1950s America
What was a "duck and cover" drill?
Bonus points (50): Demonstrate a "duck and cover" drill.
An emergency drill used throughout the Cold War to prepare students for an Atomic bomb attack/detonation.
Bonus Point: Go under your desk and cover your head with your hands, curling up as much as possible.
What is the Domino Theory?
If one country falls to Communism, the countries around it will follow.
Who was the first American man in space?
Alan Shepard
What was the Berlin Airlift?
The USA's choice to help West Berliner's survie a soviet blockade by delivering food and supplies through air drops.
Which three leaders were directly involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Bonus Points (50): Which country did each leader represent?
President John F. Kennedy, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Name 3 lasting impacts of the Baby Boomers generation.
Urban Decay, strained Social Security funds, strained Medicare funds.
What is the policy of Containment and how does it relate to the domino theory?
The domino theory states that if one country falls to Communism, the countries around it will follow. Containment was designed to prevent this spread.
Who was Alger Hiss and the Rosenberg's? What happened to them.
They were Americans accused to espionage in the USA.
Alger Hiss went to jail.
The Rosenbergs were executed.
What is the Iron Curtain?
A symbolic divide between Capitalist/Democratic (ish) Western Europe and Communist Eastern Europe.
What was Vietnamization? Which leader used it?
This was President Nixon's attempt to slowly withdraw US forces from Vietnam, putting more responsibility into the hands of Vietnam soldiers.
Describe the "Nuclear Family" and the impact it had on America's population.
A family with 2 parents and at least 2 kids, living in the suburbs with a car.
This contributed to the baby boom, a rapid rise in childbirth within the USA, increasing the country's overall population.
Why did the USA help develop NATO?
They believed in its mission to bring Western powers together to challenge communism. They wanted to bring “Collective Security” to the world.
What was McCarthyism during the Cold War and how did that inspire its definition in the modern world?
Accusing somebody of Communism without proper evidence, often leading to them being blacklisted/having their careers and reputation destroyed.
The modern definition is more broad, but still focuses on the problems with accusing somebody of something without proof.
Why was the Cuban Missile Crisis such a significant event in history?
It was the closest the world has come to nuclear war and mutually assured destruction.
Which leader said "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" and why did he say this?
What controversial genre of music rose to popularity in the 1950s and why was it controversial?
Rock & Roll
Older generations/traditionalists viewed it as inspiring rebellion and inappropriate behavior.
How is the Truman Doctrine different from the Marshall Plan?
The Truman Doctrine protected/ gave aid to Democratic nations threatened by Communist nations or authoritarian rulers.
The Marshall Plan gave American funds to help European countries rebuild following WWII, preventing the rise of a dictator from within.
How did the Vietnam War change American's view of the US government and what is one event that showed/inspired this change?
Why was the Bay of Pigs considered a military embarrassment for the USA?
They planned to overthrow Castro, but were easily taken down, which Castro used to frame himself and his military as more strong/powerful.
Which leader encouraged a Détente with the USSR, and proved it by being the first American President to meet with a Soviet leader in Moscow.
President Richard Nixon
What is suburbia and name 2 ways that it changed America.
Communities outside of the city that had houses mass produced in the same style/s.
Led to development of interstate system and higher reliance on cars.
Led many people to leave city housing.
What Yalta Conference decision led to Cold War tensions following the end of WWII?
It divided Germany and Berlin between 4 countries, 3 of whom were Capitalist/Democratic(ish) and 1 of whom were Communist.
Who won the space race and who won the arms race?
-Use evidence (examples) to prove your point.
Must make an argument with at least 2 supporting examples.
USA achievements:
First man on the moon
Operation Ivy Mike - First H-Bomb
Operation Castle Bravo - First thermonuclear weapon test in USA.
USSR Achievements
First satellite launched
First man in space
Largest nuclear weapon ever detonated (Tsar Bomba).
What is different about how the conflict in Afghanistan started versus how the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam started?
The USSR invaded Afghanistan, leading the USA to get involved.
The Korean War and the Vietnam War both started as Civil Wars.
What two dates are debated over being the end of the Cold War, and why (what event happened in each of those years).
November 9, 1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall
December 26, 1991 - Dissolution of the Soviet Union