history’s final exam

Sputnik

1st Soviet Satellite

Significance of Space Race in the Cold War

Showed which country the U.S or the Soviet Union was more powerful in technology and military strength

National Defense Education Act

Passed to give $1billion to produce more scientists and science teachers. It also gave money for loans to help highschool students and collage graduates continue their education in science

Bay-of-Pigs Invasion

The U.S was afraid that Fidel Castro was turning into a satellite state of the Soviet Union so they tried to remove him. They did this by having a group of Cuban exiles invade Cuba and overthrow the communist government.

Causes of Cuban Missile Crisis

Since the bay of pigs invasion failed, Castro feared that there was going to be another U.S attack so he allowed the Soviet leader to place 36 missiles in Cuba

How Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved

Public: U.S wouldn’t invade Cuba

Private: U.S would take missiles away from Turkey

Soviet Union agreed to remove the Missiles in Cuba

Warren Commission Findings

Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he shot Kennedy from a window on the 6th floor of the Texas school book depository building. Oswald was then not testified because he died. Jack Ruby then acted alone when he killed Oswald

Lee Harvey Oswald

Shot JFK

Jack Ruby

Killed Oswald

C.I.A

Created by President Truman in 1947 and the 1st leader was Allen Dulles

The purpose of the C.I.A

The main U.S agency responsible for gathering and analyzing information about other countries to protect national security. It also contained communism during the Cold War

Operation Ajax(1953)

A British company (British Petroleum) controlled Iran’s oil fields and took most of the profits. So then the elected leader of Iran Mohammad Mossadeq took it over. This made America fear that Iran was Turing towards communism, so the C.I.A helped overthrow Mossadeq’s democratic government and replace him with the Shah

Blowback

Unintended results of a covert operation or political act

How U.S goal in Vietnam War differed from North Vietnams goal

U.S- wanted to stop the spread of communism

North Vietnam- wanted to gain independence from foreign rule

Ngo Dinh Diem

Led South Vietnam and the army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) with U.S support but was assassinated in 1963

Ho Chi Minh

Leader of communist North Vietnam and the north Vietnamese Army (NVA) until his death in 1969

Vietcong

Communist group within South Vietnam that used force to oppose the U.S and South Vietnamese government by the use of guerilla warfare in order to make South Vietnamese a communist nation

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A military supply route running from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia to send weapons, soldiers, and supplies to the Vietcong in South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s strategy to defeat U.S: Elephant V. Tiger

Guerilla warfare will wear down a more powerful enemy by avoiding direct fights and slowly exhaust a stronger opponent using hit-and-run tactics

Gulf of Tonkin Incidnet

Led by President Johnson to launch air raids on North Vietnam and request congress to give him permission to use American military strength to defend American interests in Vietnam

Operation Rolling Thunder

U.S bombing campaign constructed against North Vietnam

Conscription

Mandatory military service- government requires people to serve in the armed forces

Ways people tried to avoid fighting in Vietnam

1. Dodge the draft (flee to Canada)

2. Deferment: official permission to do required military service at a later time or not at all 

3. Conscientious Objector (CO): person who refuses to serve military combat because of moral or religious beliefs

Criticisms of college deferments for draft

It was an unfair advantage for the wealthy and educated people because they could afford to go to college and avoid being drafted while poorer individuals were often more likely to fight and die in the war

Values of Mainstream culture

Values, trends, entertainment, behaviors, and products that are widely accepted and shared by the majority of people in a society at a given time

What four values did Mainstream Americans have during the 1960’s

1. Patriotic

2. Got married and stayed married(Traditional values)

3. Believed the “American Dream”- good education, good job and good home

4. Conform to traditional values

Beat Movement

Anti-conformist youth movement of the 1950s which rejected middle-class American values in favor of exotic jazz, art and literature. This led to the hippie movement of 1960.

