Deck 28: The Onset of the Cold War, 1945-1960

Question 1

One crucial issue discussed at the Potsdam Conference was________ .

A) the use of the atomic bomb
B) the spread of communism in China
C) war reparations
D) opening a second front against Germany
E) how to deal with Japan

Answer 1

war reparations

Question 2

What was the fundamental disagreement between the United States and the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Cold War about?

A) who would control postwar Europe
B) who would control postwar Asia
C) which country had contributed more to the Allied victory
D) whether Truman or Stalin would lead postwar alliances
E) whether collective security was possible in the postwar world

Answer 2

who would control postwar Europe

Question 3

The term "Iron Curtain" refers to________ .

A) the border between North and South Korea
B) the military operation in which the United States dropped the atom bomb on Japan
C) the railroad system that was restored in Europe after World War II ended
D) the separation between Soviet-dominated Europe and Western Europe
E) the seemingly insurmountable class divide in postwar Western Europe

Answer 3

the separation between Soviet-dominated Europe and Western Europe

Question 4

Which country was politically controlled by the Soviet Union after World War II?

A) Poland
B) Norway
C) Austria
D) Turkey
E) Denmark

Question 5

The disarmament plan that the Truman administration proposed to the United Nations after World War II was called________ .

A) the Potsdam Conference
B) the Baruch Plan
C) the Manhattan Project
D) the Cold War Treaty
E) Containment

Question 6

George Kennan's "containment" policy proposed________ .

A) long-term neutrality for the United States with respect to European affairs
B) a series of aggressive maneuvers toward the Soviet Union
C) efforts to stop the expansion of Russian control and communism
D) a return to prewar isolationist policies
E) a coup to replace communism with democracy in Europe and Asia

Question 7

In 1946 and 1947, conflict in which countries caused the Truman administration to worry about the rise of Soviet power and the spread of communism around the globe?

A) Egypt and Iran
B) Sweden and Norway
C) Belgium and France
D) Vietnam and Japan
E) Greece and Turkey

Question 8

The Truman Doctrine stated that American policy would be to________ .

A) remain isolated from European and Asian affairs
B) take a more active part in rebuilding the war-ravaged Soviet economy
C) use military force to defend China against Soviet aggression
D) support free peoples who were resisting the Soviet Union or its surrogates
E) help create democratic governments in the emerging nations of Africa

Question 9

The Marshall Plan proposed________ .

A) infusing massive amounts of American capital into Western Europe
B) bolstering the German army to prevent the spread of communism
C) an international effort to stop postwar global inflation
D) that all nations should immediately destroy their atomic weapons
E) dividing Germany into several areas of military occupation

Question 10

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)________ .

A) gave the Soviet Union more leeway in spreading communism in Europe
B) confirmed that the Soviet Union would halt its expansion in Europe and Asia
C) assured European countries that the United States would help defend them
D) committed the United States to an isolationist policy in the future
E) gave the United States the right to import goods tariff-free from Western Europe

Question 11

What was the Berlin airlift?

A) a state-of-the-art transportation system designed to revive the postwar German economy
B) a top-secret method of transporting American spies into and out of the Soviet Union and its satellites
C) a military operation to bring supplies to troops and civilians in Soviet-controlled Berlin
D) the first plane capable of dropping a hydrogen bomb anywhere in the world
E) a mission to bomb Berlin after the Soviet Union cut the city off from American, British, and French forces

Question 12

The National Security Act of 1947 established the________ .

A) American embassy in Moscow
B) Navy SEALs
C) Air Force
D) Department of Homeland Security
E) Central Intelligence Agency

Question 13

As a result of Cold War military reforms, the________ became the dominant branch of the American armed forces.

A) Navy
B) Army
C) National Guard
D) Marines
E) Air Force

Question 14

After the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb, Truman appointed a committee to explore the possibility of________ .

