Answer Key Ch. 27 Sec. 1-3…..Quiz Friday
Ch. 27: The Cold War and the American Dream
Sec. 1: COLD WAR --KEY TERMS
Cold War: a period of mistrust and bad feeling between the United States and Soviet Union lasting
from the end of WWII (1945) until collapse of Soviet Union (1991); although the two nations never
directly met on the battlefield, the threat of deadly conflict lasted for decades
Atomic Age: period in history initiated by the first use of the atomic bomb & characterized by atomic
energy as a military, political, & industrial factor
Fallout / Bomb Shelter: a room or area, usually underground, especially reinforced against the
effects of bombs, used as a shelter during an air raid
N.A.T.O.: North Atlantic Treaty Organization: an international organization created in 1949 with
members that pledged to settle disputes among themselves peacefully and defend one another
against outside aggressors
Iron Curtain: term coined by Winston Churchill in a speech at Fulton College in Missouri (1946)
saying the “Iron Curtain” refers to the dividing line between free democracies and Soviet satellite
nations that splits Eastern and Western Europe after the Soviets refused to withdraw from Eastern
Europe in the wake of WWII
Containment: Truman’s main strategy during the cold war to stop the spread of communism through
military and non-military ways
Truman Doctrine: promised aid to people fighting to maintain democracy
New Deal: programs proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt to help solve problems caused by the
Great Depression.
Fair Deal: social reforms proposed by President Truman; built on Roosevelt’s New Deal.
1. Why did prices rise quickly after WW II?
Prices went up because of a sharp increase in demand for many goods.
2. What led to the demand for new homes in the post war years, and what was the result of this demand?
Prosperity and the baby boom led to the demand for new houses. The government guaranteed housing
loans for veterans. As a result, many people bought homes, and many moved to the suburbs.
3. Why did labor unions go on strike in 1946?
Workers wanted higher wages to help deal with rising prices.
4. Describe the Berlin Airlift.
The city of Berlin (in the eastern Soviet controlled half of Germany) divided into four sectors --West Berlin
occupied by the U.S., Great Britain and France, and East Berlin occupied by Soviets. In June 1948, the Soviet
Union attempted to control all of Berlin by cutting surface traffic to and from the city of West Berlin. Starving
out the population and cutting off their business was their method of gaining control. The US reacted with a
continual daily airlift, which brought much needed food and supplies into the city of West Berlin. The airlift
lasted until the end of September of 1949---although on May 12, 1949, the Soviet government yielded and
lifted the blockade.
5. Why was the Berlin Wall built? Why was it torn down?
It was built 1961to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany.
It was torn down when Communism began to fall in 1989.
6. What was the Warsaw Pact?
In 1955, an alliance of the Eastern European nations and the Soviet Union formed in response to the
formation of NATO.
7. Who were the Rosenberg’s? What happened to them?
They were members of the American Communist Party and were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the
Soviets. They were executed in 1953.
8. What was the job of the HUAC?
They investigated and questioned many people in the movie industry in connection with Communism and
Communist activities.
Sec. 2: The Korean War and McCarthyism --KEY TERMS
Joseph McCarthy: senator who accused many Americans of having Communist ties.
Korean War: conflict involving U.S. –led U.N. forces against North Korea and China.
38th parallel: line of latitude dividing North and South Korea.
H-bomb: in 1952, the U.S. built the hydrogen bomb; by 1955, the Soviets tested their own H-bomb and fear led both
sides to build up huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
Arms Race: competition between countries to achieve superiority in quantity and quality of military arms. During the
Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union were in opposition to develop more destructive weapons.
Space Race: in 1957 a space race between the superpowers (U.S. & Soviet Union) began when the Soviets launched Sputnik –
the 1st space satellite; U.S. scientists scrambled to catch up and Congress set aside billions of dollars for space research .
Brinkmanship: policy of going to the brink (or edge) of war to combat communism.
9. What events led to the Korean War?
China becomes Communist. A Communist government comes to power in North Korea. In June, 1950,
North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel into South Korea. The U.S. asks the UN to stop the Communists.
10. Why was Douglas MacArthur fired?
He disagreed with President Truman about how to handle the Korean War. MacArthur wanted to take the
war into China and Truman wanted to avoid WWIII. He criticized Truman publicly, which led to his firing.
11. Explain the outcome of the Korean War.
The UN and U.S. were aiding South Korea. China was helping North Korea. The war was unpopular and
President Eisenhower compromised with the North Koreans and China to bring an end to the war. The two
Koreas remained split at the 38th parallel, and so it ended with a cease fire and a stalemate rather than a
clear victory.
12. What is McCarthyism?
This is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for
evidence.
13. Compare the policies of brinkmanship and containment. How are they similar? How are they different?
Brinkmanship and containment are similar in that both are efforts to stop the spread of Communism. They
are different in that containment merely says it will aid countries in trying to remain free, while
brinkmanship would push matters to the brink of combat.
14. Read “Technology of the Time”. Why were people afraid of Sputnik? H-bomb? U-2 Spy Plane?
People were afraid of Sputnik because it meant that the Soviets had a guided missile capable of reaching
the U.S. in less than an hour.
They were afraid of the H-bomb because it was even more destructive than the atomic bomb.
The U-2 Spy Plane made people afraid that the government could watch people without their knowledge.
15. How is U.S. involvement in Iran, Guatemala, and Egypt (Suez Canal incident) similar?
In all three incidents the U.S. became involved in foreign countries because they thought they might be in
favor of Communism or because they had ties to the Soviet Union in some way.
16. How did the U-2 incident lead to the collapse of peace talks between the Soviet Union and the U.S.?
When the United States was caught spying on the Soviet Union, Khrushchev (the Soviet leader) demanded
an apology and Eisenhower (the U.S. President) refused.
Sec. 3: American Life in the Fifties --KEY TERMS
Rock’ n’ roll: a musical style based on rhythm and blues that became popular in the 1950’s.
Baby boom: a sharp increase in the U.S. birthrate following WWII.
Suburbs: residential areas surrounding a city.
Sunbelt: warmer states in the southern and southwestern U.S.
Conform: to agree with the beliefs and ideas of the majority.
Consumer: a person buying goods or using services.
17. What was the American Dream of the 1950s?
People dreamed of buying a home and living a more comfortable, secure life. The prosperous economy
encouraged them to buy new goods, get married, start families, and move to new areas.
18. How are the terms baby boom, suburbs, and Sunbelt related?
Prosperity and the baby boom led many people to move to the suburbs and warmer climate regions of the
Sunbelt states.
19. Would a beatnik live in a suburb? Why or why not?
No. They resisted the conformity and “shallowness” of American society, which suburbs would be
representative of. Suburbs were residential areas made up of single-family homes, shopping centers, movie
theaters, and restaurants.
20. What caused urban decay?
Well-to-do Americans headed for the suburbs, and shops and businesses moved with them. Fewer people
remained in the city to pay taxes for services (garbage collection, firefighting, road repair, etc.). Cities began
to decay without proper care and maintenance.
21. What aspects of 1950s popular culture are still relevant today?
Rock and roll and television still heavily influence popular culture today. People still like to live in suburbs
and drive (we are a “car culture”).
22. How did television help John Kennedy win the Presidency?
Kennedy participated in the first televised presidential debate against Nixon. Kennedy appeared energetic
and confident on TV, looking directly into the camera. This probably helped him win votes.