The Early Cold War Flashcards
What term describes a state of hostility between two countries where there is no direct warfare, but each country tries to gain an advantage by influencing other nations, military build-up, threats, propaganda, etc.?
A Cold War
Describe the causes of the Cold War.
Philosophical Differences - communism v. democracy
World War II Conflicts - timing of D-Day, US atomic bomb program
Post War Conflicts - no free elections in E. Europe; Soviet expansion, US policy of containment, Marshall Plan
How many occupation zones did the Allies agree to divide Germany into as WWII ended?
Four
What city in Germany divided in to occupation zones or ‘sectors’?
Berlin
What leader of the Soviet Union lowered “The Iron Curtain” and closed off his country and Eastern Europe from the democracies of the western world?
Stalin
What did the Truman Doctrine say?
It said that the US would support and help free people and countries that were trying to resist take over by communism.
Why was the Berlin Airlift necessary?
The Soviets had stopped all road, rail, and river transportation into the city, effectively blockading it from receiving any supplies. Stalin hoped to control the entire city.
What was the US policy after WWII of trying to resist and control the spread of communism?
containment
Who led a revolution in China and established a communist government there after defeating Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists in 1949?
Mao Zedong
Who were the couple convicted and executed of spying for the Soviet Union in the US and giving them atomic bomb secrets?
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
Who gave the famous “Iron Curtain” speech describing the way Stalin had divided Europe between communist and democratic nations?
Winston Churchill
What did Senator Joseph McCarthy do to promote the “Red Scare” in the US?
He made false accusations against US citizens, government officials, and military leaders of being communists.
Name two changes that President Truman made in the US military following WWII.
Integration of racial groups in the military
Women were made full members of the military branches
What did the GI Bill do for military servicemen after WWII ended?
Provided money for college, job training, low cost home loans, etc.
What military alliance was formed by the democratic countries of Western Europe for mutual support and protection?
NATO
Why did the US send troops to fight on the Korean peninsula from 1950 to 1953?
The US fought to help the stop the spread of communism from North Korea into democratic South Korea.
Who was the US general given command of the US troops fighting North Korea?
Douglas MacArthur
What did General MacArthur and President Truman disagree about during the Korean War that eventually got him fired?
Invading China and use of atomic weapons
What group of people was imprisoned for refusing to testify before the HUAC about their own political beliefs and those of coworkers?
The Hollywood Ten
What alliance group was formed by the Soviet Union in 1955 including all the communist nations of Eastern Europe?
The Warsaw Pact
What led to the beginning of the space race and the US creation of NASA?
The Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite
Why did the Soviet Union imprison US pilot Francis Gary Powers?
He was shot down in the U-2 spy plane flying over the Soviet Union
Who was the communist dictator of Cuba the US was hoping would be removed from power with the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
Fidel Castro
Who became the leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death in 1953?
Nikita Khrushchev
