United States History
EOC 8: Cold War
8A – describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggression after World
War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Berlin airlift, and John F. Kennedy's
role in the Cuban Missile Crisis
8A – the Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan – (1948-1952) program in which the US gave
approximately $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western
Europe after World War II; goal was to bring these countries closer to the US
and keep Communism out of them
2016 #25
Which sentence best completes this diagram?
A The president authorizes a military strike against forces threatening
the borders of Western Europe. B Congress appropriates funding for nuclear arms facilities in Western
Europe. C The president signs a treaty requiring reparations to be paid to
Western European countries. D Congress passes a bill to provide financial assistance to Western
European countries. 8A – the Berlin airlift
Germany after WWII – Germany was divided into 4 zones of
occupation after WWII (USSR, USA, Britain, and France); Berlin was also
divided between the same 4 countries; The Soviet zone became East
Germany and East Berlin; The American, British, and French zones united to
become West Germany and West Berlin
Berlin Airlift – (1948-1949) one of the first confrontations of the Cold
War; the Soviet Union blockaded the Western Allies’ railway, road, and canal
access to West Berlin; in response, Allied aircrews flew over 200,000 flights
in one year, providing West Berliners up to 8,893 tons of fuel, food, and
other necessities each day; the USSR lifted the blockade and allowed the
Western Allies back into West Berlin
2013 #23
This is a cross-sectional diagram of a major operation ordered by
President Harry S. Truman in 1948. The flight pattern illustrated in the
diagram was designed to allow an airplane to land every three minutes. Why
was this operation undertaken?
A To enable a rapid withdrawal of troops from a war-torn city
B To deploy substantial invasion forces
C To provide supplies to a blockaded city
D To rescue thousands of stranded political refugees
2015 #19
As a result of the Berlin Airlift, the United States was able to —
A bypass a Soviet blockade without provoking a military conflict
B transport Polish refugees to safety
C prevent the Nazi Party from reorganizing
D intimidate Soviet leaders by demonstrating superior military power
8A – and John F. Kennedy's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis;
Cuban Missile Crisis – (October 1962) 13-day confrontation between
the US and the Soviet Union concerning Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in
Cuba; JFK responded by ordering a naval blockade of Cuba; televised
worldwide, it was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a fullscale nuclear war
2015 #49
President John F. Kennedy responded to reports that the Soviet Union
was constructing missile sites in Cuba by —
A ordering a naval blockade of Cuba
B asking Congress to declare war on Cuba
C authorizing military strikes on strategic targets in Cuba
D seeking United Nations approval for economic sanctions against
Cuba
2014 #16
Which U.S. action is Khrushchev challenging in this excerpt?
A Preventing Soviet advisors from meeting with revolutionaries in
South America
B Establishing a naval blockade to stop the shipment of missiles to
Cuba
C Enforcing a ban on military aid to communist forces in North
Vietnam
D Conducting air shipments of vital supplies to East Berlin
8B – describe how Cold War tensions were intensified by the
arms race, the space race, McCarthyism, and the House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC), the findings of which were confirmed
by the Venona Papers;
8B – describe how Cold War tensions were intensified by the
arms race
2016 #42
Which of the following is most characteristic of the Cold War?
A The growth of nuclear arsenals in the United States and the Soviet
Union B The expansion of national borders by imperialistic European
countries C The implementation of isolationist foreign policies in Great Britain
and China
D The rapid industrialization of many Southeast Asian countries
8B – McCarthyism
McCarthyism – during the Second Red Scare (1950-1956), which was
a fear of communism in the US; named after Republican US Senator Joseph
McCarthy of Wisconsin; McCarthy made accusations that there were
communists working in the US government; led to accusations (and arrests)
that thousands of Americans, in all walks of life, were communists, or were
communist sympathizers.
2013 #7
Senator Joseph McCarthy is best known for his involvement in —
A the war effort of the 1940s
B the Red Scare of the 1950s
C the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s
D the political scandals of the 1970s
2015 #31
Which of the following resulted from McCarthyism during the 1950s?
A Membership in the U.S. Communist Party increased.
B U.S. citizens were arrested for being suspected communists.
C Recruitment procedures for the U.S. military branches were
reformed.
D U.S. diplomats began to express dissenting political viewpoints more
freely.
8B – and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC),
the findings of which were confirmed by the Venona Papers;
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) – House of
Representatives committee to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive
activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those
organizations suspected of having communist ties
2014 #45
Which group later investigated the political ideology and actions of
many people associated with this film?
A The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
B The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
C The House Un-American Activities Committee
D The Motion Picture Association of America
8C – explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in the
Korean War and its relationship to the containment policy
Korea after WWII – Korea was controlled by Japan from 1910 until
the closing days of WWII; in August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on
Japan and—by agreement with the US—occupied Korea north of the 38th
parallel; by 1948 two separate governments had been setup (North –
Communist, South – Democratic). Each government claimed that it was the
legitimate government of all of Korea; June 25, 1950 – North Korea invaded
South Korea
Korean War – (1950-1953) was a war between North and South
Korea, in which a United Nations force led by the US fought for the South,
and China fought for the North, which was also assisted by the Soviet Union;
the US became involved because of their policy of containment (contain the
spread of communism)
2014 #28
What was the primary reason for U.S. involvement in East Asia during
the early 1950s?
