World Civ. Chapter 13

Question 1

War-Time Confrences

Answer 1

These were key meetings during WWII where Allied leaders—especially from the U.S., the Soviet Union, and the UK—discussed strategy and the post-war world order. The Yalta (1945) and Potsdam (1945) conferences are notable, focusing on dividing Europe and dealing with Germany’s defeat.

Question 2

The Long Telegram

Answer 2

1946. A diplomatic cable sent by U.S. diplomat George Kennan from Moscow, which outlined the Soviet Union’s expansionist aims and suggested a policy of “containment” to prevent the spread of communism. This became the basis for U.S. Cold War policy.

Question 3

Truman Doctrine

Answer 3

1947. A U.S. foreign policy aimed at containing communism, specifically providing military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism, starting with Greece and Turkey. It marked the start of the U.S. strategy of global intervention in the Cold War.

Question 4

Marshall Plan

Answer 4

1948. A U.S. economic initiative to help rebuild Western European economies after WWII, aimed at preventing the spread of communism by stabilizing Europe. It provided over $12 billion in aid and is credited with spurring European recovery.

Question 5

Berlin Airlift

Answer 5

1948-1949. In response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, the U.S. and its allies mounted an airlift to supply West Berlin with food, fuel, and other necessities. It was a significant early confrontation of the Cold War.

Question 6

NATO

Answer 6

North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 1949. A military alliance formed between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to counter Soviet expansion. It marked a formal commitment to mutual defense against aggression.

Question 7

People’s Republic of China

Answer 7

1949.The communist government of China, led by Mao Zedong, was established after the victory of the Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, ending decades of conflict and shaping the geopolitical dynamics of East Asia.

Question 8

Great Leap Forward

Answer 8

1958-1962.A social and economic campaign initiated by Mao Zedong to rapidly industrialize China. It resulted in widespread famine and millions of deaths, ultimately leading to a retreat from many of its policies.

Question 9

Four Modernizations

Answer 9

1978. A set of goals outlined by Deng Xiaoping to modernize China’s economy in the areas of agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology. This shift toward market reforms marked the end of strict communist economic policies.

Question 10

Warsaw Pact

Answer 10

1955. A military alliance of communist countries in Eastern Europe led by the Soviet Union, formed as a response to NATO. It was dissolved in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Question 11

Korean War

Answer 11

1950-1953. A conflict between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the U.S. and other UN forces). It ended in a stalemate and the division of Korea along the 38th parallel.

Question 12

Parition of lndia

Answer 12

1947.The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, due to religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims. This led to massive migration and violence.

Question 13

Cuban Missle Crisis

Answer 13

1962. A 13-day confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles stationed in Cuba, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. It ended with a U.S.-Soviet agreement to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba.

Question 14

“Prague Spring”

Answer 14

1968.A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia under Alexander Dubček, which was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion of Warsaw Pact troops. It highlighted the tensions within the Eastern Bloc.

Question 15

Partition of Palestine

Answer 15

1947. The UN’s plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, leading to the establishment of Israel in 1948 and subsequent Arab-Israeli conflict.

Question 16

Vietnam War

Answer 16

1955-1975. A conflict in which communist North Vietnam, supported by the USSR and China, fought against South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. The war ended in the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam under communist control.

Question 17

Maastricht Treaty

Answer 17

1992.The agreement that created the European Union (EU), established the euro as a common currency, and deepened political and economic integration among European countries.

Question 18

Suez Crisis

Answer 18

1956. A diplomatic and military conflict triggered by Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal. The UK, France, and Israel invaded Egypt, but were forced to withdraw under pressure from the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It marked the decline of British and French influence in the region.

Question 19

MAD Doctrine

Answer 19

Manually Assured Destruction.A Cold War doctrine in which both the U.S. and the Soviet Union maintained large nuclear arsenals capable of destroying each other, thereby deterring either side from initiating a nuclear conflict.

Question 20

Glasnost and Perestroika

Answer 20

Glasnost (“openness”) and Perestroika (“restructuring”) were reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union aimed at increasing transparency, political freedom, and economic restructuring. These reforms eventually contributed to the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the USSR.

Question 21

Solidarity

Answer 21

A labor and political movement in Poland, led by Lech Wałęsa, which became a symbol of resistance against Soviet influence. Solidarity helped to pave the way for the fall of communism in Poland and other Eastern European countries.