History -- Cold War Quiz

How were the lives of the Soviet people different from the Americans?

The Soviet government controlled everything — they had no freedoms at all ( worship, own property, express their beliefs )

What did Stalin want with Germany and Eastern Europe ?

to keep Germany weak and for Eastern Europe to stay in control of the Soviet Union

What did the US want with Germany and Eastern Europe ?

for Germany to be united and Eastern Europe to be independent

satellite nations —

independent nations under the control of a more powerful country

What were some Soviet satellite nations ?

Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the eastern Germany

How did President Truman view the Soviets after Potsdam?

he thought that the Soviets were "planning world conquest" and that their alliance was falling apart

What was the “Iron Curtain” ?

a border between Soviet states and Western Europe

What was happening east of the Iron Curtain ?

the Soviets were gaining more control by attaining more communist governments and eliminating political + religious protests

Churchill’s suggestion on handling the Soviets —

he said that the US and other democratic countries should stand firm

Why did the US help Greece and Turkey in 1947 ?

the US was the only country that had the resources to help them

Truman also said that if one country fell into communism, then the rest of the world could as well

Truman Doctrine —

Truman's promise to help any nation that was struggling against communist governments

How much money did the US give Greece and Turkey?

$400 million

containment —

the policy of keeping communism within it’s borders and not letting it spread

Was American diplomat George Kennan worried about the Soviets ?

not really, because he thought that Stalin didn’t want to risk the Soviet Union for expansion

but, he also knew that there wouldn't be a quick, easy solution to the Soviets

Why did countries in Western Europe have problems ?

there were shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies + they were broke

George Marshall said that “without economic health”..

“there can be no political stability and no assured peace"

How much money did the Marshall plan give to Western Europe ?

$13 billion

What did the Marshall Plan give money for ?

struggling countries in Western Europe , and even satellite soviet states in Europe

What countries controlled West Germany ?

Britain, France, and the US

Why was Berlin an important city ?

Berlin had more freedom and prosperity compared to the other countries

Why did the Soviets dislike West Berlin ?

it went against what they stood for (free and prosperous instead of being controlled)

How did the Soviets plan to make West Berlin communist ?

they were going to stop the aid being sent to Berlin

How did the Americans and British deliver goods to West Berlin?

they delivered the goods/supplies through air

What did the Berlin Airlift show the Soviets and the rest of the world?

it showed how far the US/allies would go to protect non-communist countries

What was NATO’s agreement ?

they agreed to fight against aggressive communism and to protect each other

Who was a part of NATO ?

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey United Kingdom, United States and West Germany

collective security —

if you attack a country that has an alliance, then their allies have the right to attack you back ( an attack on one is an attack on all )

What was the Warsaw Pact ?

an alliance between the Soviets and their satellite states

What countries were involved in the Warsaw Pact ?

Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union

Who was the nationalist leader of China ?

Jiang Jieshi

Who was the communist leader of China ?

Mao Zedong

How did the Soviets support the Communists in China?

they directly supported Mao Zedong by sending money

Why was America fearful of China becoming communist?

they thought that if China became communist, then it could spread to the rest of Asia

What was the problem with the Nationalists in China?

the generals refused to fight and they were corrupt

( stealing US aid money and putting it into their own pockets )

Why did average people in China support the communists?

the communist leaders promised to feed the people

What happened when Jiang Jieshi left China and went to Taiwan?

Mao Zedong and the communists took over China

How did the US view Mao Zedong’s communist victory in China?

the US was shocked but they knew nothing could’ve changed the result

Where was Korea divided ?

at the 38th parallel by the Soviets and the US

Where did the Soviets create a communist government?

in North Korea

Who did the US send aid to ?

South Korea

Why did American troops leave Korea ?

because the communists took over China

Who started to fight after the American soldiers left ?

North and South Korea

Why did Truman want to get involved in the Korean war ?

he was worried about there being another world war

( appeasement, containment )

Did UN agree to with Truman’s decision to send aid to South Korea ?

yes, they voted unanimously

Which 5 countries are permanent members of UN ?

US, Britain, China, Russia, and France

Why were the Soviets unable to use their veto powers ?

they were boycotting the meetings because UN refused to recognize China

Did President Truman ask congress for a declaration of war ?

no

Where did Truman send American troops to aid South Korea ?

to Korea

Who was the leader of the UN troops ?

General Douglas MacArthur

Why did MacArthur want to launch a surprise attack at Incheon ?

North Korea had limited supply lines, so they would be targeting a weak spot

What happened after the UN’s success at Incheon ?

the North Korean’s retreated and went back to the 38th parallel

Did Truman want to follow the North Koreans into their territory ?

no, because he was worried about how China would react

Did MacArthur take China seriously ?

no, and he thought China wouldn’t interfere with the war

How did China respond to UN’s attack on the 38th parallel ?

they sent 300,000 soldiers to retaliate

Did President Truman and General MacArthur agree ?

no — MacArthur was only focused on winning and Truman didn’t want to start a world war

What happened after Truman said no to escalating the war into China ?

MacArthur sent him a letter that attacked Truman and his policies

How did Truman respond to MacArthur ?

he fired MacArthur for insubordination