All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Which Eastern European country transitioned from communism to democracy in 1989?
Answer: Poland. Solidarity movement led the peaceful overthrow of communist rule.
Flashcard 2: What was the major consequence of the Sino-Soviet Split?
Answer: Increased tensions between China and the Soviet Union. Ideological differences split the communist world into rival camps.
Flashcard 3: Which Latin American country was a focal point of Cold War tensions in the 1980s?
Answer: Nicaragua. The US supported Contras against the Sandinista government.
Flashcard 4: Identify the tactic used by the US to support anti-communist regimes.
Answer: Military aid and intervention. The US backed friendly dictatorships against communist movements.
Flashcard 5: Which agreement reduced US and Soviet nuclear weapons in 1987?
Answer: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to eliminate intermediate-range missiles.
Flashcard 6: Which communist country experienced economic reforms in the 1980s?
Answer: China. Deng Xiaoping introduced market mechanisms while maintaining communist control.
Flashcard 7: What was the effect of the Soviet-Afghan War on the Soviet Union?
Answer: Weakened Soviet resources and morale. The costly war drained Soviet finances and damaged military prestige.
Flashcard 8: Identify the 1961 U.S. failed invasion to overthrow Castro's government.
Answer: Bay of Pigs Invasion. CIA-trained Cuban exiles failed to overthrow Castro's government.
Flashcard 9: Which Southeast Asian country fell to communism in 1975?
Answer: Vietnam. North Vietnamese forces unified the country under communist rule.
Flashcard 10: What was the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
Answer: Symbolized the end of communism. Its destruction represented the collapse of communist control in Europe.
Flashcard 11: Which Soviet policy allowed for more open criticism of the government?
Answer: Glasnost. Openness enabled citizens to criticize government policies and leaders.
Flashcard 12: What was the main objective of Mao's Great Leap Forward?
Answer: Rapid industrialization. This failed economic campaign aimed to surpass Western production levels.
Flashcard 13: Which country experienced the Velvet Revolution in 1989?
Answer: Czechoslovakia. This peaceful transition ended communist rule without violence.
Flashcard 14: What was the strategic defense initiative proposed by the US in the 1980s?
Answer: Star Wars. Reagan's missile defense system aimed to neutralize Soviet nuclear threats.
Flashcard 15: Which leader's policies led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe?
Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev. Glasnost and perestroika allowed democratic movements to flourish.
Flashcard 16: What did the Brezhnev Doctrine justify in terms of Soviet foreign policy?
Answer: Intervention in socialist countries. It authorized Soviet military action to preserve socialism in allies.
Flashcard 17: Which European country experienced a communist coup in 1948?
Answer: Czechoslovakia. Communists seized power and ended the country's democratic government.
Flashcard 18: What was the primary strategy of the US to prevent the spread of communism?
Answer: Containment. This strategy prevented communist expansion without direct military confrontation.
Flashcard 19: Which US policy aimed to contain communism, announced in 1947?
Answer: Truman Doctrine. Truman promised to support free peoples resisting communist subjugation.
Flashcard 20: Identify the Eastern European country that split peacefully after communism's fall.
Answer: Czechoslovakia. It became the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
Flashcard 21: Which Soviet leader is associated with the policy of Perestroika?
Answer: Mikhail Gorbachev. His restructuring reforms ultimately weakened communist control.
Flashcard 22: Name the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
Answer: Sputnik. This achievement marked the beginning of the Space Race.
Flashcard 23: What was the outcome of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising?
Answer: Suppression by Soviet forces. Soviet forces crushed the anti-communist rebellion within weeks.
Flashcard 24: Which military alliance was formed to counteract NATO during the Cold War?
Answer: Warsaw Pact. Eastern European communist states formed this military alliance in 1955.
Flashcard 25: Which concept describes the easing of tensions between the US and Soviet Union?
Answer: Détente. This policy reduced Cold War hostilities during the 1970s.
Flashcard 26: What was the primary economic policy under Soviet communism?
Answer: Central planning. The state controlled all production and distribution decisions.
Flashcard 27: Which African country became communist after its independence in 1975?
Answer: Angola. The MPLA established a Marxist government after Portuguese withdrawal.
Flashcard 28: Identify the leader of Vietnam who embraced communism in the mid-20th century.
Answer: Ho Chi Minh. He led Vietnamese independence and established communist North Vietnam.
Flashcard 29: What was the primary goal of the Marshall Plan?
Answer: To rebuild Europe's economy and stop the spread of communism. US economic aid strengthened Western Europe against communist influence.
Flashcard 30: Which 1968 event in Czechoslovakia demonstrated a push against communism?
Answer: Prague Spring. Reforms were crushed when Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia in August.