The Cold War

Questions and Answers

What was the primary reason for the Cold War being called the 'Cold War'?

Due to the lack of direct military action between the United States and the Soviet Union

What event marked the entry of the United States into the Allied powers during World War II?

Attack on Pearl Harbor

What major impact did the Cold War have on the two nations involved?

Nuclear arms race and the race to launch a human into space

When was Germany formally reunited?

October 3, 1990 Signup and view all the answers

Who became the president of Russia following a coup in 1991?

Boris Yeltsin Signup and view all the answers

What treaty has been signed by 71 nations and prohibits the use of nuclear arms?

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Signup and view all the answers

When did the USSR officially end?

August 1991 Signup and view all the answers

Who was placed under house arrest in August of 1991?

Mikhail Gorbachev Signup and view all the answers

Which event led to the formal reunification of Germany?

Fall of the Berlin Wall Signup and view all the answers

When did the U.S. achieve the milestone of landing the first man on the moon?

1969 Signup and view all the answers

What marked the conclusion of the Vietnam War?

The signing of the Paris Peace Accords Signup and view all the answers

Who negotiated with President Reagan to remove missile systems, easing tensions in the 1980s?

Mikhail Gorbachev Signup and view all the answers

Which event marked the end of World War II?

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Signup and view all the answers

What led to the involvement of the United States and China in the Korean War?

The end of the Korean War in 1953 Signup and view all the answers

What did the Potsdam Conference decide regarding Germany?

To divide Germany into four zones Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Cold War: Key Events and Tensions

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 led to the Japanese surrender and marked the end of World War II.
The Potsdam Conference in July 1945, where leaders of the Allied powers discussed the governance of German territory, took place a month before the bombings.
At the Yalta Conference, 5 months earlier, no agreement was reached, signaling a divide forming between Allied leaders.
At Potsdam, it was decided to divide Germany into four zones, demilitarize Germany, and set the German-Polish border.
Disagreement arose between the Soviet Union and the United States over reparations for Germany, setting tensions in motion.
The distrust and suspicion between the Soviet Union and the United States that followed would shape global politics for the next six decades.
The Cold War lasted from the end of World War II through the fall of the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1992.
The spread of communism in the 1940s led to the containment efforts by the United States.
President Harry Truman played an active role in preserving peace, leading to the Truman Doctrine, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Marshall Plan.
The establishment of the People's Republic of China prompted American involvement in the Korean War and further political tensions.
The Korean War, sparked by North Korea's invasion of South Korea in 1950, led to the involvement of the United States and China.
The end of the Korean War in 1953 saw heavy bombing by the United States and marked a significant event in the Cold War.