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Cold War

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After World War II, the long period of intense rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States.

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Truman Doctrine

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President Truman's policy of giving American aid to nations threatened by communist expansion.

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Berlin Wall

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A wall built by the communist East German government in 1961 to seal off East Berlin from West Berlin.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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An alliance formed in 1949 by the United States and Western European nations to fight Soviet aggression.

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Warsaw Pact

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Military alliance established in 1955 of the Soviet Union and other communist states in Europe.

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38th Parallel

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The dividing line between South and North Korea.

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Douglas MacArthur

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A general who Truman chose to command a force that was sent to Korea to attack after North Korea attacked Southern Korea.

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Joseph McCarthy

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The senator of Wisconsin; he charged 205 State Department employees, and accused them of being communist party members, but they were never proven. Eventually he came across as a bully, and his popularity plunged.

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Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

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Citizens of the United States who were sentenced to death because they passed atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets.

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Nikita Khrushchev

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Soviet Union leader in 1959 who had gained power a few years after Stalin died in 1953.

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Fidel Castro

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The person who led a revolution that set up a communist state in Cuba.

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Cuban Missile Crisis

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Major Cold War confrontation in 1962 --> Soviets building missile bases on Cuba, atomic missiles could reach US within minutes.

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Arms Race

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A competition for supremacy in nuclear weapons (between United States and Soviet Union)

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Sputnik

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The world's first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Government agency that directs the American space program.

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Lyndon B. Johnson

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President who had to decide whether to commit more forces to the struggle in Vietnam. He didn't think it was worth fighting for, and he didn't think they could get out. However, he sent more and more people into Vietnam causing the longest, most unpopular war in American history.

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Vietcong

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Vietnamese guerillas who opposed the noncommunist government of South Vietnam.

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Guerillas

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Fighters who used hit and run attacks.

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Ho Chi Minh Trail

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A system of supply routes from the North, which ran through southern North Vietnam, through Cambodia, and into southern South Vietnam.

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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Agreement

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Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the number of nuclear warheads and missiles.

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Ronald Reagan

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He took office in 1981 with the belief that the Soviet Union was the focus of evil in the world. He had a tough anticommunist stand, and he wanted to deal with the Soviets from a position of strength, so he persuaded the Congress to increase military spending by more than $100 billion during his first five years in office.

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Star Wars

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President Reagan's proposed weapons system to destroy Soviet missiles from space.

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Mikhail Gorbachev

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A new Soviet leader who rose to power. He believed that only major reforms would let the Soviet system survive. He backed the glasnost, which would lead citizens to find solutions to pressing economic and social problems.

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Glasnost

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Policy in the Soviet Union of speaking openly about problems.

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Summit Meeting

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The conference between the highest-ranking officials of different nations.

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Kennedy's Compromise with Khrushchev

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Soviet missiles will be removed from Cuba if the US does not invade Cuba.

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What did Kennan compare the Soviet Union to?

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a wound up toy car (couldn't be stopped until it hit an unstoppable force)

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How long did the Cold War last?

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50 years

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What parts of the world fought against each other in the Cold War?

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East (Soviet Union and allies) vs. West (U.S. and allies)

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Did the Soviet Union and the U.S. clash directly in battle?

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NO

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Why did the U.S distrust the Soviet Union?

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1) Disliked communism and its rejection of religion and private property ownership; 2) Angered by Soviet efforts to overthrow noncommunist governments; 3) Soviets boasted of destroying free enterprise systems throughout the world

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Why did the Soviets distrust the U.S. (rest of the West)?

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1) The U.S., being the most powerful nation, would try to attack the Soviet Union; 2) They would rebuild Germany to challenge the Soviet Union

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What promise did the Soviet Union break following WWII?

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the promise to hold free elections in Eastern European nations

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Why did the Soviets break their promise?

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Because they feared that by allowing European nations to elect their own type of leadership, the new governments would be anti-Soviet and would oppose them (causing challenges for the Soviet Union)

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Satellite Nation

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a nation that is dominated politically and economically by a more powerful nation

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Which Eastern European country was not a satellite nation?

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Yugoslavia

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Who was backed in satellite nations?

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Dictators (citizens who protested were imprisoned or killed)

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Iron Curtain

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a metaphoric wall dividing the democratic nations of the West from the communist nations of the East

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Which locations did the Iron Curtain start and end at?

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Stettin (Baltic) to Trieste (Adriatic)

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Who coined the term Iron Curtain?

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Winston Churchill

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What was Truman's policy known as?

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Containment

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Containment

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the Cold War Policy of keeping communism within its already existing borders and not allowing communism to spread further

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Which two specific countries were helped by the Truman Doctrine?

