Cold War Study Guide
1. The “Iron Curtain” was a term used by Winston
Churchill described the separation of Eastern and
Western Europe after WWII.
2. Why did the U.S. conduct the Berlin Airlift in
1948? Stalin wanted control of all of Berlin. His
army surrounded West Berlin in an attempt to
starve them out.
3. In 1949, the U.S. entered a military alliance
known as ? NATO
4. The tension between the U.S. and the Soviet
Union where both countries developed nuclear
weapons and many feared it could lead to a nuclear
war was called the nuclear arms race.
5. The Korean War began when North Korea
crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea.
6. The Soviet Union is an example of a Communist
state.
7. The dividing line between North and South Korea
is called the 38th parallel.
8. The result of the U.S. and USSR no trusting each
other is called the Cold War.
9. A Communist dictatorship is where the state, not
the citizens or businesses, owned nearly all the
property, made decisions and determined
production.
10. The cold War was different from most wars
because it was a war of words and ideas.
11. Why did the U.S. get involved in the Korean
War? To stop the spread of communism
12. The Soviet Union’s leader, Khrushchev, placed
missiles in Cuba and when the U.S. learned about
the missiles, President John F. Kennedy placed a
blockade around Cuba. The world was in fear of a
nuclear attack. What was this time called
The Cuban Missile Crisis
13. How did the U.S. get involved in the Vietnam
War? We helped the pro-US government that ruled
South Vietnam to stop North Vietnam when they
invaded.
14. What two forms of government were “fighting”
during the Cold War? Communism and Democracy
15. What war was America’s first major military
defeat? Vietnam War
16. How did the U.S. respond to finding out the
Soviets had missiles in Cuba? Formed a Naval
blockade around Cuba
17. Why was the U.S. & Soviet Union at odds with
one another? We had different types of
governments and we both wanted to be the leading
world power
18. Who became the First Secretary of the
Communisty party and leader after Joseph Stalin
died? Khrushchev
19. During the 1950s, what U.S. senator became
convinced that communists were trying to take over
the U.S. government and accused officials of being
communist? Joseph McCarthy
20. How was North Vietname different from South
Vietnam? North Vietnam was Communist
supported by China and U.S.S.R.