Deck 27: The Cold War and the Fair Deal, 1945-1952

Question 1

In the civil war that broke out in Greece after World War II, the United States assisted the British-supported government.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A major economic problem President Truman faced immediately after the war was:

A) the weakness of organized labor
B) declining birthrates that lowered consumer demand
C) high rates of inflation
D) the return of high unemployment
E) food shortages

Answer 2

high rates of inflation

Question 3

Whittaker Chambers accused Alger Hiss of supplying secret U.S. documents to the Soviets.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Harry Truman was born and raised in Missouri.

Question 5

Truman's firing of MacArthur in 1951 was one of the most popular actions of his presidency.

Question 6

One of Truman's great strengths as he assumed the presidency was his:

A) tremendous personal charisma and oratorical ability
B) elite upbringing and connection
C) willingness to work with Republicans
D) years of experience as vice president
E) confidence and self-assuredness

Question 7

On the domestic front, President Truman soon made clear his intention to:

A) enlarge the New Deal
B) end the Depression
C) balance the budget
D) cut taxes
E) dramatically reduce government spending

Question 8

The GI Bill did all of the following EXCEPT:

A) provide educational benefits for veterans
B) provide housing loans for veterans
C) help prevent a postwar depression
D) pay veterans large bonuses to remain in the military
E) provide medical treatment for veterans

Question 9

At the end of World War II, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel.

Question 10

During the presidential election of 1948, Republicans saw little hope for victory.

Question 11

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act was also known as the GI Bill of Rights.

Question 12

J. Strom Thurmond was from New York.

Question 13

All of the following are true of Harry Truman EXCEPT that he:

A) had been shaped politically by the Kansas City Democratic machine
B) had an Ivy League education
C) personally suffered by contrast to Franklin Roosevelt when he became president
D) was an artillery officer in World War I
E) was a failed businessman after World War I

Question 14

Henry Wallace ran for president in 1948 as the Progressive party candidate.

Question 15

Due to shrinking military production, a deep recession followed the end of World War II.

Question 16

Within a few months of the end of World War II, there were strikes and other labor disputes in the steel, coal, and railroad industries.

Question 17

Israel's creation in 1948 was followed immediately by a war with its Arab neighbors.

Question 18

In the closing days of World War II, Truman threatened to bomb the Soviets if they did not abandon Poland.

Question 19

The Fair Deal was President Truman's name for his approach to foreign policy in the early days of the cold war.

Question 20

In the early months of the Korean War, UN forces encountered little resistance until they reached the Chinese border.

Question 21

Who tagged Truman "the No. 1 Strikebreaker"?

A) the Council of Economic Advisers
B) Congress
C) the Congress of Industrial Organizations
D) the American Federation of Labor
E) Harry Wallace

Question 22

The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947:

A) helped unions gain strength in the South
B) allowed the president to impose a "cooling-off" period during major strikes
C) was supported by President Truman due to his difficulties with organized labor
D) abolished the National Labor Relations Board
E) outlawed the passage of so-called right-to-work laws by the states

Question 23

All of the following were established by the National Security Act of 1947 EXCEPT:

A) the Central Intelligence Agency
B) the Department of Defense
C) the National Security Council
D) the Department of Homeland Security
E) the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Question 24

By the spring of 1945, the United States and Britain were becoming deeply concerned over Soviet actions in:

A) East Asia
B) the Middle East
C) Latin America
D) Western Europe
E) Eastern Europe

Question 25

In regard to Israel's founding in 1948, the United States:

A) supported its Arab neighbors
B) opposed the British departure from Palestine
C) became the first country to recognize the Jewish state
D) took no official stance
E) sent troops there to maintain peace in the Middle East

Question 26

The Yalta pledges of democratic elections in Eastern Europe:

A) proved to be meaningless
B) were postponed for two years after the end of the war
C) were fully backed by American military power
D) were honored by Stalin
E) were not in the national interests of the United States

Question 27

When confronted with strikes in the coal and railroad industries in 1946, President Truman's response was to:

A) declare martial law
B) temporarily seize those industries
C) say government had no role in labor-management disputes
D) break the strikes with unemployed veterans
E) freeze transportation and energy prices

Question 28

The conventional, or "orthodox," view of cold war history holds whom or what most responsible for beginning this conflict?

