Name: ______________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Understanding the Cold War and the Miracle on Ice
Directions: Answer the following questions from the History Alive! textbook in your own words
and in complete sentences.
Chapter 38: Origins of the Cold War
1. Describe the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. Who was involved and what was the
purpose of these meetings?
a. Yalta:
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b. Potsdam:
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2. Explain the differences between Truman and Stalin as the two nations wanted to reshape
or rebuild Eastern Europe following World War II.
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3. How did President Harry S. Truman describe the U.S. financial commitment to World
War II?
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4. Explain the differences between communist and capitalist societies
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5. Describe George Kennan’s “Long Telegram” and how this document became the
rationalization for the United States when dealing in international affairs.
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6. What was the Baruch Plan? What was the purpose of this plan and what was the rationale
(why) did the United State propose this plan to the world’s most powerful international
governing body?
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7. Define hegemony and how did the Soviet Union attempt to exert hegemony over Europe?
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8. How did the United States under the leadership of President Truman react to the
spreading force of Soviet hegemony in Europe?
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9. Name and explain the purpose of the two government agencies that were developed to
advise U.S. Presidents under Truman’s Presidency in 1947.
a. __________________________________________________________________
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b. __________________________________________________________________
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10. Explain the rationale behind the Marshall Plan and the goal of this legislation. What
stipulations (rules) did the U.S. place on the Marshall Plan if European nations were
going to use this program?
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Chapter 39: The Cold War Expands
1. Describe the event that took place on May 1, 1960. What happened, who was involved,
what was Russia’s response, and why did the United States under Dwight D. Eisenhower
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believe that what they were doing was justifiable?
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2. What was the Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift?
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3. Who did the United Nations support in the Korean War? How many countries fought in
the Korean War as a part of the UN forces?
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4. Who did the United States select as their leading commander of forces against North
Korea? What aggressive plan did this U.S. General have in mind to defeat North Korea
and their Chinese allies? Along which parallel was Korea divided and what would we call
this territory between North and South Korea today?
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5. Study the world map on pages 512 and 513. After looking over areas of conflict around
the world between 1944 and 1965, what trends do you notice were taking place and what
role did the United States play in these conflicts?
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6. Define brinkmanship: ______________________________________________________
7. Define deterrence:_________________________________________________________
8. Define MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) and does the United States adhere to the
theory of MAD when confronting nuclear states in modern times? Can you provide
relevant examples of how the U.S. uses MAD as a driving force for our foreign relations
with other countries?
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9. Explain in your own words the work of U.S. officials to combat nuclear armament and
how did we create alternatives to the idea of MAD in the 1970’s and 1980’s? Did
tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S. increase or decrease during these
decades? Explain your reasoning.
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Chapter 40: Fighting the Cold War at Home
1. Why did President Truman employ the practice of loyalty oaths in public works offices?
What were these loyalty oaths?
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2. Identify this group of Americans who were targeted by the House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC). What was the organizations method for identifying
communist supporters in the U.S.?
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3. Who were the Rosenberg’s and were their actions comparable to any modern day
dissenters from the U.S.?
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4. Describe Senator Joseph McCarthy’s methods to label suspected communist supporters in
the United States.
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5. What was the Federal Civil Defense Administration?
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Chapter 57: Ending the Cold War
1. Describe the significance of President Reagan’s 1987 speech in Berlin.
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2. Explain the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). What was the aim and purpose of this
program? What was catchy the nickname of this program?
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3. Explain Reagan’s foreign diplomacy in South America. Were his policies successful or
unsuccessful? Who did the United States support in these South American conflicts and
why?
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4. Explain and show the step by step process that President Reagan and Lieutenant Oliver
North used in the Iran-Contra Affair. This event is broken down on page 747 of the
textbook. Would you have agreed with the U.S. government’s justification of this event
or would you disagree with our tactics to overthrow communist regimes in the South
American region?
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5. Use examples and evidence to support or refute your personal belief that President
Ronald Reagan was primarily responsible for the downfall of the Soviet Union and the
cooling of Cold War tensions between two of the world’s major superpowers during the
late 1980’s and 1990’s.
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