A) using biological weapons
B) building a hydrogen bomb
C) improving stealth planes
D) experimenting on people to create "supersoldiers"
E) sabotaging Soviet efforts to improve their weapons arsenal

Question 15

The defense policy statement known as NSC-68________ .

A) proposed to cut funding from the American military
B) advocated a massive expansion of the American military
C) allocated funds to Western Europe to combat the threat of communism
D) prohibited the development of the hydrogen bomb
E) emphasized the need to rely on diplomacy to deal with the Soviets

Question 16

Where did the showdown in Asia occur between the United States and the Soviet Union?

A) China
B) Japan
C) Thailand
D) Korea
E) Cambodia

Question 17

General MacArthur gave President Truman erroneous advice during the Korean War when he advised Truman to________ .

A) authorize an invasion of North Korea because he thought that China would not attack U.S. troops
B) retreat from the 38th parallel into the safety of South Korea because he thought China would attack
C) withdraw troops from Korea altogether because he thought that China and the Soviet Union would obliterate the U.S. forces
D) use diplomacy to negotiate peace because he thought military efforts would be ineffective
E) drop an atom bomb on Seoul because he thought the Chinese would then be afraid to occupy the city

Question 18

In 1948, President Truman tried to________ .

A) win the presidential election with the worst smear campaign in U.S. history
B) merge the Democratic and Republican parties in his support
C) convert the entire Democratic party into Dixiecrats
D) abolish New Deal programs that upset conservatives
E) perpetuate New Deal legislation

Question 19

The Taft-Hartley Act was a 1947 bill that outlawed________ .

A) some labor union activities
B) the formation of labor unions
C) racial discrimination in hiring practices
D) gender discrimination in hiring practices
E) many child labor practices

Question 20

The most famous disclosure of espionage activities in the U.S. government in the late 1940s involved the case of________ .

A) Alger Hiss
B) Richard Nixon
C) George C. Marshall
D) Thomas E. Dewey
E) Henry A. Wallace

Question 21

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg________ .

A) helped the CIA break a Soviet spy ring in the United States
B) were executed for passing American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union
C) were responsible for exposing Alger Hiss as a communist
D) admitted to being responsible for heinous war crimes during the Korean War
E) were American spies who shared valuable information about the Soviet Union

Question 22

Joseph McCarthy led the crusade against alleged________ in American government during the 1950s.

A) embezzlers
B) interventionists
C) communists
D) racists
E) isolationists

Question 23

Which political party made significant gains in Washington in the 1950s, capturing the presidency in 1952?

A) the Republican party
B) the Democratic party
C) the Libertarian party
D) the Dixiecrats
E) the Progressive party

Question 24

What was Eisenhower's major campaign pledge?

A) to bolster the economy with thousands of new jobs
B) to support labor unions in their fight for fair employment laws
C) to destroy the Soviet Union
D) to stop the creation of weapons of mass destruction
E) to end the Korean War

Question 25

What were the big issues of the 1952 presidential campaign?

A) the economy, labor reform, and family values
B) the economy and the Korean War
C) labor reform and communism
D) the Korean War, communism, and government corruption
E) government corruption, the economy, and civil rights

Question 26

How did the Allies decide to split up the reparations in postwar Germany?

A) The Soviet Union would take all the war reparations from Germany.
B) The United States would take all the war reparations from Germany.
C) Each country would take reparations from its own occupation zone.
D) Each country would take reparations from every section of Germany.
E) No country would take war reparations from Germany.

Question 27

The Soviet Union first learned of the American atomic bomb________ .

A) from President Roosevelt during the Yalta Conference
B) at the Potsdam Conference
C) when Truman invited Stalin to see a film of a test
D) through the use of espionage
E) when the first one was dropped on Hiroshima

Question 28

What effect would the Baruch Plan have had on America?

A) It would have given the United States a monopoly on atomic weapons.
B) It would have neutralized America's military advantage.
C) It would have returned the United States to isolationist foreign policies.
D) It would have had a catastrophic effect on the American military.
E) It would have greatly decreased American power overseas.

