Deck 26: The Cold War Begins

Question 1

In 1948, professors at the University of Washington in Seattle faced the possibility of dismissal from their jobs when suspected of being __________.

A) communist subversives
B) homosexuals
C) Nazi sympathizers
D) racists

Answer 1

communist subversives

Question 2

The Central Intelligence Agency __________.

A) was the first government agency devoted to intelligence and spying
B) had its roots in the wartime Office of Strategic Services
C) was created by Congress over Truman's veto
D) remained a small and insignificant agency during the Cold War

Answer 2

had its roots in the wartime Office of Strategic Services

Question 3

The Taft-Hartley Act largely reversed New Deal policy established by the __________.

A) Social Security (or Perkins) Act
B) National Labor Relations (or Wagner) Act
C) Agricultural Adjustment Administration
D) National Industrial Recovery Act

Answer 3

National Labor Relations (or Wagner) Act

Question 4

The Manhattan Project was centered in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and __________.

A) Hanford, Washington
B) Albuquerque, New Mexico
C) Alamogordo, New Mexico
D) Orange County, California

Question 5

The HUAC Hollywood hearings led to __________.

A) the blacklisting of writers, directors, and actors who refused to cooperate
B) solid evidence of a widespread communist conspiracy in the movie business
C) the prosecution and conviction of dozens of dangerous subversives
D) a realization that there was little real communist threat against America

Question 6

The United States promoted a rebuilding of the Japanese economy after the war __________.

A) to ensure that Japan would be part of the anti-Soviet bloc
B) so that Japanese consumers would buy American goods
C) to provide work for demobilized American soldiers
D) as Japan's reward for joining NATO

Question 7

The 1947 Taft-Hartley Act __________.

A) was strongly supported by Truman
B) was passed by Congress over Truman's veto
C) authorized Truman to use the army to take over railroads
D) reaffirmed the gains labor had made during the New Deal

Question 8

In a 1950 speech, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy claimed that __________.

A) there were 205 Communists working in the State Department
B) Truman was a closet Communist
C) the army was ignoring the communist threat
D) a military takeover of the United States by the Communists was imminent

Question 9

The policy of containment of Soviet expansionism was first suggested in a "long telegram" written by __________.

A) Tom C. Clark
B) George Marshall
C) Winston Churchill
D) George Kennan

Question 10

In the 1950s, women were encouraged to __________.

A) quit their jobs and stay home
B) balance work and family
C) continue working in the defense industry
D) pursue a college degree

Question 11

The Truman Doctrine was a response to the threat of subversion and revolution in __________.

A) Indochina
B) Turkey and Greece
C) France and Belgium
D) Latin America

Question 12

Although McCarthy initially used __________ to his advantage, in the 1954 congressional hearings on communism in the Army, it worked to his disadvantage.

A) paid informants
B) Hollywood witnesses
C) accusations of sexual perversion
D) media coverage

Question 13

Passage of the National Security Act in 1947 indicated that __________.

A) Truman no longer considered the Soviets a serious threat
B) the United States would be placed on a permanent state of high alert
C) Congress was unwilling to fund Cold War programs
D) thousands of dangerous subversives had been found in the government

Question 14

Time magazine editor Whittaker Chambers played a controversial role in the investigation of __________.

A) Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
B) Alger Hiss
C) communists in the Army
D) CIO communists

Question 15

All member nations in the United Nations were represented in the __________.

A) General Assembly
B) International Monetary Fund
C) Security Council
D) Secretariat

Question 16

Truman's assumption that the United States would maintain its containment policy through a monopoly on nuclear weapons was undercut by __________.

A) the Soviets matching each U.S. atomic and hydrogen bomb development
B) the unsustainable cost of nuclear weapons
C) technical problems that made mass production of nuclear weapons impossible
D) European NATO allies refusing to allow nuclear weapons on their territory

Question 17

During the postwar Red Scare, many individuals suspected of communist sympathies experienced persecution and destruction of their careers __________.

A) after solid proof was examined in court
B) based on little more than suspicion and vague accusations
C) in only a handful of rare cases
D) only when they admitted Communist Party membership

Question 18

The NATO alliance was formed in response to __________.

A) the Berlin blockade and airlift crisis
B) publication of the "long telegram"
C) Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech
D) red-baiting accusations of McCarthy

Question 19

In response to NATO rearming West Germany, the Soviet Union organized the __________.

A) Warsaw Pact
B) Grand Alliance
C) "iron curtain"
D) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

Question 20

Cold War security programs __________.

