Cold War & Decolonization

Question 1

How long did the Cold War last?

Answer 1

1947 - 1991 (dissolution of Soviet Union)

Question 2

Main ideological differences between US and USSR?

Answer 2

USA - Democracy + Capitalism
USSR - One party state + Communism

Question 3

What was the Iron Curtain?

Answer 3

A metaphorical and physical boundary dividing Eastern (Communist) and Western (Capitalist) Europe.

Question 4

What was the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 4

US policy to support countries resisting communism, beginning with aid to Greece and Turkey. (1947)

Question 5

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 5

US initiative to provide economic aid (13.3 billion) to rebuild Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism. (1948)

Question 6

What was NATO (1949)?

Answer 6

Military alliance of Western powers formed for collective security against the USSR.

Question 7

What was the Warsaw Pact?

Answer 7

A military alliance of Eastern Bloc countries led by USSR in response to NATO.

Question 8

What countries signed Warsaw Pact?

Answer 8

Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania (Albania withdrew in 1968).

Question 9

What was the Warsaw Pact signed?

Answer 9

May 14, 1955

Question 10

When was NATO formed?

Answer 10

April 4, 1949, Washington D.C.

Question 11

What triggered the Berlin Blockade? (1949-1949)

Answer 11

The USSR attempted to force the Allies out of West Berlin by cutting off access to all rail, water, and communications. It failed due to Berlin Airlift.

Question 12

What was the Berlin Airlift?

Answer 12

A Western response to the Berlin Blockade, where supplies were flown into West Berlin.

Question 13

What was the significance of the Korean War?

Answer 13

Proxy war between communist North Korea (backed by USSR/China) and capitalist South Korea (backed by US/UN).

Question 14

How long did the Korean war last?

Answer 14

June 25, 1950 - July 27, 1953

Question 15

What does “Mutually Assured Destruction” mean?

Answer 15

The idea that full scale nuclear war would lead to the complete destruction of both sides, deterring nuclear conflict.

Question 16

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 16

A 13 day standoff between the US and USSR over Soviet Missiles in Cuba. Resolved through negotiations. (October 16, 1962)

Question 17

What was détente?

Answer 17

A period of eased tensioned and increased diplomacy between the US and USSR during the 1970s. (1967-1979)

Question 18

Vietnam War’s connection to Cold War?

Answer 18

A proxy war in which US supported South Vietnam against Communist North Vietnam.

Question 18

When did the Vietnam War start and end?

Answer 18

November 1, 1955 - April 30, 1975

Question 19

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 19

A Soviet policy stating that the USSR could intervene in any socialist country to maintain communist rule.

Question 20

What was the Prague Spring?

Answer 20

Period of political liberalization and mass protest in Czechoslovakia (5 January 1968 - 21 August 1968).

Question 21

What were the causes of the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991?

Answer 21

Economic stagnation, nationalist movements, the arms race, and reform policies like glasnost and perestroika.

Question 22

What were glasnost and perestroika?

Answer 22

Gorbhachev’s reforms: glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) aimed at modernizing the USSR.

Question 23

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative?

Answer 23

A US missile defense program proposed by Reagen, nicknamed “Star Wars” which alarmed the USSR (Announced March 23, 1983).

Question 24

What role did the United Nations play during the Cold War?

Answer 24

Often paralyzed by US-USSR rivalry but still conducted peacekeeping missions and humanitarian work.

Question 25

What was the Non-Aligned Movement?

Answer 25

A group of states that chose not to align with either the US or USSR during Cold War.

Question 26

Why did decolonization accelerate after WWII?

Answer 26

European powers were weakened. and there was an increased demand for self-determinations and anti colonial movements.

Question 27

What role did the Atlantic Charter play in decolonization?

Answer 27

It affirmed the right to self-determination, inspiring colonized peoples to seek independance. (August 9-10, 1941).

Question 28

What was the Indian Independence Act (1947)?

Answer 28

Legislation that led to the partition of British India into India and Pakistan.

Question 29

Who was Mahatma Gandhi?

Answer 29

Leader of India's nonviolent independence movement against British colonial rule.

Question 30

What was the Mau Mau uprising?

Answer 30

A Kenyan rebellion (1952-1960) against British colonial rule, leading to independence in 1963.

Question 31

What was the Algerian War of Independance? (1954-1962)

Answer 31

Brutal conflict between algerina nationalists (FLN) and French forces. Resulted in Algerian independence.

Question 32

What is neocolonialism?

Answer 32

The continued economic and political influence of formed colonial powers over newly independent countries.

Question 33

What was the Bandung Conference?

Answer 33

A meeting of African and Asian nations advocating for non-alignment and solidarity in decolonization (1955).

Question 34

What was apartheid in South Africa?

Answer 34

A system of institutionalized racial segregation from 1948 to 1994, despite the country being nominally independent.

Question 35

What role did the Cold War play in decolonization?

Answer 35

Both the US and USSR supported different independence movements to expand their influence.

Question 36

What was the Congo Crisis?

Answer 36

A post-independence conflict in the Congo, with Cold War powers backing different sides.

Question 37

Who was Kwame Nkrumah?

Answer 37

The first Prime Minister of Ghana and leading voice in Pan-Africanism and decolonization.

Question 38

What is Pan-Africanism?

Answer 38

A movement advocating for the unity and solidarity of African nations against colonialism and racism.

Question 39

What was the significance of Ghana's independence?

Answer 39

Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule.

Question 40

What is the legacy of decolonization in the modern world?

Answer 40

Former colonies face challenges like poverty, political instability, and economic dependence.

Question 41

What was the role of the United Nations in decolonization?

Answer 41

It supported self-determination and often assisted in the transition to independence.

Question 42

What are some examples of peaceful decolonization?

Answer 42

India (partially peaceful), Ghana, and much of the Caribbean decolonized without prolonged violence.

Question 43

What are some examples of violent decolonization?

Answer 43

Algeria, Kenya, Vietnam.

Question 44

What is the Commonwealth of Nations?

Answer 44

An organization of former British colonies that maintains cultural and political ties.