A) Truman and his aggressive policies
B) American economic imperialism
C) Stalin's quest for world domination
D) mistakes and overreactions by both the United States and the Soviet Union
E) the collapse of British and French power at the end of World War II

Question 29

The 1946 congressional elections resulted in:

A) Republican control of Congress
B) the end of the New Deal
C) a public vote of confidence in Truman
D) a decline in partisan divisions
E) Truman's adoption of cold war policies

Question 30

The secretary of state who devised the plan of massive economic recovery aid to Europe was:

A) Dean Acheson
B) George Marshall
C) James F. Byrnes
D) George Kennan
E) Averell Harriman

Question 31

The United States experienced a shock in 1949 when Communists took over:

A) China
B) Korea
C) Taiwan
D) Vietnam
E) Cuba

Question 32

As a result of the Truman Doctrine:

A) Greece and Turkey were less vulnerable to communism
B) Yugoslavia went Communist
C) the United Nations carried out its first military intervention
D) U.S.-Soviet relations improved
E) Truman became less concerned about the Soviet threat

Question 33

One major reason that World War II inspired postwar changes in race relations was the:

A) end it brought to the Depression
B) racist nature of the enemies of the United States
C) number of northerners it inspired to move to the South
D) lessons in equality American soldiers learned from Europeans
E) greater number of people receiving higher education

Question 34

Soviet and Communist activities in regard to Turkey and Greece were intended to:

A) provoke a war with the Americans and the British
B) gain the rich natural resources of those countries
C) inspire Russian patriotic feeling
D) gain the Soviets access to the Mediterranean
E) free those countries from dictatorships

Question 35

Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council:

A) now include Germany and Japan
B) meet every two years
C) do not participate in the General Assembly
D) periodically rotate so that new countries participate
E) can veto any major proposal

Question 36

In 1948, President Truman desegregated:

A) public schools
B) defense industries
C) Washington, D.C.
D) public transportation
E) the military

Question 37

All of the following were original NATO members EXCEPT:

A) Japan
B) Canada
C) the United States
D) Britain
E) France

Question 38

State Department official George Kennan:

A) predicted that the wartime alliance between the United States and the Soviets would continue
B) said the United States should abandon Europe and focus on the defense of the Western Hemisphere
C) said the United States should contain Soviet expansionist tendencies
D) urged the use of military force to liberate Eastern Europe
E) said the United States should be willing to bomb the Russians

Question 39

Baseball was integrated in 1947 when Jackie Robinson played for the:

A) New York Yankees
B) Boston Red Sox
C) Chicago Cubs
D) St. Louis Cardinals
E) Brooklyn Dodgers

Question 40

Truman's response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin in 1948 was to:

A) divide the rest of Germany into occupation zones
B) mass American troops on the Soviet border
C) get the United Nations to officially protest
D) launch a massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin
E) meet with Stalin to diplomatically resolve the crisis

Question 41

When North Korean Communists invaded South Korea:

A) South Korean forces initially repulsed the invaders
B) the United Nations authorized military intervention against the aggressors
C) Truman persuaded Congress to declare war on North Korea
D) Stalin told the North Koreans to stop their aggression
E) the Soviets used their Security Council veto to prevent United Nations action

Question 42

The second-place finisher in the 1948 election was:

A) Strom Thurmond
B) Thomas Dewey
C) Henry Wallace
D) Harry Truman
E) George Marshall

Question 43

The Hiss-Chambers case:

A) involved charges of atomic espionage
B) brought Senator Joseph McCarthy to national prominence
C) involved a homosexual scandal in the State Department
D) resulted in Hiss's being convicted of lying about espionage
E) resulted in a lengthy prison term for Chambers

Question 44

During the 1948 presidential campaign, Truman endorsed all of the following EXCEPT:

A) black civil rights
B) national health insurance
C) a higher minimum wage
D) abolishing Social Security
E) federal aid to education

Question 45

When North Korea attacked South Korea, Truman concluded:

A) it was grounds to start World War III
B) it was a good excuse to attack Communist China
C) that Stalin and the Soviets were behind it
D) that South Korea could not be saved
E) that he should bypass the United Nations

Question 46

Truman viewed his victory as a mandate for:

A) socialism
B) bipartisanship
C) the status quo
D) moderate liberalism
E) thoughtful conservatism

Question 47

As the 1948 election approached:

A) Truman seemed to be in deep political trouble
B) Democrats were strongly united
C) relations with the Soviets were clearly improving
D) Truman seemed reluctant to run for reelection
E) the economy slid into a recession

Question 48

In the 1948 campaign, the Dixiecrats did all of the following EXCEPT:

A) carry several southern states
B) support Strom Thurmond for president
C) support states' rights and segregation
D) wave Confederate flags
E) influence Truman to slow down on civil rights

Question 49

In 1947, President Truman took actions to banish Communists from:

A) teaching
B) the federal government
C) the military
D) Hollywood
E) unions

Question 50

The Soviet acquisition of the atomic bomb in 1949 inspired Truman to:

A) arrange a summit conference with Stalin
B) order the resumption of the military draft
C) order the development of a hydrogen bomb
D) see the folly of the nuclear arms race
E) arm American submarines with nuclear missiles

Question 51

The person who lost the most from the outcome of the Hiss-Chambers case was:

A) Richard Nixon
B) Alger Hiss
C) Whittaker Chambers
D) Harry Truman
E) Douglas MacArthur

Question 52

UN forces reaching the Yalu River brought about:

A) a massive Chinese intervention
B) North Korea's surrender
C) the bombing of mainland China
D) a cease-fire followed by peace negotiations
E) Korea's current division along the 42nd parallel

Question 53

Inch' n was the site:

A) where Chinese forces overran UN positions
B) where UN forces were able to establish a perimeter in far-south South Korea
C) of North Korea's capital
D) where General MacArthur turned the war around with an amphibious landing
E) where peace negotiations dragged on for two years

Question 54

By and large, Truman's Fair Deal proposals:

A) would revolutionize American life
B) were enacted
C) would wipe out the New Deal
D) disappointed most Democrats
E) were thwarted by a conservative coalition in Congress

Question 55

At the 1948 Democratic convention, Minneapolis mayor Hubert Humphrey urged his party to:

A) deny Truman renomination
B) take better care of veterans
C) adopt a strong civil rights plank
D) get tougher on the Russians
E) make him the vice-presidential nominee

Question 56

With the end of World War II, Korea:

A) was invaded by the Soviets
B) was left under the control of Japan
C) was under joint American and British occupation
D) quickly emerged as a regional power
E) became divided into northern and southern halves

Question 57

The Korean War did all of the following EXCEPT:

A) last into Eisenhower's presidency
B) result in more than 2 million total casualties
C) bring about major changes in boundaries
D) increase fears of domestic Communist subversion
E) leave one part of Korea still Communist

Question 58

The 1948 election is probably best remembered for:

A) Truman's upset victory
B) Dewey's energetic campaign
C) the new use of polls and television
D) the racism of the Dixiecrats
E) the poor showing of Henry Wallace

Question 59

In his Wheeling speech, Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to have a list of Communists in:

A) the White House
B) the State Department
C) the FBI
D) Congress
E) the movie industry

Question 60

Truman fired MacArthur:

A) for incompetence
B) because of party politics
C) for insubordination
D) for reasons that are still unknown
E) because he never liked him personally

Question 61

Trace the development of building the United Nations. What issues did the United Nations have to deal with almost immediately after the war?

