Chapter 6: Cold War
Study Guide
Identify and explain the significance of
the following in the development of
the Cold War:
! Communism
! Capitalism
! Democracy
! Dictatorship
! Marshall Plan (1947)
! Truman Doctrine (1947)
! Containment (1947)
! Domino Theory
! NATO (1949)
! Iron Curtain (1948)
! Warsaw Pact (1955)
! NORAD
! Red Scare
! Berlin Airlift
! Berlin Blockade
! Dew Line
! Pinetree Line
! Mid-Canada Line
! Avro Arrow
! SALT I
Key conflicts and wars to know:
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Korean War
Vietnam War
The Suez Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
Bay of Pigs
Berlin Crisis/Airlift
Afghanistan Conflict
1. Identify and explain the significance of the following individuals during the Cold
War a) Nikita Khrushchev; b) Fidel Castro; c) John F. Kennedy; d) John
Diefenbaker; e) Lester Pearson; f) Ronald Regan; g) Mikhail Gorbachov; h) Pierre
Elliot Trudeau; i) Igor Gouzenko.
2. Assess the part played by differing ideologies in the origin of the Cold War.
3. What was the purpose of the United Nations and why it more effective than the
League of Nations?
4. What was the Cold War? Who were the two super powers during this time period?
5. How was communism considered a threat to democracy?
6. How was the cold war ‘fought’, or conducted?
7. Why were the US and USSR suspicious of each other after WWII? How did they
move from allies to enemies?
8. What commitments did Canada make as a member of NATO? How did
membership in NATO affect Canada’s foreign policy?
9. What was the United States policy of containment, and who was the leading
supporter?
10. What was the goal of the Marshall Plan?
11. What caused the Korean War? How did Canada participate?
12. What country came to aid (support) of North Korea, and who was their leader?
13. What country came to aid (support) South Korea, and who lead the troops from
this country?
14. For what reasons did the United States develop the Marshall Plan?
15. Why did the United States get involved in the Korean War?
16. Explain why relations deteriorated so badly between Cuba and the United
States in the period from 1959 to 1961.
17. What was President Kennedy’s response to nuclear missiles in Cuba?
18. By establishing the Soviet missile base in Cuba, what was Khrushchev
attempting to achieve?
19. Explain how, between them, the Americans and the Russians managed to
resolve the Cuban Missiles Crisis?
20. Why did the United States get involved with the Vietnam War?
21. What was Vietnamization?
22. What was the end result of the Vietnam War?
23. Why do you think that American public opinion, to begin with, was broadly
supportive of Johnson’s action in sending American forces to Vietnam?
24. Which countries eventually turned communist?
25. How did Trudeau’s leadership change Canada’s relations with: communist
countries, the United States, and new nations in the southern hemisphere?
26. What was the symbol of the division in Europe and divided Germany?
27. When did the Berlin Wall fall? What country did this reunite?
28. What happened to the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War?
29. Who won the Cold War?
30. How did the Canadian governments try to protect people from nuclear attack?
31. When the Soviet Union collapsed, what country was left as the sole superpower?
32. Explain how Canada’s identity has been shaped as a result of its involvement in
international affairs from 1945 to 2000.
33. Why did Canada join NATO?
34. NATO has always stressed that it was a defensive alliance. Why do you
think this was important, as the Cold War developed?
35. What was the significance of the Suez Crisis for Canada?
36. “The Vietnam War helped define Canada as a nation since it encouraged
Canadian leaders to distance their country from U.S. foreign policy.” Explain this
statement in your own words.
37. How did Canada’s involvement in U.N. peacekeeping, NORAD; and NATO affect
the way Canadians saw themselves as a nation?
38. To what extent between 1939 and 1970 did Canada evolve from being an
insignificant nation to a middle power?
39. “The major obstacle to successful international peacekeeping between 1945 and
1965 was the impact of Cold War politics on the United Nations.” To what extent
do you agree with this assertion?
40. Compare and contrast the aims and policies of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and the Warsaw Pact up to 1970.
41. “The Cold War was caused by fear, not aggression.” To what extent does this view
explain how the Cold War developed between 1945 and 1949?
42. How did the Cold War change relations between the United States and Canada
between 1953–1979?
43. Which incident first made Canadians realize Canada was involved in the Cold
War?
44. To what extent did Canada play a significant role in Cold War events?
45. "During the twentieth century, even though Canada was under the powerful
influence of Britain and the USA the country became and remains an independent
nation." Evaluate the accuracy of this statement using examples from throughout
the twentieth century.
46. Why was Canada willing to enter an air defence agreement with the United
States?
47. How significant was Canada’s role in Cold War events? Provide supporting
evidence for your opinion.
48. How might Canada-U.S. relations have been affected if Canada had decided to
remain neutral during the Cold War?
49. Explain the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the nature of the Cold War?
50. What brought an end to the Cold War?