A) had little impact on the federal budget
B) were mainly carried out by the military
C) eventually involved 75 percent of federal government employees
D) were strenuously opposed by Congressional Republicans

Question 21

An example of the age of Cold War anxiety was the popularity of which of the following movies?

A) They Live by Night
B) Tender Comrade
C) The Best Years of Our Lives
D) Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Question 22

The Korean War ended with __________.

A) a North Korean surrender
B) an armistice restoring the prewar status quo
C) the peninsula unified under a Communist government
D) the peninsula unified under a democratic government

Question 23

The Republican formula for attacking Truman and the Democrats in the 1952 election was K₁C₂, meaning Korea, Communism, and __________.

A) Containment
B) China
C) Corruption
D) Cold War

Question 24

The main effect of the second Red Scare on college campuses was __________.

A) increased awareness of communism
B) increased radicalism of students
C) increased racism on campus
D) restraint of academic freedom

Question 25

Who did Truman fire in 1951 as commander of the Korean War for publicly criticizing the president's military policies?

A) Dwight Eisenhower
B) Douglas MacArthur
C) Robert Taft
D) George C. Marshall

Question 26

As a result of Truman's Loyalty Program, about how many federal employees were fired for suspicions of subversion?

A) 500
B) 5,000
C) 10,000
D) 50,000

Question 27

The Truman Doctrine was the first and clearest exercise of the policy of __________.

A) massive nuclear retaliation
B) anticolonialism
C) containment
D) spreading democracy by peaceful means

Question 28

The long-term importance of the Truman Doctrine was that the United States __________.

A) committed itself to safeguarding the Free World from communism
B) moved toward a policy of withdrawal and isolationism
C) expressed its openness to compromise with the Soviet Union
D) declared itself the champion of international free trade

Question 29

While most European nations moved toward freeing their colonies after World War II, what nation insisted, with American support, on keeping control of Indochina?

A) Britain
B) Germany
C) France
D) the Netherlands

Question 30

Western states became the site of new military installations primarily because __________.

A) the local road network was underutilized
B) public lands were plentiful, and populations were sparse
C) state officials welcomed federal investment and aid
D) they were located inland from vulnerable ports

Question 31

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when __________.

A) South Korea launched an invasion of China
B) Ho Chi Minh rebelled against continued French rule
C) South Korea attempted to unify both occupation zones of Korea
D) North Korea launched a military attack on South Korea

Question 32

In which Asian nation would the postwar U.S. policy of supporting friendly, democratic, and capitalist nations appear to have been most successful by 1950?

A) China
B) Vietnam
C) Japan
D) Korea

Question 33

In 1950, Alger Hiss was convicted of __________.

A) being a communist in the 1930s
B) spying for Germany during World War II
C) passing secrets to the Soviet Union
D) perjury in denying his communist connections

Question 34

Richard Nixon defended himself from corruption charges in 1952 in the "Checkers Speech," that referenced Nixon's __________.

A) two-tone 1948 Oldsmobile
B) cocker spaniel dog
C) wife's "good Republican cloth coat"
D) nickname for Eisenhower

Question 35

What two developments did Truman consider "two halves of the same walnut"?

A) NATO and the Warsaw Pact
B) the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
C) East and West Germany
D) the CIA and the NSC

Question 36

What did the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, France, and China have in common?

A) membership in NATO
B) permanent members of the United Nations Security Council
C) founding members of the Warsaw Pact
D) seats on the International Court of Justice

Question 37

The "American way" movement __________.

A) encouraged all Americans to freely express their opinions
B) celebrated the contributions of minorities to American culture
C) focused mainly on anti-communist propaganda
D) received little support from the Truman administration

Question 38

Between 1947 and 1970, income distribution in the United States __________.

A) shifted dramatically toward a larger middle class
B) remained essentially unchanged
C) shifted toward the wealthiest fifth
D) showed that poverty had nearly disappeared

Question 39

The 1947 federal "Zeal for Democracy" program promoted strengthening national security and fighting Soviet communism through __________.

A) religion
B) the family
C) military investment
D) education

Question 40

Eisenhower inspired voters in the election of 1952 by announcing that he would personally go to __________.

A) Berlin
B) Korea
C) the Soviet Union
D) China

Question 41

Which of these was a major problem facing U.S. industry in 1945 and 1946?

A) labor unrest
B) excess capacity
C) an insufficient supply of workers
D) foreign competition

Question 42

How did FDR's advisers plan to ensure America's leadership in the global economy after World War II?

A) They searched for new and bigger markets.
B) They sought to enlarge the military.
C) They wanted the United States to become more self-sufficient.
D) They attempted to balance the budget.

Question 43

Henry Luce's "American Century" essay argued that Americans must __________.

