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Question 1

What was détente?

Answer 1

It was a phase in American-Soviet relations during the 1970s that saw a reduction of tensions between the superpowers.

Question 2

What was the Antiballistic Missiles Treaty?

Answer 2

It was a treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1972 that limited their development of anti-ballistic missile systems and served as a symbol of détente.

Question 3

What was the Helsinki Agreement?

Answer 3

Back: It was an agreement signed in 1975 by the US, Canada, and all European nations that recognized all borders in Eastern and Central Europe established since the end of WW II, acknowledged Russian sphere of influence, and recognized and pledged to protect the human rights of their citizens.

Question 4

What was the major goal of American foreign policy under the US presidency of Jimmy Carter?

Answer 4

It was the protection of human rights globally, as evidenced by the US boycott of Moscow Olympics and American grain embargo in 1980 in protest of the Russian invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.

Question 5

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative?

Answer 5

It was a program launched by US President Reagan in the 1980s to develop a space-based missile defense system, also known as “Star Wars”.

Question 6

What was the underlying cause for the end of the Cold War?

Answer 6

Back: It was financial difficulties for both the superpowers, particularly the Soviets, and the unbearable expenses of the arms race.

Question 7

What was the Gulf War of 1991?

Answer 7

Back: It was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition led by the United States, which provided the first major opportunity for testing the new relationship between the US and the Soviet Union in the post Cold War era.

Question 8

What was the “New World Order” declared by President Bush at the end of the Gulf War?

Answer 8

It was a new era of international relations marked by a period of US intervention in foreign affairs under Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, and Obama, which put a bull’s eye on American interests abroad and domestically from foreign extremists.

Question 9

Who was the Soviet premier during the calm period from 1964-1982?

Answer 9

Leonid Brezhnev was the Soviet premier during this period.

Question 10

What was the problem with the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s?

Answer 10

The problem was the lack of vigorous leadership and reform under Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko.

Question 11

Who was the reformer that took power in the Soviet Union in 1985

Answer 11

Mikhail Gorbachev was the reformer who took power in the Soviet Union in 1985.

Question 12

What was the cornerstone of Gorbachev’s radical reforms?

Answer 12

The cornerstone of Gorbachev’s radical reforms was called PERESTROIKA, which included the beginning of a market economy with limited free enterprise and some private property.

Question 13

What did Gorbachev institute through GLASNOST?

Answer 13

Gorbachev instituted GLASNOST, which called on Soviet citizens and officials to discuss openly the strengths and weaknesses of the Soviet Union.

Question 14

What was the new Soviet parliament created under Gorbachev’s reforms?

Answer 14

The new Soviet parliament was called the Congress of People’s Deputies.

Question 15

What nationalist movements began to appear within the Soviet republics during the Gorbachev era?

Answer 15

Nationalist movements began to appear within the Soviet republics that called for sovereignty from the central government in Moscow.

Question 16

Who became the leader of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union?

Answer 16

Boris Yeltsin became the leader of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Question 17

Who was the leader of Poland that achieved stability in the 1960s?

Answer 17

Gomulka was the leader of Poland that achieved stability in the 1960s.

Question 18

Who replaced Gomulka in 1971 and what did he do to solve Poland’s economic problems?

Answer 18

Edward Gierek replaced Gomulka in 1971 and he attempted to solve Poland’s economic problems by borrowing heavily from the west.

Question 19

What led to the formation of the Solidarity movement in Poland?

Answer 19

Huge price increases in food prices led to workers’ protests, which eventually led to the formation of the Solidarity movement in Poland.

Question 20

Who imposed martial law in Poland in 1981?

Answer 20

General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law in Poland in 1981.

Question 21

Who won the presidency in the first free parliamentary elections to occur in Eastern Europe in forty years?

Answer 21

Lech Walesa, the Solidarity candidate, won the presidency in the first free parliamentary elections to occur in Eastern Europe in forty years.

Question 22

Which country enacted the most far-reaching reforms in Eastern Europe, including legalizing private enterprises?

Answer 22

Hungary enacted the most far-reaching reforms in Eastern Europe, including legalizing private enterprises.

Question 23

Who ran the Hungarian government for over thirty years before losing power to the Democratic Forum in 1990?

Answer 23

Janos Kadar ran the Hungarian government for over thirty years before losing power to the Democratic Forum in 1990.

Question 24

Who replaced the Communist government of Czechoslovakia in 1990?

Answer 24

Vaclav Havel, a former dissident writer and philosopher, replaced the Communist government of Czechoslovakia in 1990.

Question 25

What were the changes in Eastern Europe after the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Answer 25

The changes in Eastern Europe after the collapse of the Soviet Union included the fall of communist governments, the emergence of new democratic governments, the adoption of market economies, and the integration of Eastern European countries into the global economy.

Question 26

What were the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Answer 26

The collapse of the Soviet Union was caused by a combination of economic, political, and social factors, including the Soviet Union’s failing economy, the arms race with the United States, the rise of nationalism in the Soviet republics, and the policies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Question 27

What were the changes in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania after the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Answer 27

Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania experienced significant changes after the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the fall of communist governments, the adoption of market economies, and the emergence of new democratic governments.

