Fighting the Cold War
Changes in Leadership, Arms Race, Cuban Missile Crisis, Impact of Arms Race on Cold War
Chapter 7: New Leaders, New Ideas?
1. The changed international situation after 1953 has led historians to call this period a “thaw” in the
Cold War. Explain the factors that set the scene for improved relations – or a “thaw” – between the
superpowers after 1953. Include specific reference to Eisenhower and Khrushchev’s policies.
2. What message did the Eisenhower Doctrine send to a)The Soviet Union and b)Arab states about
American intentions in the United States?
3. Explain the Space Race. Include key advances made by both sides.
4. How did events of 1958-1960 affect East-West relations? (Include U-2 incident)
Chapter 9: The Cuban Missile Crisis
5. Study the timeline on pages 90-91. What actions taken by Castro would have convinced the U.S. he
was a communist? What actions taken by Castro indicate that he might NOT have been a communist in
1959? Do you think the US pushed Castro into a relationship with the USSR? Explain!
6. Describe Castro’s rise to power. Why was the U.S. opposed to his revolution?
7. Explain the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Why was it a failure?
8. Why did Khrushchev put missiles in Cuba? How did the U.S. respond?
9. How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
10. THINKER: In your opinion, did Kennedy handle the Crisis effectively? Why or why not?
11. Explain the effects the Cuban Missile Crisis had on the US, USSR, Cuba, China, and the international
situation.
Chapter 10: The Impact of the Arms Race on the Cold War
12. How did the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima impact the Cold War?
13. Using both the timeline on page 105 and the table of arms race statistics on 106, what conclusions can
be drawn about the characteristics of the arms race up to 1985?
14. What is MAD? How did it contribute to new agreements made between 1968-1972?
15. In what ways did the Arms Race affect the Cold War?