Cold War Basics
•What was the Cold War?
•A time of tension and competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union without actual battles.
•Why did the U.S. join the Korean War?
•To stop the spread of communism and help South Korea.
•What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
•A near-war situation when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba.
•Who was the U.S. trying to stop during the Cold War?
•The Soviet Union and the spread of communism.
•What is communism?
•A system where the government controls wealth and property and shares it equally.
•Why did the U.S. get involved in the Vietnam War?
•To stop communism from spreading in Southeast Asia.
•What was the Berlin Airlift?
•When the U.S. flew supplies into West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.
•Who fought against the U.S. in the Vietnam War?
•North Vietnam and the Viet Minh.
•What were the U.S. and the Soviet Union competing over?
•Political and economic systems: democracy vs. communism.
•How did Americans feel about the Vietnam War?
•They were divided—some supported it, others protested.
•What is NATO?
•A group of countries that agree to protect each other if one is attacked.
•Who were the members of NATO?
•The U.S., Canada, and other Western allies.
What imaginary barrier did Winston Churchill say had divided Europe?
The Iron Curtain
What was the outcome of the Korean War?
A cease-fire was signed and Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel
What was President Kennedy's response to the missiles in Cuba?
He ordered a naval blockade around Cuba
Who was the U.S. President during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
John F. Kennedy
Which two countries were the main enemies in the Cold War?
The United States and the Soviet Union
What line divided North and South Korea?
The 38th parallel
Why was the Cuban Missile Crisis such a big deal?
It brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union very close to nuclear war
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the early Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Nikita Khrushchev