Question 62

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Hubert Humphrey

A)wrote influential article on cold war policy in Foreign Affairs
B)formed a new Progressive party
C)was the Dixiecrat presidential candidate in 1948
D)was convicted in 1950 of lying about espionage
E)was the Republican presidential candidate in 1948
F)gave civil rights speech at 1948 Democratic convention
G)was removed from military command in 1951
H)was a senator from Wisconsin
I)was the secretary of state in 1947
J)led UN forces in Korea after April 1951

Question 63

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Thomas E. Dewey

A)wrote influential article on cold war policy in Foreign Affairs
B)formed a new Progressive party
C)was the Dixiecrat presidential candidate in 1948
D)was convicted in 1950 of lying about espionage
E)was the Republican presidential candidate in 1948
F)gave civil rights speech at 1948 Democratic convention
G)was removed from military command in 1951
H)was a senator from Wisconsin
I)was the secretary of state in 1947
J)led UN forces in Korea after April 1951

Question 64

President Truman vetoed the McCarran Internal Security Act:

A) to shore up his popularity ratings
B) to protect some Communist friends
C) because a Republican Congress had passed it
D) because he felt it promoted thought control
E) because he knew there were no Communist spies in the United States

Question 65

Trace the major developments in the cold war from 1945 to 1948.

Question 66

Trace the election of 1948. Who were the major parties, and what issues dominated the campaign? What was the eventual outcome of the race?

Question 67

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
George F. Kennan

A)wrote influential article on cold war policy in Foreign Affairs
B)formed a new Progressive party
C)was the Dixiecrat presidential candidate in 1948
D)was convicted in 1950 of lying about espionage
E)was the Republican presidential candidate in 1948
F)gave civil rights speech at 1948 Democratic convention
G)was removed from military command in 1951
H)was a senator from Wisconsin
I)was the secretary of state in 1947
J)led UN forces in Korea after April 1951

Question 68

In the Truman years, the United States abandoned a longtime tradition with its involvement in:

A) undeclared wars
B) spying
C) cracking down on dissenters
D) other parts of the world
E) peacetime alliances

Question 69

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
George C. Marshall

A)wrote influential article on cold war policy in Foreign Affairs
B)formed a new Progressive party
C)was the Dixiecrat presidential candidate in 1948
D)was convicted in 1950 of lying about espionage
E)was the Republican presidential candidate in 1948
F)gave civil rights speech at 1948 Democratic convention
G)was removed from military command in 1951
H)was a senator from Wisconsin
I)was the secretary of state in 1947
J)led UN forces in Korea after April 1951

Question 70

Who was famous for arguing that there were "so many Communists in America"?

A) Joseph McCarthy
B) Harry Truman
C) Richard Nixon
D) Joseph Stalin
E) Tom Clark

Question 71

Describe the Red Scare that followed the end of World War II. What factors caused it? What were its major results?

Question 72

Discuss the causes and major events that led to the announcement of the Truman Doctrine.

Question 73

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Alger Hiss

A)wrote influential article on cold war policy in Foreign Affairs
B)formed a new Progressive party
C)was the Dixiecrat presidential candidate in 1948
D)was convicted in 1950 of lying about espionage
E)was the Republican presidential candidate in 1948
F)gave civil rights speech at 1948 Democratic convention
G)was removed from military command in 1951
H)was a senator from Wisconsin
I)was the secretary of state in 1947
J)led UN forces in Korea after April 1951

Question 74

Senator McCarthy was very effective in:

A) passing major legislation
B) nabbing actual Communists
C) gathering proof to back his accusations
D) protecting American freedoms
E) exploiting public fears

Question 75

Detail the early civil rights movement in the 1940s. In what ways did World War II help push this movement into reality?

Question 76

What did Truman mean by a Fair Deal? How did it compare to FDR's New Deal?

Question 77

Why did Truman win the presidential election of 1948? Why was his victory considered a major upset?

Question 78

Describe the social and economic effects of demobilization.

Question 79

In retrospect, the Cold War was probably:

A) the fault of the United States
B) the fault of the Soviet Union
C) avoidable under smarter leaders
D) inevitable
E) the most damaging conflict in world history

Question 80

Describe the various measures taken to control inflation after World War II. Were any of these attempts successful?