Iron curtain basics
What was the Iron Curtain?
A symbolic divide between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War.
Name a war fought during the Cold War era.
Korean War, Vietnam War, Soviet-Afghan War.
Who was the U.S. President during most of WWII and the beginning of the Cold War?
Harry Truman.
What does KGB stand for?
Soviet Union's main security and intelligence agency. (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti)
Who said “An Iron Curtain has descended across the continent”?
Winston Churchill.
Which country led the Eastern Bloc behind the Iron Curtain?
The Soviet Union.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A 1962 standoff over Soviet missiles placed in Cuba.
Name the Soviet leader at the start of the Cold War.
Joseph Stalin.
What was the CIA’s role during the Cold War?
U.S. intelligence and covert operations.
What speech did JFK give in Berlin to show support?
“Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.
Who coined the phrase “Iron Curtain”?
Winston Churchill.
What divided Berlin during the Cold War?
The Berlin Wall.
Which U.S. President said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Ronald Reagan.
What was the arms race?
Competition between the U.S. and USSR to build nuclear weapons.
What does "mutually assured destruction" mean?
That both sides would destroy each other in nuclear war.
Name one Eastern Bloc country.
Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, etc.
What was the U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism?
What was the U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism?
Which leader introduced reforms called Glasnost and Perestroika?
Mikhail Gorbachev.
What does “Duck and Cover” refer to?
A U.S. civil defense drill for nuclear attack.
What did Ronald Reagan challenge Gorbachev to do in 1987?
“Tear down this wall!” (referring to the Berlin Wall).
What major alliance was formed by Western countries in 1949?
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
What Cold War conflict took place in Afghanistan in the 1980s?
The Soviet-Afghan War.
Which country was split into East and West due to the Cold War?
Germany.
What is one way propaganda was used during the Cold War?
Posters, films, radio, and media to influence public opinion.
“This Cold War symbol was not a real object but represented the divide between communism and democracy in Europe.”
What is the Iron Curtain?