Question 29

The Soviet Union approached disarmament discussions after World War II with a plan to

A) gradually reduce the number of weapons of mass destruction
B) give atomic bombs to all the countries in the United Nations
C) destroy all existing atomic bombs and ban the production of new ones
D) give the United States a military advantage so it could serve as an international peacekeeping force
E) give Russia the world's only atomic bombs so it could serve as an international peacekeeping force

Question 30

What was the biggest factor in placing the United States on a collision course with the Soviet Union?

A) the American commitment to stopping the spread of communism
B) the American commitment to spreading Christianity around the globe
C) the American commitment to improving international trade
D) the Soviet commitment to improving international trade
E) the Soviet commitment to spreading Catholicism around the globe

Question 31

Why were people in Italy and France voting for communist parties in 1947?

A) They were drawn to the irresistibly charismatic communist leaders.
B) They felt discontent due to economic problems and food shortages.
C) They were responding to pressure and threats from the Soviet Union.
D) They wanted to defy the American anticommunist attitude.
E) There were few other organized political parties in postwar Europe.

Question 32

What effect did the Marshall Plan have?

A) It had very little effect because it was not carried out effectively.
B) It inspired the Soviet Union to continue to expand its communist empire.
C) It succeeded in forcing the Soviet Union to stop expanding its communist empire.
D) It failed to revive the sagging postwar economies of Western Europe.
E) It led to a successful financial recovery in Western Europe.

Question 33

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed due to________ .

A) European fears of Soviet military aggression
B) European fears of American military aggression
C) American fears of Chinese military aggression
D) Soviet fears of Chinese military aggression
E) Soviet fears of American military aggression

Question 34

What effect did the formation of NATO have on the Cold War?

A) It changed the Cold War into a full-scale military confrontation.
B) It intensified Russian fears of the West and escalated the Cold War.
C) It had no effect on the Cold War.
D) It decreased Russian fears of the West and lessened the intensity of the Cold War.
E) It dissolved the tensions between Russia and the United States and ended the Cold War.

Question 35

In order to test the resolve of his American, British, and French opponents, in 1948 Stalin

A) tested his first atom bomb
B) invaded China
C) invaded France
D) initiated a blockade of Berlin
E) began shooting down American planes over Germany

Question 36

The passage of the National Security Act in 1947________ .

A) indicated America's desire to decrease its military strength
B) acted to coordinate and unify America's military establishment
C) served only to further divide the Defense Department
D) weakened the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the United States
E) added unnecessary bureaucracy to matters of defense

Question 37

The defense policy known as NSC-68 was based on the premise that________ .

A) isolationism should continue to be a major part of American foreign policy
B) appeasement of aggressive foreign powers should continue to be a major part of American foreign policy
C) the Soviet Union wanted to take over the world and was a threat to the United States
D) military spending was out of control and needed to be curbed immediately
E) the United States was now so powerful that it did not need to worry about threats from foreign powers

Question 38

Around the time of the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists________ .

A) lost support due to rampant government corruption and extreme inflation
B) lost support due to the violence of his government's repression of the Chinese
C) gained support because the Chinese middle class was finally flourishing
D) gained support because of Chiang's pledge to end government corruption
E) had already long since faded as a factor in the Chinese political world

Question 39

How did the United States react to the 1950 treaty between Stalin and Mao?

A) It congratulated Stalin and Mao on their treaty and offered to join their new alliance.
B) It openly threatened Stalin with war if he contributed to the spread of communism in Asia.
C) It warned the Soviet Union to stay out of East Asian politics.
D) It wanted to keep its alliance with China and sought to make peace with the new regime.
E) It refused to recognize the new Chinese regime and focused on Japan as its main ally in Asia.

Question 40

After General MacArthur's victory at Inchon, Korea, Truman________ .

