Basics
What does CIA stand for?
Central Intelligence Agency
What CIA spy plane flew at 70,000 feet and photographed Soviet military sites?
U-2 Spy Plane
Which U.S. president signed the National Security Act creating the CIA?
Harry Truman
What was the KGB’s role within the Soviet Union?
To monitor citizens and protect Communist Party control
What Cold War crisis in 1962 brought the world close to nuclear war?
Cuban Missile Crisis
What Soviet intelligence agency was the CIA’s main rival during the Cold War?
KGB
Which Soviet officer provided over 5,000 secret military photos to the West?
Oleg Penkovsky
Which country experienced a CIA-backed coup in 1953 that restored the Shah?
Iran
What method did the KGB use to silence some dissidents by claiming they were mentally ill?
Sending them to psychiatric hospitals
Which two regions were major battlegrounds for CIA and KGB influence?
Latin America and the Middle East
In what year was the CIA created under the National Security Act?
1947
What failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba happened in 1961?
Bay of Pigs
Which country experienced a CIA-backed coup in 1954 against a leftist government?
Guatemala
What Soviet scientist and human rights advocate was targeted by the KGB?
Andrei Sakharov
What modern Russian leader served in the KGB before entering politics?
Vladimir Putin
In what year was the KGB officially created?
1954
What 1983 NATO exercise almost triggered nuclear war due to Soviet fears?
Able Archer
What operation did JFK launch after the failure of the Bay of Pigs?
Operation Mongoose
What organization replaced the KGB after the Soviet Union collapsed?
FSB
What did the CIA and KGB rivalry help establish as a model for modern intelligence agencies?
Espionage methods such as surveillance, double agents, and disinformation
What was the main goal of both the CIA and KGB during the Cold War?
To gather intelligence, gain strategic advantage, and spread their ideologies
What major intelligence method developed during the Cold War are still used today? (One is Ok)
Any of:
Satellite surveillance, signals intelligence, double agents, and disinformation
What was one major restriction placed on the CIA when it was created?
It could not have police powers or conduct domestic spying
What culture did KGB surveillance create in Soviet society?
A culture of fear and distrust
What was one major reason the Soviet Union struggled to maintain the Cold War rivalry?
The massive economic cost of the arms race and intelligence war