Hippie movement

Rejected individualism and capitalism, distrusted established authorities and expert knowledge, studied eastern philosophies, embraced communal living where member shared everything

Tent offensive

Massive surprise attack by the Vietcong on South Vietnamese towns and cities

Kent state protest

Day 1: students organized a protest against the invasion of Cambodia and a national guard officer was sent to Kent state to help control the growing unrest

Day 2: about 1000 protesters surrounded the ROTC building, set it on fire, and the national guard was called in after firefighters were unable to control the blaze

Day 3: protesters gathered on campus and in the streets where tension rose as tear gas was used to break up crowds and several people were injured

War Powers Resolution

• U.S law that limits how long a president can send American troops into conflict without approval from congress

• 1st: the president must consult and report to congress before sending troops overseas,

• 2nd: if the president initiates a hostile action it can only last 60 days plus a 30 day withdrawal period. Then congress has to vote on weather it will continue 

My Lai Massacre

In March 1968 U.S troops by the men of the Charlie company killed 300-500 Vietnamese civilians and homes were burned and the village was destroyed. This strengthened the anti-war movement

Silent spring

A book written by Rachel Carson who argued that human actions were harming the environment. She was most concerned about the impact pesticides (DDT) had on animals and humans

Rachel Carson

A biologist who wrote the book Silent Spring

EPA(Environmental Protection Agency)

Federal agency created in July 1970 to help clean and protect the environment

Cuyahoga River Fire

• An oil slick on the Cuyahoga River-polluted from decades of individual waste which caught on fire and caused $100,000 worth of damage. This fire and Rachel Carson’s book led to the beginning of the modern environmental movement

Causes of Watergate Scandal

• caused by illegal political activities carried out during President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign in 1972(break in watergate, Nixon has connections, gaps in the tape)

Short and long term consequences of the Watergate Scandal

Short: Nixion was the only President to resign

Long: the public stopped trusting the government even more

Who built the Berlin Wall

The government of East Germany (German Democratic Republic)

Why was the Berlin Wall built

To stop people from fleeing from East Germany to West Germany

East Germany: Soviet communism

West Germany: democratic

SDI

This was President Reagan’s proposed nuclear defense system during the Cold War to protect the U.S from the Soviet Union during the nuclear arms race

Reagan’s impact on ending the Cold War

His strategy was to outspend the Soviet Union on national defense

National Security Directive 75

Outlined a strategy to encourage political change for the Soviets, but it also increased military defense spendings

Gorbachev’s impact on ending the Cold War

By reforming the Soviet Union, reducing control of Eastern Europe, and cooperating with the United States to reduce nuclear weapons and tensions

9/11 attack

• 19 terrorists from Al-Qaeda hijacked 4 planes, two crashed into the World Trade Center, one crashed into the pentagon, and one crashed into a Pennsylvania field

How many people were killed on 9/11

Over 3,000

Causes of 9/11

• Al-Qaeda was trying to convince the U.S to leave Saudi Arabia and he was trying to defend Palestinian Muslims from Israel and give all Muslims access to holy sites in Jerusalem(Israel)

Response to 9/11

1. War on terror (operation ending freedom): War in Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and find Osama Bin Laden

2. War in Iraq: Find Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMDS)  and remove Saddam Hussein from power. As a result Saddam was removed, but WMDS were never found

Department of Homeland Security

• Created to coordinate domestic security efforts that protect from and respond to terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters

Patriot Act

• Law passed after 9/11 to give law enforcement broader powers to monitor possible terrorist activities. It was replaced by the freedom act in 2015

Debate over passage of the Patriot Act

Supports: greater powers need to be given to the government to help them keep Americans safe

Oppositions: It violates Americans civil liberties such as the 4th amendment

Operation Enduring Freedom-purpose and locations

War was located in Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and find Osama bin Laden

Taliban

Political or military group that controlled much or all of Afghanistan at different times

2003 Iraq war purpose and locations

War in Iraq to find Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and to remove Saddam Hussein from power, they did end up removing Saddam, but did not find the weapons

Saddam Hussein

Political and dictator who served as president of Iraq

Debate over treatment of suspected terrorists

Some people argue for harsher punishments while other argue for protecting rights

Al Qaeda

Terrorist grout that hijacked planes on 9/11

Abu Ghraib

Prison in Iraq, where controversial interrogation techniques were used