Question 1

Which of the following is not an acronym for a disarmament agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union?

Accepted Answer

MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) is a strategic military doctrine, not a specific disarmament agreement between the US and the Soviet Union. ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) was the subject of a disarmament agreement between the US and the Soviet Union in 1972. SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) and START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) were also key disarmament agreements between the two superpowers.

Question 2

What does escalation dominance accomplish?

Accepted Answer

Escalation dominance is a strategy where one side demonstrates that they have greater capabilities and willingness to escalate a conflict than the other side, in order to deter or force the other side to compromise. It does not necessarily involve destroying nuclear capabilities, establishing new ones, or preventing new states from acquiring them.

Question 3

Which American statesman labeled Eastern European countries "captive nations" of the Soviet Union and advocated for a policy of rollback?

Accepted Answer

John Foster Dulles, as Secretary of State under President Eisenhower, coined the term "captive nations" to describe the Eastern European countries under Soviet control. He advocated for a policy of rollback, which aimed to liberate these nations from Soviet influence. Nixon, Acheson, and Hiss were all notable American statesmen, but they did not play a significant role in the formation or implementation of this policy.

Question 4

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following was an outcome of the European Economic Community?

Accepted Answer

The European Economic Community (EEC) established a common agricultural policy and created a customs union with common external tariffs and eliminated internal tariffs. The pooling of nuclear research was part of the European Atomic Energy Community, and a common foreign and security policy was developed later under the European Union.

Question 5

Arguing that the Soviet Union will use international organizations and transnational actors (like the Russian Orthodox Church, pan-Slav movements, and labor movements) to further its strategic interests is an example of an argument from the ______ perspectives.

Accepted Answer

This argument aligns with the realist perspective, which emphasizes the role of state power and strategic interests in international relations. Realists believe that states are the primary actors and are primarily concerned with their own security and power, often using various means to achieve their strategic objectives.

Question 6

Which term refers to conflicts in peripheral areas in which nuclear powers tested each other's military capabilities and resolve?

Accepted Answer

Proxy wars refer to conflicts in peripheral areas in which nuclear powers test each other's military capabilities and resolve through the use of surrogate forces. Wars of attrition refer to prolonged wars in which both sides try to wear down the other's resources and will to fight. Hot wars refer to wars that involve direct military engagement between opposing forces. National wars of liberation refer to wars fought by a group or nation to gain independence from their rulers.

Question 7

In what year did the European Communities become the European Union?

Accepted Answer

The European Communities officially became the European Union in 1993 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. Prior to this, it was known as the European Economic Community (EEC) and then the European Community (EC) after the creation of additional communities. The years 1958 and 1973 represent significant moments in the formation and expansion of the EEC/EC, but they do not correspond directly to the creation of the EU. 1986 saw the signing of the Single European Act, which helped to establish a single market among member states, but did not change the name of the institution.

Question 8

What term describes the competitive buildup of weapons systems?

Accepted Answer

Arms race is the term that refers to the competitive buildup of weapons systems between two or more countries. It is a form of competition that aims to gain military superiority over other nations, often at great financial and social cost.

Question 9

The ______ perspective would most likely argue that NATO's purpose was to back up political and economic integration in Western Europe.

Accepted Answer

The liberal perspective focuses on the importance of international cooperation, multilateral institutions, and economic interdependence among states. Therefore, it is likely to argue that NATO was created to support political and economic integration in Western Europe.

Question 10

Arguing that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to make the United Nations compatible with the constitutional structure of the United States is an example of an argument from the ______ level of analysis.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Arguing that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt...

Question 11

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policies (including Glasnost, Perestroika, and the foreign policy revolution) were influenced by what set of ideas?

Accepted Answer

Mikhail Gorbachev's policies such as Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) were part of his overall vision of "New Thinking" which emphasized greater political and economic freedom, as well as a more cooperative foreign policy approach with the West.

Question 12

The Soviet Union supported ______ in recently decolonized developing countries, a type of proxy war against Western colonialism.

Accepted Answer

The Soviet Union supported national wars of liberation in recently decolonized developing countries as a way to fight against Western colonialism and advance their own ideological agenda. This included providing military and economic support to various groups fighting for independence, such as in Angola, Mozambique, and Vietnam.

Question 13

Arguing that a change in Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's ideas prompted the end of the Cold War is an example of an argument from the ______ level of analysis?

Accepted Answer

The argument that a change in Mikhail Gorbachev's ideas prompted the end of the Cold War focuses on the personal beliefs and actions of an individual, making it an example of an argument from the individual level of analysis.

Question 14

What was the aim of the Marshall Plan?

Accepted Answer

The aim of the Marshall Plan was to rebuild Germany and the rest of Europe after World War II by providing economic aid from the United States.

Question 15

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. In 1956 and 1968, the Soviet Union deployed forces in which two Warsaw Pact states?

Accepted Answer

In 1956, the Soviet Union deployed forces in Hungary to suppress the Hungarian Uprising. In 1968, they deployed forces in Czechoslovakia to suppress the Prague Spring. The Soviet Union did not deploy forces in East Germany or Poland in those years.

Question 16

The ______ perspective emphasizes the information revolution as a key event leading to the end of the Cold War.

Accepted Answer

The liberal perspective emphasizes the role of ideas, institutions, and relationships in shaping international relations. According to this perspective, the information revolution and the rise of globalization helped to spread democratic values and economic interdependence, which in turn undermined the authoritarian regimes of the Soviet bloc and contributed to the end of the Cold War.

Question 17

Glasnost and perestroika refer to Mikhail Gorbachev's ideas of domestic reform known as ______.

Accepted Answer

Glasnost and perestroika were both part of Mikhail Gorbachev's New Thinking, which represented a shift away from traditional Soviet policies and towards greater openness and restructuring within the country.

Question 18

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following was a way in which the United States and the Soviet Union confronted each other during the Cold War?

Accepted Answer

The United States and the Soviet Union confronted each other during the Cold War through different means such as diplomatic crises, arms races and the creation of rival alliances, and proxy wars fought through third-party countries. Although there were some direct conflicts such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War, they were not the primary means of confrontation between the two superpowers.

Question 19

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following strategies did U.S. President Ronald Reagan use to build American power after fears of American decline in the 1970s?

Accepted Answer

President Reagan implemented programs to build space-based defense systems, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, to increase American power and security. He also pursued the deregulation and restructuring of the American economy, which revitalized American industry and boosted economic growth. C and D are incorrect as Reagan pursued arms reduction agreements with the Soviet Union and did not impose new taxes to fund military exercises abroad.

Question 20

Arguing that the Truman Doctrine demonstrated the United States' commitment to spreading and defending democratic values is an example of an argument from the ______ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Arguing that the Truman Doctrine demonstrated the...

Quiz 5: The Origins and End of the Cold War