History 20 FINAL

What is the definition of a 'Proxy War'?

A conflict where opposing powers use third parties as substitutes for direct fighting.

During the Cold War, how did superpowers use proxy wars to influence other regions?

By funding, supporting, or militarizing local conflicts to increase their own influence.

At what geographical line was the Korean peninsula divided following the 1945 defeat of Japan?

The 38th Parallel

Who was the leader of the Communist North Korea during the Korean Crisis?

Kim Il Sung

Who was the leader of the Non-Communist South Korea during the Korean Crisis?

Syngman Rhee

Concept: Domino Theory

The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow in succession.

What action did the American National Security Council recommend in 1950 to combat communism?

Stockpiling conventional and nuclear arms to roll back communist expansion.

Why was the Soviet Union unable to veto the UN mandate for action against North Korea in 1950?

The Soviet Union was boycotting the UN at the time.

Which US General led the UN troops during the landing in Korea in September 1950?

General MacArthur

How did President Eisenhower pressure China into accepting peace in Korea in 1953?

He threatened to use the atomic bomb.

What organization did Ho Chi Minh form to fight both Japanese and French forces in Vietnam?

The Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam)

Which 1954 battle victory effectively ended French colonial rule in Indochina?

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Along which line of latitude was Vietnam split following the Geneva Conference?

The 17th Parallel

What derisive term did South Vietnamese leader Diem use for Viet Minh sympathizers in the south?

Viet Cong

What was the significance of the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident for the United States?

It provided the pretext for the US Congress to grant broad war-making powers to President Johnson.

What was the codename for the regular US bombing raids over North Vietnam starting in 1965?

Operation Rolling Thunder

Approximately how many US military personnel deserted between July 1966 and December 1973?

Over 503,000

What site was the focus of a massive 35,000-person anti-war protest in October 1967?

The Pentagon

How did the Vietnam War impact the US economy in the early 1970s?

Massive spending led to widespread inflation and exacerbated the oil crisis.

Under what pretext did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan on December 24, 1979?

Upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978.

What was the name of the resistance fighters who viewed the Soviet presence in Afghanistan as a defilement of Islam?

Mujahidin

What US-supplied weapon allowed the mujahidin to regularly shoot down Soviet aircraft starting in 1987?

Stinger missiles

How did the Soviet-Afghan War affect the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II)?

The treaty was tabled and the period of Détente ended.

What was the initial primary intention of the Eastern Bloc when it formed during WWII?

To fight Nazi Germany as a unified force led by the USSR.

What 1955 military alliance was formed by the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe?

The Warsaw Pact

Which communist country initially resisted joining the Eastern Bloc and remained open to NATO relations?

Yugoslavia

How did Eastern Bloc governments maintain control over information?

Heavily controlling media for propaganda and banning all western broadcasts.

Mao Zedong was a founding member of which political party in 1921?

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

What was the 6,000-mile journey taken by Chinese Communists in 1927 to escape nationalist purges?

The Long March

On what date did Mao Zedong proclaim the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC)?

October 1, 1949

What was the name of Mao's 1958 attempt to introduce a more 'Chinese' form of communism?

The Great Leap Forward

What was the primary objective of Mao’s 1966 'Cultural Revolution'?

To purge 'impure' elements and revive the revolutionary spirit.

Which US President visited China in 1972 to meet with Mao Zedong?

Richard Nixon

In the context of the Cold War, what does the term 'Détente' mean?

Release from tension

What was the primary goal of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)?

To reduce the mass production of nuclear weapons.

Which 1970s treaty established numerical equality between the US and USSR in nuclear delivery systems?

SALT II

The SALT II treaty specifically limited the number of _____ missiles.

MIRV

Which Soviet leader rose to power in 1985 and initiated significant reforms?

Mikhail Gorbachev

What does the Gorbachev-era term 'Perestroika' refer to?

Economic and political restructuring.