A) ordered UN troops to cross the Yellow Sea and attack China
B) ordered UN troops not to advance beyond the 38th parallel
C) withdrew UN troops from Korea because he had made his point to Stalin
D) shifted his military goal from restoring the 38th parallel to unifying Korea by force
E) declared the Korean War over with a UN victory

Question 41

What was the most significant result of the Korean War?

A) It vindicated the United States in the eyes of the world.
B) It succeeded in unifying Korea for thirty years.
C) The war brought about massive American rearmament.
D) The war reinforced Truman's popularity with the American people.
E) It inhibited further expansionism on the part of the Soviet Union.

Question 42

Truman won the 1948 election because of the way he handled________ .

A) the Cold War
B) labor issues
C) inflation
D) the Korean War
E) New Deal reforms

Question 43

Truman's prospects in the 1948 election looked________ .

A) very promising because he had successfully kept inflation down after World War II
B) promising because he unified Democrats and even some GOP leaders in his support
C) promising because he remained wildly popular with the public throughout his term
D) bleak because Democratic support had been split among several candidates
E) bleak because he lacked the funds to travel the country and garner support

Question 44

Why did Truman establish the Loyalty Review Board?

A) to interrogate citizens suspected of being political activists
B) to investigate government employees as potential communists
C) to investigate accusations of cowardice and treason in the military
D) to reward veterans of the Korean War for bravery and valor
E) to appoint campaign contributors to positions of power

Question 45

How did Joseph McCarthy develop such power over his fellow senators?

A) He physically threatened them.
B) He blackmailed them.
C) He instilled fear in them.
D) He bribed them with campaign contributions.
E) He was wildly popular with both the president and the people.

Question 46

How did President Eisenhower deal with Joseph McCarthy?

A) He asked McCarthy to investigate military officers.
B) He ordered McCarthy to focus on celebrities, not government employees.
C) He openly attacked McCarthy and quickly ended his career.
D) He gave McCarthy his unconditional support.
E) He waited for McCarthy's zeal to be his own undoing.

Question 47

What was one effect of McCarthyism?

A) a political and cultural conformity that discouraged dissent
B) an expansion of the defense of freedom of speech rights
C) an intellectual revolution that encouraged new ideas
D) a drop in literacy rates among American youth
E) a wider appreciation of diversity in the United States

Question 48

Why did the United States implement the Marshall Plan?

A) to strengthen the U.S. military and win the arms race
B) to prevent Civil War in China and stop the spread of communism
C) to placate Stalin and end the Cold War
D) to improve the Western European economy and stop the spread of communism
E) to convince the American public to engage in open war with the Soviet Union

Question 49

The U.S. intervention in China differed from its intervention in Korea because the United States

A) could only respond with diplomacy in the Chinese conflict, but gave supplies and funds to North Korea
B) responded with all-out war in China, but refused to get involved in the Korean conflict
C) extracted itself from the conflict when civil war broke out in China but sent troops to South Korea's aid
D) sent troops to China when civil war broke out, but only sent money to South Korea when the violence began
E) intervened with diplomatic efforts and supplies in North Korea, but did not intervene in any way in China's civil war

Question 50

Which statement best describes the transition from war to peace in America after World War II?

A) The transition caused inflation and labor unrest.
B) The transition was an exceptionally smooth one.
C) The transition solved the wartime economic problems.
D) The transition was a period of contentment for the American people.
E) The transition gave Democrats an advantage over Republicans in the next elections.

Question 51

How did the origins of the Cold War reflect different American and Soviet traditions, as well as their different needs and interests in Europe after World War II?

Question 52

What was the policy of "containment"? Who were its leading proponents, and how did they implement this policy between 1947 and 1950?

Question 53

How did the Cold War bring about reforms in the U.S. military and intelligence establishments in the 1940s and 1950s?

Question 54

Why did Americans become concerned about the loyalty of government officials in the late 1940s? Why was Senator Joseph McCarthy so popular with the public? What brought about his downfall?