. Massive economic aid program designed to prevent communist expansion westward.

31. What was the significance of the Prague Spring?

    Czechoslovakia's failed attempt at liberalization in 1968. Soviet invasion crushed democratic reforms and demonstrated Brezhnev Doctrine.

32. What was 'Mutually Assured Destruction' (MAD)?

    A doctrine of deterrence during the nuclear arms race. Both superpowers held enough weapons to destroy each other completely.

33. What was the purpose of the Berlin Airlift?

    To supply West Berlin amidst a Soviet blockade. Massive operation delivering supplies by air for 11 months in 1948-49.

34. What was the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

    It brought the US and Soviet Union close to nuclear war. Thirteen-day standoff in 1962 was the closest the world came to nuclear war.

35. Who was the US President at the end of the Cold War?

    George H. W. Bush. In office from 1989-1993, oversaw peaceful end of Cold War tensions.

36. What was the purpose of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?

    To develop missile defense systems against nuclear attacks. Reagan's 'Star Wars' program aimed to intercept incoming nuclear missiles.

37. What was the significance of the U-2 incident?

    Heightened Cold War tensions due to a US spy plane capture. 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers' spy plane ended summit diplomacy.

38. Which doctrine justified US intervention in Latin America during the Cold War?

    The Monroe Doctrine. 19th-century policy extended to justify intervention against communist influence.

39. What was the primary purpose of the United Nations during the Cold War?

    To prevent conflicts and promote peace. International forum for dialogue though often paralyzed by superpower vetoes.

40. What does 'glasnost' mean?

    Openness. Policy allowing greater freedom of information and public discussion.

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