The Cold War

Question 1

The Cold War

Answer 1

Geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and its allies (Communist bloc) and the United States and its allies (Western bloc) from 1947 to 1991.

Question 2

Denazification

Answer 2

Post-World War II process in Germany to remove Nazi ideology and influence from society and government.

Question 3

Iron Curtain

Answer 3

Term coined by Winston Churchill describing the division of Europe into Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and Western Europe after World War II.

Question 4

Truman Doctrine

Answer 4

U.S. policy announced in 1947 to provide economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism, aimed at containing Soviet influence.

Question 5

Avro Arrow

Answer 5

Canadian supersonic interceptor aircraft project canceled in 1959, symbolizing Canada’s shift away from independent military projects towards reliance on U.S. defense.

Question 6

Marshall Plan

Answer 6

U.S. initiative in 1948 to aid Western European countries with economic recovery and prevent the spread of communism after World War II.

Question 7

NORAD

Answer 7

North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint U.S.-Canada military organization for aerospace warning and defense.

Question 7

Berlin Blockade

Answer 7

Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948-1949 in an attempt to starve out Allied forces and control the city.

Question 7

NATO

Answer 7

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in 1949 as a military alliance of Western countries against the Soviet Union and its allies.

Question 7

Korean War

Answer 7

Conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United Nations and primarily the United States).

Question 8

Space Race / NASA / Sputnik

Answer 8

Competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to achieve space exploration milestones, including the creation of NASA (U.S.) and the launch of Sputnik (USSR).

Question 9

Chinese Revolution

Answer 9

Communist takeover of China in 1949, leading to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

Question 10

Igor Gouzenko

Answer 10

Soviet intelligence officer who defected to Canada in 1945, revealing Soviet espionage activities and contributing to Cold War tensions.

Question 11

Hydrogen Bombs

Answer 11

Nuclear weapons with significantly higher destructive power than atomic bombs, developed during the Cold War arms race.

Question 12

Cuban Revolution

Answer 12

1959 revolution in Cuba led by Fidel Castro, resulting in the establishment of a communist government and strained U.S.-Cuba relations.

Question 13

Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 13

1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Question 14

Berlin Wall

Answer 14

Barrier constructed by East Germany in 1961 to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to West Berlin; symbol of Cold War division.

Question 15

MAD Theory

Answer 15

Mutually Assured Destruction theory, which posited that the possession of nuclear weapons by both superpowers would deter nuclear war due to the threat of annihilation.

Question 16

Doomsday Clock

Answer 16

Symbolic representation of the likelihood of a global catastrophe (nuclear war or environmental disaster), maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Question 16

Suez Crisis

Answer 16

1956 conflict involving Egypt, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom over control of the Suez Canal, highlighting Cold War tensions and decolonization.

Question 17

DEW Line

Answer 17

Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the Arctic designed to detect incoming Soviet bombers during the Cold War.

Question 18

Domino Theory

Answer 18

U.S. foreign policy belief during the Cold War that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would also fall like dominos.

Question 19

Vietnam War

Answer 19

Conflict from 1955 to 1975 between North Vietnam (supported by the Soviet Union and China) and South Vietnam (supported by the United States and allies).

Question 19

Détente

Answer 19

Period of easing Cold War tensions in the 1970s, marked by diplomatic efforts to reduce hostility between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Question 20

Tiananmen Square

Answer 20

1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China, violently suppressed by the Chinese government, highlighting human rights issues and international relations.

Question 21

Yugoslavian War

Answer 21

Series of conflicts and civil wars in the Balkans from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia, involving ethnic and political tensions.