Policies
What was the main goal/name of U.S. foreign policy during the early Cold War? Which President introduced it?
To stop the spread of communism (containment). Harry S. Truman.
How did the U.S. discover Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba?
Through U-2 spy plane reconnaissance photographs.
What event signaled the beginning of the Space Race?
The launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union.
What was the purpose of the Hollywood blacklist during the Red Scare?
To prevent suspected communists from working in the entertainment industry.
What role did the arms race play in Cold War tensions?
It increased fear of nuclear war and pushed both nations to stockpile weapons as deterrence.
What Cold War strategy relied on the threat of massive retaliation to prevent the opposite country from engaging in war?
Nuclear Deterrence
What was President Kennedy’s immediate response to the discovery of missiles in Cuba?
He ordered a naval blockade (quarantine) of Cuba.
What U.S. organization was created in response to the Soviet space program?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Who were the Hollywood Ten, and why did they refuse to testify?
A group of screenwriters and directors who cited First Amendment rights and refused to name others.
What was détente and which leaders are most associated with it?
The easing of tensions between the U.S. and USSR during the Cold War.
USA: Richard Milhous Nixon
USSR: Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
What is the definition of brinkmanship in the context of the Cold War?
The practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink of disaster to achieve favorable outcomes.
What was the primary reason for the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to counter U.S. missiles in Europe and to protect Cuba.
Why did the Space Race matter during the Cold War?
It was a competition for technological and ideological superiority between the U.S. and USSR.
What was the significance of the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954?
They exposed McCarthy's tactics and led to his downfall.
What major risk made brinkmanship a dangerous strategy?
The possibility of mutually assured destruction (MAD) through nuclear war.
This Cold War policy under Reagan supported anti-communist forces around the world (Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, Contras in Nicaragua, El Salvador Anti-Communist Government, Angola Anti-Communist Rebel Group UNITA, Mozambique Anti-Communist Insurgent Group RENAMO, Grenada Invasion)
Why was Cuba’s location especially significant during the crisis?
It is just 90 miles from the U.S., making a Soviet attack much quicker and harder to defend against.
What was one effect of the Space Race on U.S. domestic policy?
Increased funding for science education and research (National Defense Education Act)
What broader social impact did McCarthyism have in the U.S.?
It created widespread fear and paranoia, with people afraid to express dissent.
Why was the Space Race important to Cold War rivalry?
It was a measure of technological and ideological superiority between the U.S. and USSR.
What were the meanings of glasnost and perestroika introduced by Gorbachev?
Glasnost = openness/freedom of speech; Perestroika = restructuring of the economy and government.
How did the Cuban Missile Crisis affect future U.S.-Soviet diplomacy?
It led to increased communication, including the establishment of a direct “hotline” between the White House and the Kremlin.
Who was the first human to orbit Earth and which country did they represent?
Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union
What was controversial about the Rosenberg trial during the Red Scare?
The Rosenbergs were executed for espionage, raising debate over the fairness of their trial and anti-communist hysteria.
Which event in 1979 ended the period of détente?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.