HIST 379 – The Cold War

Fall 2019
Mr. Funk
Review Guide for Exam #1

10 of the following 20 persons/terms will appear on the exam:

IDENTIFICATIONS (10 points each): Select five (5) of the following persons or terms and
identify each of them in separate paragraphs in which you elaborate upon:

(A)Who or what the person or term was?

(B) ​When ​this person or thing was influential
(C) ​Where ​the person or thing was influential
(D)And (most importantly), ​WHY ​they/it was significant to the Cold War?

- 1 “Principles of Communism” -2 Joseph Stalin -3 Yalta Conference

- 4 Harry S. Truman - X George Kennan - 6 Marshall Plan
-7 Dwight D. Eisenhower - 8 Berlin Blockade - Mao Zedong (maybe)
- 9 Korean War - Geneva Conference of 1954 (maybe) - 10 Sputnik
- Nikita Khrushchev done - Ho Chi Minh - Fidel Castro
- Berlin Crisis - 11 Cuban Missile Crisis - John F. Kennedy
- Lyndon B. Johnson - Richard Nixon

Principles of Communism-
Who​: a 1847 work by Engels, the co-founder of Marxism, 25 questions in support of
Communism
When influential​: The manifesto was influential and helped to establish the idea of communism
in Russia and created the foundation for the USSR. The general idea was that the abolition of
private property was the panacea to for a peaceful and better society.
Where influential:
Why significant to CW:

It was influential because it laid the foundation for the USSR. The idea that everyone would
have a job and be able to work and have food and free health care is contagious.

Joseph Stalin.
-lead of the communist party and the leader of Russia after Lenin. Stalin lead a communist
Russia under a centralised command economy. Became one of the largest figures in WWII by
leading the Red Army and joining the Allies. Ally turned adversary, Stalin showed what the
Russians could do in the Cold War by prompting the rapid building of the Atomic Bomb. Dictator
of Soviet Union removed Trosky from power after Lenin died. 3-5 year plans.

Yalta Conference:
Feb 1945. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met and agreed to demand Germany’s unconditional
surrender and began plans for a post-war world. Formed the geo-political make up Europe and
divided Germany. Helped to create the foundation for the Berlin Wall and the split between East
and West Germany. It was agreed that the Soviets would attack the Japanese.

Harry Truman:
Was Roosevelt’s vice President and became president at Roosevelt’s death. President
1945-1953 and was the 33rd President of the USA. Ultimately okayed the decision to drop
atomic weapons on Japan to end WWII in the Pacific Theatre.

Marshall Plan:
Effective April 3, 1948. The US gave over $13.3Bil to help aid Europe in their recovery following
WWII. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. The Plan was
extremely successful and helped the countries to get back on their feet.

Dwight Eisenhower:
34th President of the USA from 1953 to 1961. General in army and the Allied Forces supreme
commander. Lead the USA in the space war against the Soviets. Also had to deal with the
Cuban Missile Crisis.

Berlin Blockade:
Blockade in West Berlin by The Soviets. An attempt to force the allies to give them control of the
whole city. This did not work as the allies airlifted supplies in.

Sputnik:
Sputnik was the first unmanned satellite launched into orbit. It was a great defeat to the United
States to lose to the Soviets in the first step of the space race. The growing fear in the US of
Soviet Technology lead to the Space Race, an attempt for each country to prove their ideology
was superior. Ultimately the US was the first to put a man on the moon in the Apollo 11, but the
Soviet had the first satellite and first man in orbit.

Korean War:
The Korean War was fought over the 38th parrallel. The US reinforced the south and sent
troops in. The Chinese reinforced the north. The UN helped the US back the south. Korea
remains divided to this day.

Cuban Missle Crisis:

Communism spread to Cuba in 1959. In 1961, the bay of pigs happened. This was an invasion
okayed by Kennedy to invade Cuba in the search for atomic weapons. In 1962, the Soviets
placed atomic missles in Cuba in an attempt to pressure the US. This was to counter the
missles in Italy and Turkey. Kennedy quitely removed the missles from Italy and Turkey in
exchange for Krushev publicly removing the missles in Cuba.

2 of the following 3 essay questions will appear on the exam:

ESSAY (50 points): Select one (1) of the following essay questions to answer. Your response
should present a strong and clear thesis statement and make use of at least two (2) of the
primary source documents from the required readings as pieces of evidence in support of your
thesis.

1) How did the ideology of communism develop in the USSR and what was the United States’
response to these developments?
2) What factors contributed to the development of Cold War tension in Europe and Latin
America
and how did the US and USSR respond?
3) What factors contributed to the development of Cold War tension in Eastern and
Southeastern
Asia and how did the US and USSR respond?