Cold War Expands Quiz

Question 1

What key events shaped the Space Race during the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 1

1. Soviets launched first man-made satellite into orbit. (1957)
2. United States creates NASA (1958)
3. Soviets launch first man into orbit- Yuri Gagarin (1961)
4. United States takes lead in Space Race under the Apollo program- landing a man on the moon with Apollo 11 (1969)

Question 2

What was Sputnik I?

Answer 2

First successful man-made satellite to be launched into orbit; gave the Soviet Union the early lead in Space Race.

Question 3

What is NASA?

Answer 3

National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Government organization formed by President Eisenhower

Question 4

How did the Space Race contribute to to Cold War tensions during the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 4

It provided another way for the US and the Soviet Union to compete with one another in science and technology.

Question 5

Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961?

Answer 5

Many people were attempting to escape East Germany and entering West Berlin to do so. Thousands of people were escaping into the West every single day– which made communism look bad.

Question 6

Who was Nikita Khrushchev?

Answer 6

Leader of the Soviet Union during the early 1960s; he oversaw the construction of the Berlin Wall and the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Question 7

Who was Fidel Castro?

Answer 7

Communist leader of Cuba that overthrew American-backed Fulgencio Bautista in 1959; leader of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis.

Question 8

What was the purpose AND outcome of the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 8

• Purpose: It was a CIA planned operation to overthrow Castro’s communist regime in Cuba.
• Outcome: Massive failure for the US and President Kennedy. Castro remained in power; added to tensions.

Question 9

What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 9

• After the Bay of Pigs invasion Castro felt very unsafe; Khrushchev agreed to send nuclear missiles to Cuba to provide protection to Cuba.

Question 10

What were the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 10

• The Cuban Missile Crisis became the most tense moment of the Cold War- forcing JFK to create a “naval quarantine” of Cuba to avoid nuclear war.
• After an American U2 plane was shot down (killing one man) the US and Soviets agreed to remove threatening nuclear missiles (US from Turkey; Soviets from Cuba).
• Afterward the US and Soviet created the Moscow Washington Hotline and signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Question 11

Who was Ngo Dinh Diem?

Answer 11

• Leader of non-Communist South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
• Vietnamese born; Catholic; American-educated; was highly unliked by the Buddhist majority in South Vietnam.

Question 12

How did the crisis in Vietnam worsen during the late 1950s and early 1960s?

Answer 12

• Diem cancelled a nationwide election in 1956- and became very repressive of the Buddhist majority.
• The more repressive he became- the more opposition he faced.
• This included the emergence of the Viet Cong and the Buddhist Crisis.

Question 13

Who was the Viet Cong?

Answer 13

• Communist opposition to Ngo Dinh Diem that emerged in South Vietnam in 1960.

Question 14

What was the Buddhist Crisis?

Answer 14

• Period of unrest in South Vietnam in response to Diem’s repressive leadership.
• Several Buddhist monks self-immolated (set themselves on fire) in protest of Diem.

Question 15

How did President Kennedy expand American involvement in Vietnam?

Answer 15

• In response to the Buddhist Crisis, JFK approved for the CIA to help overthrow Diem. (Diem was unintentionally killed during this coup).
• Kennedy significantly increased the number of American military advisors in Vietnam to combat the unrest and growing Viet Cong.

Question 16

How did President Johnson expand American involvement in Vietnam?

Answer 16

• President Johnson continued to increase the number of American military advisors in Vietnam– and sent ships to patrol the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam.
• Johnson will approve the first American military operations in Vietnam.

Question 17

What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

Answer 17

• The USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy were two American ships sent to the Gulf of Tonkin by President Johnson– they were fired upon by North Vietnam in August 1964.
• Prompted increased US role in Vietnam War.

Question 18

What were the effects of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Answer 18

• Passed by Congress after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident– the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution granted unprecedented war-making powers to the President.
• Afterward, Johnson greatly increased American military involvement in Vietnam- including the first aerial attacks and ground troops.

Question 19

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

Answer 19

• First major American military operation against North Vietnam.
• Widespread aerial bombing campaign against communist North Vietnam.
• Resulted in first mass casualties for the American military.

Question 20

What was the Tet Offensive?

Answer 20

• First major coordinated offensive by the communists in North Vietnam and the Viet Congress (South Vietnam).
• Executed during the Lunar New Year Holiday of Tet– caught the US and South Vietnamese militaries by surprise.
• Although the US and South Vietnam put down the offensive– it demonstrated how much the US was struggling during the war.

Question 21

How did American attitudes toward the Vietnam War change during the late 1960s?

Answer 21

• More Americans began to doubt the US’ involvement in Vietnam.
• Young people were more likely to question the war.
• People often struggled to accept the large number of American casualties, expenses of the war, the growing struggles to win, and acts of American massacre.

Question 22

What was the My Lai Massacre?

Answer 22

• Brutal massacre of 100s of Vietnamese villagers by the United States during the Vietnam War.
• The government and military attempted to hide the story- realizing how horrible it looked.
• Caused many people to decrease their support of the war.

Question 23

How did the American media impact public opinion of the Vietnam War?

Answer 23

• Media coverage of the Vietnam War increased controversy surrounding the conflict among the American public.
• Created awareness of the struggles of the American military and massacres committed by the military.

Question 24

Who was Walter Cronkite?

Answer 24

• Famous CBS New Anchor that reported from Vietnam after the Tet Offensive.
• His message about the struggles the US was facing in Vietnam caused even more Americans to question whether or not the US should be involved in the Vietnam War.