A North Korean attempts to unify the peninsula challenged the U.S.
policy of containment.
B Communities in Korea needed humanitarian aid due to a famine.
C International groups needed help investigating North Korean officials
charged with corruption.
D Democratic reformers sought help from the U.S. military to
overthrow dictatorial regimes in Korea.
2016 #27
During the Korean War, what prevented the southern part of the
peninsula from falling permanently to the invading forces?
A The threat of a Soviet naval blockade B The assistance of the Chinese military C The use of atomic weapons on northern cities D The involvement of UN forces under the command of the United
States 2015 #62
Which quotation from President Harry S. Truman offers a reason for
U.S. involvement in the conflict between North Korea and South Korea?
A “The United Nations cannot . . . fulfill adequately its own
responsibilities until the peace settlements have been made. . . .”
B “Above all else, we want to keep the United States prosperous and
strong because we know that our prosperity is the best guarantee of peace.”
C “Communism has passed beyond the use of subversion . . . and will
now use armed invasion and war.”
D “As a result of these tragic conditions, a militant minority, exploiting
human want and misery . . . has made economic recovery impossible.”
8D – explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in
foreign countries and their relationship to the Domino Theory,
including the Vietnam War
8D – Domino Theory, including the Vietnam War
Domino Theory - idea that if a nation falls to communism, its closest
neighbors will also fall under communist control; led to the belief that South
Vietnam had to be defended from communism (policy of containment)
Vietnam War - A protracted military conflict (1954-1975, US involved
1963-1975) between South Vietnam (supported by US forces) and
Communist North Vietnam (allied with China and the Soviet Union); to those
who opposed the war, the US was seen as an aggressor invading an
underdeveloped nation; the war resulted in a North Vietnamese victory and
unification of Vietnam under Communist rule.
Ho Chi Minh – (1890-1969) communist who led North Vietnam’s fight
to reunify North and South Vietnam, serving as president of the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 1945 to 1969.
Vietcong – VC - South Vietnamese communist rebels who waged a
guerrilla war against the government of South Vietnam throughout the
Vietnam War
2016 #44
Which policy guided U.S. opposition to this declaration?
A Containment
B Peaceful coexistence C Constructive engagement D Deterrence
2013 #12
The primary reason given by U.S. leaders to justify military
involvement in Vietnam was that it would —
A promote reconstruction after World War II
B maintain the policy of détente
C fulfill prior United Nations obligations
D keep communism from spreading throughout the region
2014 #21
Which of these best explains why worldwide reactions to U.S.
involvement in Vietnam grew increasingly hostile during the late 1960s and
early 1970s?
A The United States was viewed as appeasing a brutal dictator.
B The United States demanded the unconditional surrender of Ho Chi
Minh.
C The United States was viewed as an aggressor invading an
underdeveloped nation.
D The United States ignored a United Nations Security Council
resolution to cease hostilities.
2015 #38
The domino theory, which provided the basis for U.S. entry into the
Vietnam War, was the belief that intervention was necessary to prevent —
A the expansion of communism across Southeast Asia
B the inclusion of Taiwan in the Warsaw Pact
C the loss of UN military bases in Asia
D the rise of China as a dominant economic power
8F – describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as the
draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media, the credibility
gap, the silent majority, and the anti-war movement.
8F - such as the draft
2013 #2
The participants in this week’s antidraft demonstration . . . are . . .
students or young men . . . who are working within a coalition . . . which
calls itself the Stop the Draft Week Committee. . . .
—Douglas Robinson, New York Times, December 6, 1967
The demonstration described in this article was most likely prompted
by —
A renewed diplomatic relations with communist China
B escalated deployment of military forces to Vietnam
C the signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
D the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
8F – the role of the media, the credibility gap
Presidents during the Vietnam War – JFK (D-1963), Lyndon B.
Johnson (LBJ) (D-1963-1969), Richard Nixon (R-1969-1974), Gerald Ford
(R-1974-1975)
role of the media – the US media (TV, radio, newspapers) were
generally unsupportive of the Vietnam War; they were more likely to report
on US military losses and setbacks than they had been in previous wars
credibility gap - American public’s growing distrust of statements
made by the government during the Vietnam War
2014 #43
How did press coverage of events during the Vietnam War affect the
United States?
A Film footage from the front lines increased congressional support for
the war.
B Reporting on military setbacks contributed to public disillusionment
with the war.
C Increased U.S. media presence overseas resulted in overwhelming
international support for U.S. intervention.
D Live presidential press conferences led to a decline in partisan
politics in Congress.
8F – the silent majority, and the anti-war movement
anti-war movement – beginning on college campuses (inspired by
professors), young people began to protest against the war; as the protests
became more widespread, they also became more violent; e.g. Kent State –
1970 – 4 protesters were killed and 9 wounded
silent majority – reaction to the anti-war movement; phrase
introduced by President Richard Nixon to refer to a significant number of
Americans who supported his policies but chose to not express their views
2015 #53
During the mid-1960s, U.S. participation in the Vietnam War resulted
in —
A public support for an expanded military draft
B mandatory rationing of consumer goods
C mass demonstrations by groups protesting the war
D national attention for a third-party presidential candidate
2016 #10
The event described in this headline resulted in —
A decreased federal funding of student loans B increased support for the antiwar movement C the reinstatement of the draft D an end to federal investigations of student organizations