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Greece and Turkey

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What was the reasoning behind the Truman Doctrine?

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nations looked up towards the U.S. for support in fighting for freedom and if the U.S. failed to provide help and democratic encouragement, the nations would continue with communism and endanger the world

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Marshall Plan

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Congress' plan to spend lots of money to rebuild Europe to reduce the treat of communist revolutions in Western Europe

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What was the crisis in Berlin?

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three of four zones in Berlin (American, British, and French) wanted to reunite their zones but the Soviet zone opposed this because Germany would then be strong and might pose a threat towards the Soviet Union

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What did the Soviet Union do about the Berlin crisis?

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They blockaded West Berlin from the rest of the world

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What did Truman do about helping out West Berlin?

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Berlin Airlift (would not trigger war but would provide aid and supplies to West Berliners)

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Berlin Airlift

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hundreds of American and British planes carried tons of food, oil, and supplies to the 2 million West Berliners everyday (lasted for a year until Stalin decided to lift the blockade because it wasn't working)

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What happened to West Germany that made many Eastern Germans want to escape their homes to flee to the west?

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West Germany became prosperous thanks to the help of the U.S.; communism in the East was making many East Germans poor so they wanted to flee to the West to prosper too

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What was NATO's goal?

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to defend Western Europe against any Soviet threat

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United Nations

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a new world organization with 51 nations who were members from the start; they all agreed to bring disputes before the body for peaceful settlement

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What has the UN been successful in?

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fighting hunger, disease, and improving education; providing supplies to victims of famine, war, and other disasters

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What were shocks faced in 1949?

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1) Soviet Union also developed and successfully tested an atomic bomb (U.S. lost its advantage); 2) China turned communist once Mao Zedong took over (communism spread in 1/4 of the world)

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What happened to Korea after WWII?

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the U.S. and the Soviet Union split Korea between themselves after they defeated Japan (because it was a Japanese colony)

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Why did Korea stay divided?

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Soviet Union supported a communist government in the North; the U.S. supported a democratic government in the South

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What happened in Korea in June 1950?

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North Korea invaded South Korea in a surprise attack and took over Seoul (the capital)

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How did Truman respond to the invasion of South Korea?

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UN agreed with him to send troops to the South to fight the North Korean forces; would be led by Douglas MacArthur

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After first starting off at a bad start, what finally pushed North Koreans out of South Korea?

answer

MacArthur's troops landed at Inchon (right behind the 38th parallel) and North Korean troops were caught by surprise and forced to retreat back to their territory

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Why were MacArthur's troops pushed back into South Korea after they tried to invade North Korea?

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China entered the war and their troops overwhelmed the troops of the UN and U.S.

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What did MacArthur want to do that Truman fired him for?

answer

MacArthur wanted to invade China and attack them too but Truman felt that attacking China would lead to another world war which he did not want

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Who took over President after Truman?

answer

Eisenhower

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What happened in Korea after Eisenhower became president?

answer

North Korea and South Korea formed an armistice to redrew the border near the 38th parallel and have a demilitarized zone along that border

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Demilitarized zone

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an area with no military forces

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Did the Korea war change much?

answer

No- Korea remained divided even after the war and communism remained in North Korea

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What did the Korean War increase worry about in the U.S.?

answer

communism in the U.S.

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What happened with jobs during the communist scare during the Korean War period?

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Many employees (especially gov't employees) were questioned and forced to resign if suspected

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McCarthy Era

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Joseph McCarthy (a senator) started a scare that there were 205 State Department employees who were communist members; got a lot of people in businesses questioned and fired

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What ended the McCarthy era?

answer

he claimed that there were communist members in the U.S. Army; people viewed him as a bully

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Who became Soviet leader after Stalin died?

answer

Nikita Khrushchev

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What is Khrushchev's famous incident?

answer

he banged his shoe on the table at a UN conference

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What did Khrushchev's incident symbolize?

answer

Cold War was turning global (U.S. and Soviet Union were now competing for support and influence upon different nations and also upon the UN)

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What did the Soviet Union do as colonies fought for independence?

answer

The Soviet Union supported communist rebel groups

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What happened with many African nations who struggled with civil wars?

answer

The U.S. backed one side and the Soviet Union backed another side (turning local conflicts into international crises)

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Superpowers

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nations with enough military, political, and economic strength to influence events worldwide

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What happened in Cuba in 1959?

answer

Fidel Castro set up a communist government in Cuba

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What did Castro's government do?

answer

took over private companies (including many American companies); many higher and middle class citizens fled to the U.S.

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Who supported Cuba?

answer

Soviet Union

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How far was Cuba from the U.S.?

answer

NOT FAR (90 miles from Florida)

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Who was President during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

answer

John F. Kennedy

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Bay of Pigs Invasion

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Kennedy's plan to round up Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro at the Bay of Pigs

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Exile

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people who are forced to leave their own country

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Bay of Pigs Invasion successful or not?

answer

No-- Castro quickly captured all the exiles and jailed up the invaders

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What did the Bay of Pigs Invasion cause for the U.S.?

answer

major shame and embarrassment; strengthened Castro in Cuba

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What did the Bay of Pigs Invasion cause the Soviet Union to do?

answer

Aid Cuba in more weapons

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What did Kennedy learn in 1962?

answer

Soviets were secretly building missile bases on Cuba

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What would happen if missile bases were completed?

answer

atomic missiles could reach the U.S. in minutes

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What did Kennedy do about the Cuban Missile crisis?

answer

He got American warships to stop all Soviet ships carrying missiles

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Was Kennedy's plan successful?

answer

Yes, Soviet ships turned back and Soviet agreed to compromise

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What was the compromise between the Soviet Union and the U.S. after the Cuban missile crisis?

answer

The Soviets would remove all missiles in Cuba as long as the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba

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Did the U.S. get involved in Latin America during the Cold War?

answer

YES (tried to contain communism)

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Alliance for Progress

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Latin American countries did more reforms to improve the lives of their people; in return the U.S. helped by contributing aid to building schools, hospitals, improve farming and sanitation services

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Peace Corps

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American volunteers worked in developing countries as teachers, engineers, and technical advisers

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OAS

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Organization of American States; promoted economic progress in the Americas by investing in transportation and industry

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How did the U.S. help Latin Americans fight communism?

answer

helped train their armies and pressed gov't to make reforms; supported military dictators over communism

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What happened in Nicaragua?

answer

Sadinistas overthrew a dictatorship gov't and set up socialism; U.S. supported contras to oppose the Sadinistas to prevent Nicaragua from becoming another Cuba

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What was the U.S.'s fear after the launching of Sputnik?

answer

that if the Soviet Union had enough technology to launch a satellite far enough, then they'd be able to launch atomic weapons at the U.S.

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Who became President after Kennedy?

answer

Lyndon B. Johnson

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What happened with the Vietnam War during Johnson's term?

answer

More troops were sent in and the fighting in Vietnam increased

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Why was there fighting in Vietnam?

answer

Vietnam was divided with North Vietnam being supported by communist Soviet Union; South Vietnam was supported by the U.S. noncommunist policies

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How did the Vietcong start?

answer

Diem (leader of South Vietnam) didn't help the people and they believed he was corrupt, only favoring the wealthy landlords; an opposition group of peasants formed (Vietcong)

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Do Guerillas fight in large battles?

answer

NO (don't wear uniforms either)

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Who were the Vietcong supported by?

answer

North Korea (became communist too)

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Domino Theory

answer

the belief that once a certain region was infected by communism, communism would spread to regions around that area

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What did the U.S. do in South Vietnam while Kennedy and Eisenhower were presidents?

answer

They only gave military advise and financial aid; trained armies but DID NOT fight

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What did the U.S. do in Vietnam while Johnson was president?

answer

They actually got involved in fighting due to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

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What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin?

answer

North Vietnamese attacked an American ship

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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

answer

allowed the U.S. to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack or prevent further aggression

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How was the Vietnam war different from others?

answer

Americans attempted to destroy enemy positions rather than gaining ground

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Why was it hard fighting the Vietcong?

answer

The Vietcong would attack quickly, then retreat into the forests or hiding positions and the U.S. found it too tiresome to try and chase after them constantly going back and forth to certain areas; also, the Vietcong couldn't be distinguished from normal villagers and civilians

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Why was a draft necessary?

answer

A lot of troops were needed to fight the Vietcong and North Vietnamese because the war was such a stalemate and many troops were dying easily, so the U.S. needed to force Americans to enlist

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What did the Vietnam war cause at home?

answer

A new era of rebellion against traditional ways and opposition groups protesting; "hawks" (supporters of war) "doves" (opposers of war)

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What was a turning point of the Vietnam war?

answer

Tet Offensive

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Tet Offensive

answer

guerillas launched a surprise attack on South Vietnam and captured the capital (Saigon); took place during the New Years Holiday of Tet

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How did the U.S. respond to the Tet Offensive

answer

They were able to push back the enemy but still the Vietcong had a major advantage and more Americans wanted to end the war now

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Who became President after Johnson?

answer

Nixon

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How did Nixon end the war?