A) assert world leadership to promote America's interests
B) return to isolationism to survive
C) close its markets to cheap imports
D) seek a partnership with the Soviet Union

Question 44

In your opinion, was the election of 1952 an endorsement of Eisenhower or a rejection of the Democrats?

Question 45

Which nation was the principal supplier of funds for the IMF and the World Bank?

A) United States
B) Britain
C) France
D) Soviet Union

Question 46

What was the consequence of Senator Joseph McCarthy's nationally televised congressional hearings in 1954?

A) McCarthy was disgraced.
B) McCarthy grew more popular than ever.
C) McCarthy was imprisoned.
D) McCarthy decided to run for president.

Question 47

How did the UN Security Council differ from the UN General Assembly?

A) All fifty nations were represented in the General Assembly, but only a very select group of five made up the permanent members of the Security Council.
B) Regardless of ideology, every nation made up the General Assembly, but no communist countries were placed on the Security Council.
C) Asian countries could participate in the General Assembly but were not granted a seat on the Security Council.
D) Every nation in the United Nations had a voice within the Security Council, but only true "world powers" were placed in the General Assembly.

Question 48

How did America's experience of war differ from that of Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union?

A) The United States only had to fight on one front.
B) The United States declared war on Germany long before the other Allies.
C) The United States prospered during the war.
D) The United States suffered more casualties than any other nation.

Question 49

Which of these words best describes Truman's approach to the Soviets in the first years after the war?

A) apathetic
B) hostile
C) cordial
D) conciliatory

Question 50

The United Nations achieved its greatest early success in __________.

A) humanitarian aid to victims of World War II
B) slowing down the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe
C) defending human rights in Asia
D) occupying Japan and Germany

Question 51

What was the purpose of House Committee on Un-American Activities? Who did it target? What happened to those who refused to cooperate with the committee?

Question 52

Why did relations between the Soviet Union and the United States begin to deteriorate even before World War II was over?

Question 53

How did Truman apply the recommendations brought forth by NSC-68 to the military crisis in Korea?

A) He referred to the conflict in Korea as a "war" rather than a UN-sanctioned "police action."
B) He agreed to a rapid and permanent military buildup that quadrupled the defense budget.
C) He insisted on obtaining congressional approval for military actions in Korea.
D) He sent military support to North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung.

Question 54

What negative consequence did the Marshall Plan have?

A) It undermined economic growth in the United States.
B) It undermined the growth of capitalism in Western Europe.
C) It drove a deeper wedge between the United States and the Soviet Union.
D) It created resentment and jealousy in Asia.

Question 55

Why was Truman so unpopular in the years immediately following the war?

Question 56

The involvement of the United States in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank was designed to __________.

A) ensure U.S. primacy in the postwar global economy
B) make sure the German economy would never recover from the war
C) isolate the Soviet and Chinese economies
D) protect American business abroad

Question 57

Why did Stalin insist on a strong Soviet influence on postwar Eastern Europe?

Question 58

By the late 1940s, the Communist Party, U.S.A., was __________.

A) a major third party
B) highly critical of the Soviet Union
C) growing rapidly
D) steadily losing ground

Question 59

What was the initial public reaction to President Truman's decision to send troops to Korea?

A) A substantial majority of Americans approved of Truman's actions.
B) A substantial majority of Americans disapproved of Truman's actions.
C) American's were evenly split over Truman's actions.
D) Most Americans were indifferent to Truman's actions.

Question 60

Which of these was a major target of the second Red Scare?

A) small farmers
B) Congress
C) the labor movement
D) professional sports

Question 61

What was the impact of the 1947 "Attorney General's List" published by Tom C. Clark?

A) It outlawed many political and social organizations perceived to be subversive.
B) It required federal and state employees to sign loyalty oaths to the United States.
C) It outlined procedures for investigating potential federal government employees for ties to Communism and the Soviet Union.
D) It gave the government power to dismiss, on reasonable grounds, any employee who associated with suspected communists.

Question 62

What did documents that were declassified some 40 years later disclose about the trial and executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?

A) Julius Rosenberg, but not Ethel, was proven to be guilty of conveying atomic secrets to the Soviets.
B) Both Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were guilty of conveying atomic secrets to the Soviets.
C) Ethel Rosenberg, but not Julius, was proven to be guilty of conveying atomic secrets to the Soviets.
D) Both Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were innocent of conveying atomic secrets to the Soviets.

Question 63

What led to Senator Joseph McCarthy's fall from power?