Question 28

What was the reunification of Germany?

Answer 28

The reunification of Germany occurred after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the communist government in East Germany. Free elections took place in March of 1990, and East Germany was reunited politically with West Germany on October 3, 1990.

Question 29

What was the disintegration of Yugoslavia?

Answer 29

The disintegration of Yugoslavia was caused by the development of separatist movements, the lack of strong leadership after the death of Marshal Tito, and the complicated political scene. The war in Bosnia resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Muslim Bosnians by Serbian forces, resulting in significant bloodshed and displacement.

Question 30

What were the events in Kosovo?

Answer 30

The war in Kosovo was caused by the Serbian government’s attempts to crush the Kosovo Liberation Army and their campaign against Serbian rule in Kosovo. NATO intervened when Serbian forces began massacring ethnic Albanians, leading to a bombing campaign and a settlement to the conflict.

Question 31

What was a major challenge for Eastern European countries in their transition to democracy and free market economies?

Answer 31

Ethnic divisions reemerged, making political unity almost impossible, and shock-therapy austerity measures caused inflation and unemployment to explode in the early 1990s.

Question 32

What steps did Europe take toward further integration of their economies after 1970?

Answer 32

The European Economic Community expanded in 1973 when Great Britain, Ireland, and Denmark joined. By 1986, Spain, Portugal, and Greece had been added, and the European Economic Community (EC) became the world’s largest trading entity.

Question 33

What was the goal of the Treaty of European Union (Maastricht Treaty)?

Answer 33

The Treaty of European Union (Maastricht Treaty) represented an attempt to create a true economic and monetary union of all European Community members. One of its first goals was to introduce a common currency (called the EURO).

Question 34

Who was the leader of West Germany during its reunification with East Germany?

Answer 34

Helmut Kohl, leader of the Christian Democrats, oversaw the reunification of Germany in the late 1980s, which brought the CDs rich political dividends throughout the early to mid 1990s.

Question 35

Who was Britain’s first and only female Prime Minister, and what was her economic policy known as?

Answer 35

Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s only female Prime Minister. Her economic policies, known as “Thatcherism,” broke the power of the unions and reduced government bureaucracy, but did NOT eliminate the basic components of the social welfare system.

Question 36

What was a major challenge faced by France in the 1980s and 1990s?

Answer 36

The worsening of France’s economy in the 1970s brought a shift to the left politically, but by 1993, French unemployment stood at 10.6% and President Francois Mitterand was defeated in his re-election bid.

Question 37

What were some of the political and social problems that Italy faced in the 1970s and 1980s?

Answer 37

Italy continued to practice the politics of coalitions that had characterized much of its history, suffered from a severe economic recession in the 1970s, and also suffered from government corruption, student unrest, mass strikes, and other social problems.

Question 38

What was the main terrorist threat in Italy during the late 1970s and early 1980s?

Answer 38

Red Brigade

Question 39

What unusual step did Italian voters take in April of 1996 in response to political corruption?

Answer 39

They gave control of the government to a center-left coalition that included Communists.

Question 40

What was the persistent decline in birth rates across Europe since the 1960s?

Answer 40

A dramatic social development affecting the status and expectations of women in western Europe.

Question 41

What was the lowest birth rate in the world in 1997?

Answer 41

1.2 children per family in Italy.

Question 42

What percentage of the total British labor force were women by 1990?

Answer 42

44%

Question 43

What percentage of the Soviet Union’s doctors and teachers were women?

Answer 43

70%

Question 44

What did feminists in the women’s liberation movement believe about women’s lives?

Answer 44

Women themselves must transform the fundamental conditions of their lives.

Question 45

What issues did women become involved in as more women became activists?

Answer 45

Antinuclear movement and the environment.

Question 46

What was the major trend in classical music since WW II?

Answer 46

Serialism.

Question 47

What did existentialism emphasize about God?

Answer 47

God as fiction.

Question 48

What did existentialism stress about the need for people?

Answer 48

To create their own values and give their lives meaning.

Question 49

What has been the primary vehicle of American popular culture throughout the world?

Answer 49

American motion pictures in the post-war years.

Question 50

When did television become readily available?

Answer 50

In the late 1940s.

Question 51

Who controls television and radio in Europe?

Answer 51

Governments

Question 52

What are some music genres that originated in the US and impacted cultures around the world?

Answer 52

Jazz, Blues, R & B, Rock and Roll, and Rap.

Question 53

What influenced rock music and the punk movement?

Answer 53

Migrations of musical forms between the United States and Great Britain.

Question 54

What has become a major product of both popular culture and the leisure industry in the postwar years?

Answer 54

Sports

Question 55

What is an important revenue stream for many professional sports leagues?

Answer 55

Television revenues.

Question 56

What stirs feelings of patriotism and sometimes hatred in international sports competitions?

Answer 56

Politics.

Question 57

What led to the emergence of global cultures in the 1960s and beyond?

Answer 57

Advancements in mass communications technology.

Question 58

What are non-governmental organizations (NGOs)?

Answer 58

Grass-roots groups used to cultivate global perspectives.