Name:________________________________________________ Date:______________ Class:___________
The Cold War, Nuclear Weapons, and McCarthyism
Part A: Short Answer: Instructions: In at least one paragraph, answer the questions below.
1. What was McCarthyism? How did it end?
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2. What was the U-2 incident? How did it impact the
relationship of the USSR and the USA?
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3. Who were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg? How did they impact
the Cold War between the USA and the USSR?
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Part B: Fill in the blank: Instructions: Choose the word the word bank that completes the sentence.
Blitzkrieg, FELP, Blacklisted, Poland, Odyssey, Apollo, Dulles, Hydrogen, Communism, Los Angeles,
Containment, Terrorism, Sputnik, Lenin, Treason, Khrushchev, Hollywood, Capitalism,
Brinkmanship, Monarchism, Soviet Union, China, Rumsfeld, Eisenhower, Truman
1.
2.
3.
4.
_______________________ was the first satellite in space.
Nikita _____________________ was the successor to Joseph Stalin.
The ________________________________ Ten refused to cooperate with HUAC.
The policy of _____________________________ meant that the USA was ready to use nuclear
weapons at a moment’s notice.
5. Massive hysteria focused on the fear of ___________________________ was prevalent in the USA
during the late 1940s and the 1950s.
6. If you were accused of being Communist in the 1950s, you were __________________________. This
meant you were often ostracized by your friends and fired from your job.
7. The ___________________________________ was the first nation on Earth to put a satellite into
space.
8. The Communist takeover of _______________ shocked the world. The fall of this nation proved that
Containment had failed.
9. An arms race between the USA and the USSR developed when each nation created
______________________ bombs.
10. According to the _________________________ Doctrine, the USA would defend any Middle East nation
from falling to Communism.
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All Rights Reserved.
Answers:
The Cold War, Nuclear Weapons, and McCarthyism
Part A: Short Answer: Instructions: In at least one paragraph, answer the questions below.
1. What was McCarthyism? How did it end?
In the 1950s, Joseph McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin, made
countless, unsupported accusations asserting people were
Communists. He ruined the lives of many. In 1954, Army
investigations concerning Communism were televised; people saw
McCarthy bully the witnesses and began to realize his assertions
were simply false and based on delusional hysteria. McCarthy died
due to difficulties with alcoholism and McCarthyism is forever
remembered as unfair tactics of accusations
2. What was the U-2 incident? How did it impact the
relationship of the USSR and the USA?
The USA sent secret U-2 planes over Russia to get images
of the USSR for military use. USA pilot Francis Gary Powers
was shot down and held in prison in Russia for two years for
spying for the USA. Cold War fears remained for decades
after this incident. Many feared all out nuclear war could
erupt between the USA and the USSR.
3. Who were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg? How did they impact
the Cold War between the USA and the USSR?
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were Americans who helped leak
information to the USSR to help them build an atom bomb.
Julius worked for the Army as an engineer. Ethel and Julius
were convicted for spying on the USA and both were executed
for treason.
Part B: Fill in the blank: Instructions: Choose the word the word bank that completes the sentence.
Blitzkrieg, FELP, Blacklisted, Poland, Odyssey, Apollo, Dulles, Hydrogen, Communism, Los Angeles,
Containment, Terrorism, Sputnik, Lenin, Treason, Khrushchev, Hollywood, Capitalism,
Brinkmanship, Monarchism, Soviet Union, China, Rumsfeld, Eisenhower, Truman
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sputnik was the first satellite in space.
Nikita Khrushchev was the successor to Joseph Stalin.
The Hollywood Ten refused to cooperate with HUAC.
The policy of Brinkmanship meant that the USA was ready to use nuclear weapons at a moment’s notice.
Massive hysteria focused on the fear of Communism was prevalent in the USA during the late 1940s and
the 1950s.
6. If you were accused of being Communist in the 1950s, you were Blacklisted. This meant you were often
ostracized by your friends and fired from your job.
7. The Soviet Union was the first nation on Earth to put a satellite into space.
8. The Communist takeover of China shocked the world. The fall of this nation proved that Containment had
failed.
9. An arms race between the USA and the USSR developed when each nation created Hydrogen bombs.
10. According to the Eisenhower Doctrine, the USA would defend any Middle East nation from falling to
Communism.
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.