Cold War Test Review
Test on Wed & Thurs 22 & 23 April 2009
1. Key Ideas to understand about the 1950’s

Strong economy (healthy job market, increased productivity, increased demand for American
products)

Greater investment in education

“The Baby Boom,” People were having more children.

The Interstate highway system was created.

Women expected to play supporting role in the family, but increasingly working outside the home.

Expanding women’s rights
2. What term means a period of tension during which the superpowers were preparing for war but never
fought each other directly? Cold War
3. What two superpowers emerged after World War II? USA & USSR (America and Soviet Union)
4. The goal of this post-WW II organization is to prevent future wars from breaking out. U.N.
(United Nations)
5. The Marshall Plan provided money to help rebuild European economies after World War II.
6. This former all-communist country is now divided into independent countries. This was one of the
reasons for the end of the Cold War. Soviet Union (U.S.S.R) Perestroika and Glasnost
7. N.A.T.O. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was an alliance formed after WW II by Canada, the U.S.
and countries of Western Europe.
8. Warsaw Pact was an alliance formed after WW II by the Soviet Union and countries of Eastern Europe.
9. What theory said that if one nation fell to communism, others would soon follow? The Domino Theory
10. The space race started in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite called
Sputnik.
 One year later, the U.S. started a new space organization called NASA.
11. Name two wars that took place after World War II that started when one nation invaded another to
spread communism. Korean War & Vietnam War
12. The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.
 What was the reason for the invasion? North Korea wanted South Korea to be communist.
 What countries came to the aid of North Korea? China & the Soviet Union
 What country came to the aid of South Korea? The USA
13. What did the United States do when nuclear missiles were discovered in Cuba? Blockade of USSR ships
to Cuba
 What were the three terms of the agreement between JFK and Khrushchev? 1)US would not
invade Cuba 2) Missiles were removed from Cuba 3)Hotline between Kremlin (USSR) and the
White House
14. What event symbolized the Cold War? The construction of the Berlin Wall symbolized division
between East and West (Communism and Democracy)
15. After World War II, Germany was partitioned into two countries.
 Which country became communist and remained under the domination of the Soviet Union?
East Germany
 Which country became democratic? West Germany
16. What brought about an end to the Cold War? Berlin Wall came down; U.S.S.R. split up
17. This was considered to be the only war that the U.S. lost because we were unable to prevent an Asian
country from falling to communism. Vietnam
18. Which war ended in a truce at the 38th parallel when Eisenhower was president? Korean War
19. Germany is to World War II as Soviet Union is to the Cold War.
20. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. were on the brink of war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
21. This war ended in a stalemate, and the country remained divided. Korea
22. The containment policy was started by the U.S. during the Cold War to try to stop the spread of
communism.