Cold War Origins
What term describes the ideological and geopolitical division between Western democracies and Eastern communist states after WWII?
ideological/geopolitical rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
What event prompted the Berlin Airlift?
Soviet blockade of West Berlin (Berlin Blockade) prompted the airlift.
Which two parties fought the Chinese Civil War?
Nationalists (Kuomintang) vs. Chinese Communists (CCP).
Define “decolonization.”
Decolonization: the process by which colonies became independent nations.
Who led Ghana to independence and in what year (give approximate year)?
Kwame Nkrumah led Ghana; independence in 1957.
Name the 1945 conference where Allied leaders planned postwar Europe and set groundwork for the United Nations.
The Yalta Conference.
Why was NATO formed, and what was the Soviet response alliance called?
NATO formed to defend Western nations against Soviet aggression; Soviet response was the Warsaw Pact.
Who led the Communist victory in China in 1949, and where did the Nationalists retreat?
Mao Zedong led the Communists; Nationalists fled to Taiwan (Republic of China).
What event (in 1919) strengthened Gandhi’s commitment to India’s independence movement?
The Amritsar Massacre (1919).
Describe apartheid in South Africa in one sentence and name the leader who became a symbol of its ending.
Apartheid: legalized racial segregation and minority rule by whites over Black majority; Nelson Mandela became a central figure in ending apartheid and later president.
Explain the United States policy of containment in one clear sentence.
Containment: U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism to other countries.
Define “proxy war” and give one Cold War example
A proxy war is when superpowers support opposing sides in a local conflict (example: Vietnam War, Korean War, Angolan Civil War).
What was the Great Leap Forward and what major humanitarian consequence followed?
Great Leap Forward: forced collectivization/rapid industrialization using peasant labor; led to Great Famine and millions of deaths.
Why did Britain partition India in 1947, and what two new countries resulted?
Britain partitioned India along religious lines to create India (mostly Hindu) and Pakistan (mostly Muslim).
Explain why the Angolan Civil War became a Cold War proxy conflict (name at least one external supporter for each side).
Apartheid: legalized racial segregation and minority rule by whites over Black majority; Nelson Mandela became a central figure in ending apartheid and later president.
What was the Marshall Plan and what main problem did it try to solve in Western Europe?
The Marshall Plan was U.S. economic aid to rebuild Western European economies to reduce vulnerability to communism.
Summarize the causes and outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis in two sentences.
Cuban Missile Crisis: USSR placed missiles in Cuba; U.S. blockaded Cuba; crisis ended when USSR removed missiles in exchange for U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba (and removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey, privately).
Explain Mao’s Cultural Revolution: its purpose and one major social impact.
Cultural Revolution aimed to purge capitalist/traditional elements; it led to social chaos, persecution, and disruptions in education and culture.
Describe one major human consequence of the Partition of India (statistic or social effect).
Large-scale communal violence and mass migrations — roughly around 1,000,000 killed and millions displaced.
Summarize the causes and results of the Suez Crisis of 1956 in two sentences.
Suez Crisis: Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal; Britain, France, and Israel invaded to regain control; international pressure (US/USSR/UN) forced withdrawal and enhanced Nasser’s standing.
Describe three consequences of the Iron Curtain for European nations politically or economically.
Possible consequences: division of Europe into blocs; economic and military alliances (NATO/Warsaw Pact); restricted movement and political repression in Eastern Europe; divergent economic recovery.
How did détente change U.S.–Soviet relations in the 1970s, and what event later undermined détente?
Détente reduced tensions via arms control (e.g., SALT I); Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and renewed arms competition undermined it.
Compare the causes, international involvement, and outcome of the Korean War.
Korean War: North Korea (with Soviet/Chinese support) invaded South Korea; UN/US forces intervened for South; war ended in armistice restoring near prewar boundaries, creating a long-term stalemate.
Explain two driving forces behind decolonization movements after WWII and give one specific example of a leader associated with a successful independence movement.
Driving forces: exploitation and resource extraction, rising nationalism and self-determination, and influence of Western-educated leaders; example: Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana or Mahatma Gandhi in India.
Briefly explain the origins of the Israel–Palestine conflict after WWII and one consequence of the 1948 creation of Israel.
Origins: post‑WWI British Mandate and Balfour Declaration encouraged Jewish immigration; after WWII and Holocaust, UN partition proposed separate Jewish and Arab states; 1948 creation of Israel led to Arab–Israeli wars and Palestinian displacement/refugee crises.