AP US History · Topic 8.2
The Cold War from 1945 to 1980 Practice
Part of Period 8: 1945–1980.
Practice questions
34
Sample questions
5 of 34 — sign in to practice the rest with adaptive difficulty and mastery tracking.
Sample 1difficulty 2/5
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address, January 17, 1961
Which later 1960s development most clearly illustrated Eisenhower's concerns about misplaced power?
- A
The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Bcheck_circle
The escalation of the Vietnam War with massive procurement contracts and political pressure to expand the conflict
- C
The launch of the Apollo program
- D
The creation of Medicare in 1965
Why
Vietnam-era escalation, with its huge procurement budgets, contractor lobbying, and Pentagon pressure for additional troop commitments, became a frequently cited example of the dynamic Eisenhower had warned against.
- A
Sample 2difficulty 2/5
"The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this Nation... I have here in my hand a list of 205 names known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party." — Senator Joseph McCarthy, Wheeling, West Virginia, February 9, 1950
The outbreak of the Korean War four months after this speech most directly:
- A
Discredited containment as a viable strategy
- Bcheck_circle
Reinforced McCarthy's claims that communism was advancing globally
- C
Prompted U.S. recognition of the People's Republic of China
- D
Led to immediate Senate censure of McCarthy
Why
North Korea's invasion in June 1950 appeared to validate fears of expanding communism, strengthening McCarthy's political clout. His censure did not come until 1954, and the U.S. did not recognize the PRC until 1979.
- A
Sample 3difficulty 2/5
"I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want." — President Harry S. Truman, Address to Congress, March 12, 1947
Truman's request was made most immediately in response to a crisis involving which two countries?
- Acheck_circle
Greece and Turkey, where Britain could no longer support governments facing communist pressure
- B
Cuba and Guatemala, where leftist revolutions had taken power
- C
Germany and Austria, where Soviet occupation forces remained
- D
China and Korea, where communist movements threatened U.S. allies
Why
The Truman Doctrine speech was prompted by Britain's February 1947 announcement that it could no longer aid Greece (facing communist insurgency) and Turkey (facing Soviet pressure on the Dardanelles). The Chinese Civil War, Cuban Revolution, and German question were separate Cold War flashpoints.
- A
Sample 4difficulty 2/5
"Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist." — George C. Marshall, Harvard Address, June 5, 1947
Marshall's speech is best understood as a continuation of which earlier 1947 policy initiative?
- Acheck_circle
The Truman Doctrine of containing communism through economic and military aid
- B
The Open Door Policy toward China
- C
The Good Neighbor Policy toward Latin America
- D
The Lend-Lease program for Britain
Why
The Marshall Plan operationalized the containment ideas articulated in the Truman Doctrine (March 1947), shifting from emergency aid for Greece and Turkey to broader European economic reconstruction.
- A
Sample 5difficulty 3/5
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address, January 17, 1961
Eisenhower's "New Look" defense strategy contributed to the very complex he warned about by emphasizing:
- A
Large standing ground armies stationed in Korea
- B
Naval blockades of communist nations
- C
Strict reductions in all defense spending
- Dcheck_circle
Massive retaliation through expanded nuclear arsenals and Air Force procurement
Why
The New Look prioritized cheaper nuclear deterrence ("more bang for the buck"), funneling enormous contracts to aerospace and weapons firms — institutionalizing the very industrial-military networks Eisenhower lamented in 1961.
- A