Question 1

Who were the Big Three in WWII?

Accepted Answer

Winston Churchill (Britain), FDR (US), and Joseph Stalin, who held meetings to plan for the world after the war

Question 2

What was the Tehran Conference?

Accepted Answer

A conference in Iran during WWII

Allies agreed the Soviet Union would focus on freeing Eastern Europe, and Britain and the US would focus on Western Europe

(November 1943)

Question 3

What was the Yalta Conference?

Accepted Answer

A conference during WWII, where the Big Three met to decide what would happen after Germany's surrender

Resulted in a disagreement and divide between FDR and Stalin

(February 1945)

Question 4

What was the disagreement at the Yalta Conference?

Accepted Answer

FDR wanted free, democratic elections in Eastern Europe

Stalin wanted influence over Eastern Europe so that it would be a buffer to protect from invasions

Question 5

What was the Potsdam Conference?

Accepted Answer

A final meeting among the Big Three at the end of WWII, furthering the divide between the US and Soviet Union

Truman (replaced FDR) demanded free elections in Eastern Europe, but Stalin already took control

Question 6

Why did the US and Soviet Union become more powerful than Europe after WWII?

Accepted Answer

Eastern and Central Europe suffered huge losses during WWII, while the US and Soviet Union became more powerful

(Western Europe was also significantly damaged, but not as much)

Question 7

Why did the US become so powerful after WWII?

Accepted Answer

It suffered the least from WWII since the mainland was untouched by attacks

The industrial base and infrastructure grew even stronger because of government contracts

(this allowed the US to provide financial aid through the Marshall Plan)

Question 8

What is a cold war?

Accepted Answer

A conflict that doesn't involve military confrontation, but rather propaganda, secret operations, and an arms race

(opposite of a hot war, which has active military)

Question 9

What is a hydrogen bomb?

Accepted Answer

A bomb much more powerful than atomic bombs, developed in the 1950s by both the US and Soviet Union

Question 10

How did President Eisenhower react to the nuclear arms race?

Accepted Answer

He warned against both competing for nuclear supremacy and the military-industrial complex gaining too much power

Question 11

What is the military-industrial complex?

Accepted Answer

The informal alliance between the government and defense contractors

(Eisenhower warned about this getting too large)

Question 12

How did the public react to the nuclear arms race?

Accepted Answer

Public protests erupted against stockpiling nuclear weapons

8.1 - Context of the Cold War, AP World History: Modern Flashcards