answer

he decided to intensify the U.S. and South Vietnamese fighting by hurting Cambodia because North Vietnam used Cambodia for escape and for supply routes

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What happened in Cambodia thanks to Nixon's efforts?

answer

Cambodia plunged into a civil war of communism vs. noncommunism

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What happened after Nixon withdrew American troops?

answer

1) The two sides reached a cease-fire agreement and all American troops left Vietnam the next year 2) U.S. still sent aid yet the North Vietnamese still were able to advance; 3)Vietnam soon turned all into communism; 4) Khmer Rouge communist took over in Cambodia

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Khmer Rouge

answer

a communist who took over in Cambodia and started a brutal reign of terror on their own people (millions starved to death or killed)

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What happened after the Khmer Rouge?

answer

Vietnam took over and set up a new communist government that was less harsh but still didn't end the fighting

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Effects of Vietnam on the American People?

answer

1) Split country in half; 2) huge cost; 3) thousands died

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How did Nixon move to ease world tensions?

answer

1) improved relations with China; 2) used a policy of detente with the Soviet Union

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What did Nixon do to improve relations with China?

answer

he visited China and talked with the leaders

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What did Nixon do with the Soviet Union

answer

1) visited the Soviet Union; 2) established more trade and contact with the Soviet Union; 3) SALT Agreement

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Detente

answer

the effort to reduce tensions between the superpowers

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Why did detente end?

answer

Soviet troops decided to sweep into Afghanistan and support a pro-Soviet government that was taking over (went against all of U.S. beliefs)

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How did the U.S. show their anger to the invasion of Afghanistan?

answer

The U.S. withdrew their SALT II Agreement; forbade their athletes from participating in the 1980 summer Olympics game in Moscow; supplied aid to rebels who fought communists in Afghanistan

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What did the fight at Afghanistan do for the Soviet Union?

answer

contributed to the Soviet's downfall because the war was so costly

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Who was President during the end of the Cold War?

answer

Ronald Reagan

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Reagan's Stand

answer

Soviet Union was the focus of evil in the modern world; U.S. must oppose with all their might

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How did Reagan deal with the Soviets?

answer

1) Asked Congress to increase military spending by 100 billion; 2) developed a new weapons system that could destroy Soviet missiles from space (Star Wars)

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What did Reagan do about Poland?

answer

urged Soviets to allow Poland to end martial law and restore basic human rights

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What started citizens complaining about the communist system?

answer

With so much military spending, there was little spending for the production of consumer goods so many people starved and recieved poorly made products

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Who started reforms in the Soviet Union?

answer

Mikhail Gorbachev

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Why did Gorbachev support glasnost?

answer

he believed that by talking about their problems, people would find solutions to economic problems and social problems too

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How was glasnost a reform?

answer

In the past, citizens were silenced for criticism of the gov't but now they could share their opinions

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What did Gorbachev want to do but needed to consult with the U.S. first?

answer

he wanted to cut military spending (had to get on better terms with the U.S.)

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How'd Gorbachev get on better relations with the U.S.?

answer

by attending summit meetings

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What was acheived at the summit meetings?

answer

INF

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INF

answer

Intermediate Nuclear Force; both superpowers agreed to get rid of their stockpiles of missiles and allowed each other to inspect the other side to prevent cheating

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What did Gorbachev do about Afghanistan?

answer

he withdrew Soviet troops

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How did communism fall in Eastern Europe?

answer

communist governments could no longer control the democratic wants of the people because their was too much opposition and the Soviet union had too many of their own problems to suppress the problems of the satellite nations

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Who was the first country in Eastern Europe to hold free elections?

answer

Poland and they rejected a communist leader

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What did Gorbachev do about political parties?

answer

he allowed them to form

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What did the new political parties do in each nation?

answer

went against communist leaders and voted for their independence

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Boris Yeltsin

answer

in Moscow, he led a protest that forced Soviet troops to pull back

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What happened to the Soviet Union after the attempted revolt?

answer

each of the 15 republics declared their independence and the union broke apart

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Who took over Russia?

answer

Yeltsin-- ran a free market system and U.S. helped Russia out

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Gorbachev's Actions

answer

1) allowed glasnost; 2) cut military spending; 3)attended summit meetings; 4)got rid of Soviet stockpiles of missiles; 5) pulled troops out of afghanistan; 6) allowed other parties to form

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End of Cold War (reasons)

answer

1) Gorbachev's reforms; 2) people no longer liked communism in eastern europe and fought their gov'ts

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Effects of Cold War

answer

Vietnam and Korean wars; America divided; large military spending; huge creation of weaponry; other nations used nuclear weapons; communist scare in america

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