What does the Gorbachev-era term 'Glasnost' refer to?

Increased openness and freedom of expression.

On what date did the Berlin Wall finally fall?

November 9, 1989

In December of 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated into how many separate countries?

15

Who was elected President of the Russian Republic by popular vote in 1991?

Boris Yeltsin

What event occurred in 1991 when 'hard-line' communists placed Gorbachev under house arrest?

The Moscow Coup

What new entity was formed in January 1992 to replace the Soviet Union?

The Commonwealth of Independent Republics

Why did the US (CIA) and Britain orchestrate a secret coup in Iran in 1953?

To regain control over oil and prevent Iran from turning to the Soviet Union.

What was the name of the brutal secret police force used by the Shah of Iran?

SAVAK

How did Ayatollah Khomeini spread his revolutionary message while in exile?

He smuggled cassette tapes of his sermons back into Iran.

The 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis involved the seizure of 52 Americans for how many days?

444 days

What event triggered the 1979 storming of the US Embassy in Tehran?

The US allowed the exiled Shah into an American hospital for medical treatment.

Which neighboring country invaded Iran in 1980, leading to an 8-year war supported by the US?

Iraq (led by Saddam Hussein)

Al-Qaeda reorganized from insurgent groups that originally fought against which country in the 1980s?

The Soviet Union

What was the name of the US military operation that began the War in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001?

Operation Enduring Freedom

What 'light footprint' strategy did Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld champion in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan?

Deploying few Special Forces and CIA officers backed by massive airpower.

What fortified cave network in eastern Afghanistan did Osama bin Laden use as a retreat in late 2001?

Tora Bora

What was a major political flaw of the 2001 Bonn Agreement regarding the Taliban?

It pursued a 'victor’s peace' that totally excluded the Taliban from the political process.

Where was Osama bin Laden eventually found and killed during Operation Neptune Spear?

Abbottabad, Pakistan

What role did Pakistan’s ISI play during the US-led war in Afghanistan?

A 'double game' of accepting US aid while providing safe haven to the Taliban.

What strategic backfire resulted from President Obama announcing a drawdown date at the same time as the 2009 troop surge?

It signaled the US exit, allowing the Taliban to simply wait out the 18-month clock.

In 2003, why did the US and coalition forces invade Iraq?

Reports that Saddam Hussein was developing or possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction.

On what date did President Barack Obama declare an end to US combat operations in Iraq?

August 30, 2010

Concept: Population-centric counterinsurgency (COIN)

A strategy focused on clearing out insurgents while protecting local villages and populations.

What was the significance of the 38th Parallel after 1945?

It served as the dividing line between the Communist North and Non-Communist South Korea.

Which US President offered peace in 1953 while threatening nuclear use in Korea?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) was declared in which northern city in 1945?

Hanoi

What city served as the capital of the US-backed State of Vietnam in the south?

Saigon

How many Vietnamese casualties are estimated to have resulted from the years of warfare ending in 1973?

2 million killed and 3 million wounded.

The introduction of which US weapon in 1987 is credited with helping the Mujahidin defeat the Soviets?

Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

Which group within the Soviet Union organized the 'Moscow Coup' in a last-ditch effort to save the USSR?

Hard-line Communists

Who was the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister overthrown in the 1953 CIA-backed coup?

Mohammad Mossadegh

Why did the 2004 Afghan constitution's centralized presidency prove ill-suited for the country?

It clashed with Afghanistan's historical reliance on autonomous regional tribal structures.

In the context of Al-Qaeda, what does the term 'Jihad' refer to?

A holy war declared against perceived enemies, such as the United States.

What was the primary reason the US relied on local militias instead of Marines to seal the border at Tora Bora?

US commanders denied the request for ground troops to block the mountain passes.

Under the Bonn Agreement, which Afghan leader had to include warlords in his government to maintain peace?

Hamid Karzai

The 1953 coup in Iran established the absolute power of which monarch?

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi