Cold War

Question 1

What was the primary ideological conflict during the Cold War?

Answer 1

The primary ideological conflict was between capitalism, led by the United States, and communism, led by the Soviet Union.

Question 2

What did Gorbachev’s glasnost show for?

Answer 2

dissidents like Bukharin during Stalin’s time were declared innocent, there was freedom of press in Pravda allowing dissent of the govt, important political moments were televised, anti govt literature and films were released, freedom in news reporting so that public opinion could be mobilized for the improvement of the working of the govt.

Question 3

Gorbachev’s policies were?

Answer 3

Glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring of the party, economy, govt)

Question 4

Which event is often cited as the start of the Cold War?

Answer 4

The Iron Curtain speech by Winston Churchill in 1946.

Question 5

What doctrine did the United States adopt to counter Soviet expansion?

Answer 5

The Truman Doctrine.

Question 6

Immediate cause for the Cold war?

Answer 6

Communist takeover of the coalition state of Czechoslovakia. When the communists were losing ground and being blamed for the economic crisis, they staged a coup and overthrew the coalition govt, killed Masaryk and Benes resigned making it a fully communist state and completing the iron curtain.

Question 7

Which two countries were involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 7

The United States and the Soviet Union.

Question 8

Multiple Choice: What was the main goal of the Berlin Blockade? A) To promote democracy B) To force the Allies out of Berlin C) To establish trade routes

Answer 8

B) To force the Allies out of Berlin

Question 9

What was the significance of the Warsaw Pact?

Answer 9

It was a military alliance of communist countries in Eastern Europe, established in response to NATO.

Question 10

What caused the Cold War?

Answer 10

1. Ideological Differences (private capitalism & collectively owned centrally planned communism)
2. Stalin’s foreign policies (occupying german land)
3. British and American hostility

Question 11

What was the main purpose of NATO?

Answer 11

To provide collective defense against aggression, particularly from the Soviet Union.

Question 12

Economy during Gorbachev ?

Answer 12

small scale pvt enterprises were allowed like family businesses, car repaid shops, clothing shops etc. which aimed to provide competition for slow state resources and provide alternate jobs due to computerization

Question 13

Fill in the blank: The _____ was a military standoff in 1962 that brought the world close to nuclear war.

Answer 13

Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 14

What was the primary goal of the U.S. policy of containment?

Answer 14

To prevent the spread of communism beyond its existing borders.

Question 15

Which event marked the end of the Cold War?

Answer 15

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Question 16

Which two countries were divided by the Iron Curtain?

Answer 16

East Germany and West Germany.

Question 17

Russian response to the ERP?

Answer 17

Russia responded to the ERP with the Communist Information Bureau which aimed to strengthen the bond between the Communist satellites (industrialized, centralized, collectivized) who were encouraged to trade among themselves exclusively, Yugoslavia expelled. Molotov Plan was the financial aid and Council of Mutual Economic Assistance coordinated their economic policies.

Question 18

Truman Doctrine ?

Answer 18

Truman announced that USA would aid free people resisting subjugation from armed minorities or outside pressures. Greece received a massive supply of arms and Turkey received aid of about 60million dollars. All to contain communism.

Question 19

Marshall Plan?

Answer 19

George Marshall’s European Recovery Programme involved offering aid to countries battling with poverty, hunger, desperation. Western Europe had suffered a heavy blow with these issues. Although the humanitarian plan aimed to provide lucrative markets for American exports, it was more about reducing probability of communism growing in a flourishing economy.

Question 20

Why did Russians detest the Marshall Plan?

Answer 20

Rather than seeing it as an opportunity, Russia saw this as dollar imperialism and was infuriated that wetern powers were interfering their sphere of influence in east europe. No eastern european state was allowed to take advantage of it.

Question 21

Who attended the Yalta Conference?

Answer 21

Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill

Question 22

Clauses of the Yalta Conference of 1945?

Answer 22

1. UN to replace LON
2. Germany to be divided into British, Russian and American zones. Same to Austria
3. Free elections to be allowed in East Europe
4. Russia’s agreement to fight against Japan for Sakhalin Islands and part of Manchuria.

Question 23

What was the purpose of the Berlin Wall?

Answer 23

To prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

Question 24

Multiple Choice: The term ‘Détente’ refers to: A) Increased tension B) Easing of relations C) Military escalation

Answer 24

B) Easing of relations

Question 25

Fulton speech by Churchill?

Answer 25

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has been drawn.

Question 26

Issue with Poland in the Yalta Conference ?

Answer 26

Russians had swept over Poland and a communist government had been established in Lublin even though there was a government in exile in London. A request was made to include non-communist representatives from the London govt, in exchange for a strip of Polish land Russia had annexed in 1939. However, the Western powers were not happy with the fact that Stalin was asking for all land east of rivers oder and neisse be given to Poland. No agreement was reached.

Question 27

Who met at the Potsdam Conference?

Answer 27

Churchill (later replaced by Clement Atlee), Truman , Stalin

Question 28

What was decided at Potsdam?

Answer 28

1. Germany Fate (nazi party tried as war criminals, disarmed, breaking up of germany? war reparations paid to USSR + food products)
2. Poland Issue (5 million germans thrown out of the east of Oder and Neisse with a communist govt set up not agreed to at Yalta, Atomic bomb, No Manchuria)

Question 29

Law on State Enterprises?

Answer 29

An economic endeavour started by Gorbachev which entailed the factory to deal directly with orders from customers than give power to the central planners over raw material.

Question 30

Political indifference with Gorbachev ?

Answer 30

Yeltsin’s liberalism and Ligachev’s conservative ideas clashed and disagreed with Gorbachev’s moderate thoughts.

Question 31

Rivalry between Yeltsin and Gorbachev?

Answer 31

1. Union of States to be Voluntary (fall of USSR)
2. Loss of faith in Communist Party
3. Rapid changes in economy (would lead to unemployment and high prices)

Question 31

Failure of Law on State Enterprises ?

Answer 31

Wages were dependent on output and output relied on its worth in roubles and factories were tempted to increase output and produce expensive products which eventually led to inflation. Basic goods were in short supply and often unavailable.

Question 31

Consequences of the August Coup of 1991?

Answer 31

1. Communist Party was disgraced and lost its fame
2. Yeltsin was seen as the hero and ruled the Russian Federation as a separate republic.
3. Gorbachev resigned on Christmas
4. A new union was formed called the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Question 31

Party in Poland against communism?

Answer 31

Solidarity under Lech Walesa

Question 32

First Chancellor of Germany after WW2?

Answer 32

Helmut Kohl