Cold War Reading Packet: Reading 5 - The Cold War Thaws

Who became the leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin died in 1953?

• Leonid Brezhnev

• John F. Kennedy

• Nikita Khrushchev

• Richard M. Nixon

What was the main goal of the policy known as détente?

• To increase military spending

• To decrease tensions between the superpowers

• To overthrow communist governments

• To expand Soviet influence in Asia

Which U.S. president was in office from 1961 to 1963?

• Ronald Reagan

• Lyndon Johnson

• John F. Kennedy

• Richard M. Nixon

What action did Khrushchev take in Hungary in 1956?

• He allowed free elections

• He sent Soviet tanks to stop the overthrow of the Communist government

• He signed a peace treaty

• He withdrew all Soviet troops

What was the process of “destalinization” initiated by Khrushchev?

• Increasing Stalin’s influence

• Removing Stalin’s memory and influence from the Soviet Union

• Expanding Soviet territory

• Forming alliances with Western countries

How did the relationship between the Soviet Union and China change after their initial period of friendly relations?

• They became closer allies

• They gradually grew apart and sometimes fought

• They formed a single government

• They both joined NATO

In what two European countries did the Soviets put down revolts against Soviet control?

• Hungary and Czechoslovakia

• France and Germany

• Poland and Italy

• Spain and Portugal

Name two actions or events that got in the way of détente.

• Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and U.S. support for rebels in Nicaragua

• Signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and peaceful trade agreements

• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany

• The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War

Which U.S. president is associated with starting the policy of détente with the Soviet Union?

• Richard M. Nixon

• John F. Kennedy

• Ronald Reagan

• Lyndon Johnson

What was the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) treaty designed to do?

• Limit the number of nuclear missiles each country could have

• Increase the number of nuclear weapons

• Ban all military alliances

• Promote free trade between the U.S. and the Soviet Union