Origins of the Cold War
Which European country provided the first major postwar “test case” that helped start Cold War tensions between the USSR and the United States?
Poland
Who authored the Long Telegram and popularized the policy of "containment"?
George F. Kennan
Which two Koreas were created by dividing the peninsula at the 38th parallel after WWII?
North Korea and South Korea
What federal program did Truman establish in response to fears of subversion to review loyalty of government employees?
Federal Employee Loyalty Program
What name was given to Truman’s domestic agenda that built on the New Deal?
The Fair Deal
Name the 1945 conference whose accords promised "free and unfettered" elections in liberated European countries.
Yalta Conference
What was the Truman Doctrine in one sentence?
The Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to support free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures (i.e., resist Communist expansion).
Which general did President Truman appoint to lead UN forces in Korea in 1950?
General Douglas MacArthur
Who were the Rosenbergs and what happened to them after being accused of espionage?
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg — convicted of espionage for passing atomic secrets to the USSR; sentenced to death.
What major benefits did the G.I. Bill provide returning servicemen? (Two items)
G.I. Bill: low-cost home loans, education benefits/college tuition and vocational training
Which Soviet foreign minister did Truman confront early in his presidency over Poland?
Vyacheslav Molotov
What was the Marshall Plan intended to do, and why did the Soviet Union refuse to participate? (Two–three sentence answer.)
Marshall Plan provided large-scale economic aid to rebuild Western Europe; Soviets refused because it required sharing economic data and accepting Western controls, which threatened their influence.
Why did China enter the Korean War, and what was the immediate military consequence? (1-2 sentence answer.)
China entered to push back UN forces approaching the Yalu River; Chinese intervention drove UN troops back into South Korea and led to a stalemate.
What was the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) best known for investigating in 1947?
HUAC investigated the motion-picture industry for Communist influence.
Who won the surprise 1948 presidential election?
Harry Truman
In a famous 1946 speech, who declared that "an iron curtain has descended across the Continent"?
Winston Churchill
Name NSC-68 and explain its primary recommendation for U.S. policy. (One–two sentence answer.)
NSC-68: top-secret 1950 policy paper recommending substantial military buildup and global assistance to counter Soviet expansion.
Name the country where a shocking Communist coup occurred in 1948 that alarmed Western Europe.
Czechoslovakia
Summarize how televised Army hearings contributed to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s downfall.
Televised Army hearings exposed McCarthy’s aggressive and unsubstantiated tactics to viewers, eroding public support and leading to his censure by the Senate
Name one author of the "beat generation" and one literary work associated with that movement.
Jack Kerouac — On the Road; Allen Ginsberg — "Howl"
Explain how Soviet occupation of Central and Eastern Europe after WWII contributed to the emergence of the Cold War. (Two–three sentence answer appropriate for 10th grade.)
Soviet military occupation of Central/Eastern Europe installed or supported Communist parties, suppressed democratic parties and free elections, creating mutual distrust and competition between USSR and USA.
Describe the Berlin Airlift: what prompted it, how the West responded, and its outcome. (2-3 sentence answer.)
Berlin Airlift: Soviet blockade of West Berlin (June 1948) cut land access; U.S., UK, and French aircraft delivered food and coal for 231 days (over 277,000 flights), forcing Soviets to lift the blockade.
Explain the main reasons the U.S. prioritized Europe over China in early Cold War policy decisions. (2-3 sentence answer.)
U.S. prioritized Europe because of economic and strategic importance (reconstruction of Western Europe, prevention of Soviet expansion there), constrained resources for Asia, and belief that European stability was central to global balance of power.
Evaluate whether anti-Communist measures at home (e.g., loyalty programs, blacklists) were justified given Cold War threats. Provide two pieces of historical evidence in your answer. (2-3 sentence response expected.)
documented Soviet espionage cases—e.g., Alger Hiss conviction, Rosenberg case—versus abuses like blacklists, ruined careers, lack of due process.
Explain how popular culture (television, rock 'n' roll, abstract expressionist art) both reflected and challenged 1950s conformity. (2-3 sentence answer.)
TV and mainstream culture promoted conformity and shared values, while rock 'n' roll, beat writers, and abstract expressionists challenged norms and pointed toward the social changes of the 1960s