Cold War History Quiz

The original purpose of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was to

• limit pollution and the exploitation of natural resources.

• prevent another world war.

• provide for a defense pact against possible Soviet aggression.

• create free trade between all nations

Why did the US sponsor the invasion of Bay of Pigs in 1961?

• To tear down the Communist Berlin Wall

• To remove the Communist leader Nikita Khrushchev from power

• To remove the Soviet missiles from Cuba

• To remove the Communist leader Fidel Castro from power

What was the outcome of the Soviet-Afghan War?

• Soviet troops successfully defeated the mujahideen.

• The Soviet Union lost the war and eventually Afghanistan's Taliban government rose to power.

• The United States entered the war and defeated Afghanistan's communist government.

• Afghanistan joined NATO and fought against the Warsaw Pact.

"Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" - Ronald Reagan, 1987 In this Reagan quote, the "wall" to which the President refers was located in the divided city of

• Pyongyang

• Berlin

• Paris

• Moscow

Which of the following was NOT a reason why Al-Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11, 2001?

• America had supported Israel

• America had troops in the Islamic Holy Land

• America had attacked and overthrown Islamic governments

• America had overthrown the Taliban in Afghanistan

Why did African states face so many problems following their successful independence movements?

• Political and ethnic rivalries within the countries emerged after independence.

• World War II prevented many countries from giving them aid.

• The United Nations consistently waged war against rulers who they considered warlike.

• Many countries continued to ship slaves across the Atlantic Ocean.

Why did the United States play a MAJOR role in rebuilding Japan after World War II?

• to place American-owned businesses throughout Japan and control its economy

• to turn an enemy into an ally and to create a more democratic Japan

• to prevent Vietnam from becoming the dominant country in the post-war region

• to form an alliance with Japan that would work against communist China

In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed MAINLY because

• The Soviet Union faced an ecological crisis and famine resulted in millions of deaths

• a civil war erupted in the southern republics.

• key Soviet leaders were assassinated.

• years of economic stagnation left it far behind Western and Asian countries.

During the 1970s, Pol Pot instituted politically motivated mass murders of people in

• Soviet Union

• China

• Cambodia

• South Vietnam

In the spring of 1989, thousands of protesters gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. They rallied around a plaster statue that resembled the Statue of Liberty which they called "the Goddess of Democracy." These protestors were seeking

• the boycott of the future Olympic games scheduled for Beijing.

• economic reforms which would allow more Chinese exports.

• United States assistance in gaining better health care.

• political reforms to allow more freedom of speech and political representation.