The Cold War

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."

— Winston Churchill, 1946

• A dark and gloomy mood that was felt throughout postwar Europe.

• An invisible line that divided communist Europe from Western Europe.

• The separation between the industrialized world and the developing world.

• The Berlin Wall that surrounded the western zones of occupation in Berlin.

How did the division represented by the "Iron Curtain" affect Europe?

• Western European economies collapsed after trade with Eastern Europe declined.

• Communist protests in Eastern Europe improved relations between the two sides.

• Political and economic differences between nations on the two sides grew.

• Citizens on both sides of the curtain waged continuous war in Europe.

What was one difference between Eastern and Western nations in Europe during the Cold War?

• Citizens of Western nations had less political freedom and economic opportunity than citizens in Eastern nations.

• Governments of Western nations more strictly controlled the lives of citizens than governments of Eastern nations.

• Governments of Western nations more strictly controlled major industries than the governments of Eastern nations.

• Citizens of Western nations had more political freedom and economic opportunity than citizens in Eastern nations.

Which of the following BEST explains why the Berlin Airlift was necessary?

• because valuable natural resources throughout Berlin were being destroyed by its residents

• because the residents of Berlin had to be evacuated from the city due to widespread violence

• because the Soviet Union limited movement throughout Berlin and cut off access to necessary supplies

• because Great Britain requested military assistance to help the nation defend its section of Berlin

Why was the conflict between the United States and Russia during the second half of the twentieth century referred to as the "Cold War"?

• While the nations were hostile to one another, they did not engage in warfare.

• Most battles of the conflict were fought in the frigid climate of the Soviet Union.

• The conflict was more about a competition to reach space than political differences.

• The only direct battles between the two countries were fought in the winter.

What was the purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization when it was formed?

• to help reunify East Germany and West Germany

• to help European colonies gain their independence

• to discourage the Soviet Union from taking aggressive actions

• to discourage the United States from using nuclear weapons

“When the Soviet Union first blocked supplies from getting to us, I was afraid that we were going to starve to death.  Hearing the planes from the west everyday made me feel so much better.”

-Helda Schmidt, 11 year old German resident in 1948

What event is being described by the quote?

• World War II

• Iron Curtain

• The Cold War

• Berlin Airlift

Why did the United States fight in the Korean War?

• The United States wanted to protect Americans living in South Korea following a North Korean invasion.

• The United States had an alliance with South Korea to defeat Communism if it spread into their nation.

• The United States wanted to prevent North Korea from taking over South Korea and spreading Communism.

• The United States and Western European nations wanted to protect their interests in the Korean Peninsula against Communism.

What was the main purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) when it was founded?

• to guarantee the security of its members

• to spread democracy around the world

• to help its members improve economically

• to provide economic aid to developing nations

Why did the Soviet Union choose Cuba as a site to place some of its nuclear arsenal?

• because the nation's democratic government was very weak

• because the island was located very close to the United States

• because much of the island was uninhabited and ideal for weapons

• because most of the nation's citizens were originally Soviet citizens