A) the televised congressional hearings revealing that his allegations about Communist infiltration of the Army were unfounded
B) the discovery that Julius Rosenberg was anti-Communist and did not convey atomic secrets to the Soviet Union
C) President Eisenhower's personal condemnation of McCarthy in a nationally televised speech
D) McCarthy's admission of lying throughout the committee hearings

Question 64

What did Truman's Executive Order 9835 do?

A) It established a loyalty program for government employees.
B) It integrated the armed forces.
C) It gave formal recognition to the State of Israel.
D) It condemned McCarthy as an irresponsible alarmist.

Question 65

What was one of the few components of the "Fair Deal" that became law?

A) an increase in the federal minimum wage
B) a national interstate highway system
C) federal aid to education
D) a national health insurance plan

Question 66

Who coined the phrase "age of anxiety"?

A) W. H. Auden
B) Arthur Miller
C) J. D. Salinger
D) Henry Luce

Question 67

Supporters of the "American way" attempted to shape public opinion during the Cold War by __________.

A) sponsoring "freedom rallies" and "freedom fashion shows"
B) publicly refuting Senator McCarthy's claims
C) advocating deep cuts to military spending
D) promoting public awareness of the dangers of unregulated capitalism

Question 68

How did Congress respond when Truman sent a list of 21 proposals to revive the New Deal in 1946?

A) Congress rejected almost all of them.
B) All of them passed with little opposition.
C) Congress debated the measures, hoping to stall for time.
D) Congress accepted only about half of the 21 initiatives.

Question 69

How did George Kennan's "long telegram" depict the future of U.S. foreign diplomacy?

A) as driven by an aggressive, expansionist Soviet Union
B) as wholly focused on economic issues
C) as undermining President Truman by characterizing him as an ineffective leader in foreign affairs
D) as shaped by racial conflict and division

Question 70

Which statement accurately describes the Taft-Hartley Act?

A) It was a counterattack by big business against large labor unions.
B) It was labor's last big victory of the 1940s.
C) It was never ratified by Congress.
D) It allowed secondary strikes against a target business's affiliates.

Question 71

Who coined the term "iron curtain" to describe Soviet domination of Eastern Europe?

A) Winston Churchill
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Harry Truman
D) George Kennan

Question 72

What two trends shaped the middle-class family of the 1950s?

A) the baby boom and high rates of consumer spending
B) inflation and shortages of consumer goods
C) later marriages and fewer children
D) higher wages and more college-educated women

Question 73

Which of the following helps explain Harry Truman's victory in the presidential election of 1948?

A) Recognition of the new State of Israel kept Jewish voters loyally Democratic.
B) Antilynching legislation that he guided through Congress weakened southern racism and won Truman the support of many white Southerners.
C) Big labor overwhelmingly supported Truman because he frequently invoked the Taft-Hartley Act to help striking workers get their demands.
D) Conservative Republicans voted for Democrat Harry Truman because they supported his proposals for national health insurance and federal aid to education.

Question 74

Why was the NATO alliance formed?

A) to strengthen the bond between the United States and Western Europe
B) to ensure access to Asian and African markets
C) to stabilize world currency markets
D) to create channels of communication between the United States and the Soviet Union

Question 75

How did the United States respond after the Soviets successfully tested their own atomic weapon in 1949?

A) by escalating U.S. military production, creating an arms race between the two nations
B) by creating an alliance with Great Britain
C) by beginning diplomatic talks between the two nations to reduce the production of nuclear weapons
D) by placing a moratorium on the production of more powerful weapons such as hydrogen bombs

Question 76

The "duck and cover" program implemented by many schools during the Cold War era was a response to __________.

A) the possibility of a surprise Soviet nuclear attack
B) a promotion of democratic thinking and practice in school curriculum
C) the potential for alien invasions from outer space
D) infringements on academic freedom

Question 77

Which of these industries was a primary target of the second Red Scare?

A) the entertainment industry
B) the steel industry
C) the advertising industry
D) the agricultural industry

Question 78

The Marshall Plan for European nations reflected what fear of the Truman administration?

A) the political consequences of economic chaos
B) Chinese intervention in Europe
C) a military confrontation between the two Germanys
D) a Soviet invasion of Western Europe

Question 79

The G.I. Bill led to an upsurge in male college enrollment. How did women's collegiate experience change in the early postwar years?

A) The number of women who graduated from college dropped sharply between 1940 and 1950.
B) Women's college enrollment increased on par with men's enrollment in colleges.
C) Women all but abandoned college for domestic life.
D) The number of women in graduate schools increased dramatically, but undergraduate enrollment remained steady throughout the 1940s.

Question 80

Who ran for president as a Dixiecrat in 1948?

A) J. Strom Thurmond
B) Thomas Dewey
C) Henry Wallace
D) William Taft Jr.