Main events Flashcards
What event marked the beginning of the Cold War?
The end of World War II and the division of Europe in 1945.
True or False: The Iron Curtain was a physical barrier between Eastern and Western Europe.
False; it was a metaphorical division.
What was the significance of the Truman Doctrine?
It established the policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism.
Fill in the blank: The _____ Plan provided economic aid to European countries to help rebuild after WWII.
Marshall
What was the Berlin Blockade?
A Soviet attempt to cut off access to West Berlin in 1948-1949.
How did the United States respond to the Berlin Blockade?
By organizing the Berlin Airlift to supply West Berlin.
What military alliance was formed in 1949 in response to the threat of the Soviet Union?
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
True or False: The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance formed by Western nations.
False; it was formed by Eastern Bloc countries.
What was the significance of the Korean War (1950-1953)?
It was the first armed conflict of the Cold War, establishing the precedent for U.S. intervention in Asia.
Which event in 1961 escalated tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union?
The construction of the Berlin Wall.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A 13-day confrontation in 1962 over Soviet missiles in Cuba.
What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba, and the USSR removed its missiles.
Fill in the blank: The policy of _____ involved negotiations to ease tensions between the superpowers.
Détente
What was the significance of the Vietnam War?
It was a major conflict that showcased the limits of U.S. military power and led to widespread protests.
True or False: The U.S. successfully prevented the fall of South Vietnam to communism.
False; South Vietnam fell in 1975.
What was the purpose of the SALT treaties?
To limit the number of nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and the USSR.
What event marked the end of the Cold War?
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Fill in the blank: The _____ was a series of reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.
Perestroika
What was the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
It symbolized the end of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and the Cold War.
Which doctrine justified U.S. intervention in Latin America during the Cold War?
The Monroe Doctrine.
True or False: The Space Race was a competition between the U.S. and the USSR for technological superiority.
True.
What was the first artificial satellite launched into space?
Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
What role did NATO play during the Cold War?
It served as a military alliance for collective defense against Soviet aggression.
Fill in the blank: The _____ was a failed U.S. invasion of Cuba in 1961.
Bay of Pigs
What was the significance of the Prague Spring?
It was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia that was crushed by Soviet intervention in 1968.
What did the term ‘McCarthyism’ refer to during the Cold War?
The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper evidence.
True or False: The Cold War was characterized by direct military conflict between the U.S. and the USSR.
False; it was primarily a war of ideologies and proxy wars.
What was the significance of the Helsinki Accords in 1975?
They were a major diplomatic agreement that aimed to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West.
Fill in the blank: The _____ was a U.S. initiative to counter Soviet influence in the Middle East.
Eisenhower Doctrine
What was the significance of the U-2 incident in 1960?
It heightened tensions after a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
What was the significance of the ‘Domino Theory’ during the Cold War?
It suggested that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the fall of neighboring countries.
Fill in the blank: The _____ War was a proxy conflict in which the U.S. supported anti-communist forces in Afghanistan.
Soviet-Afghan
