1. How did the United States seek to secure global
peace after World War II?
A. By reverting to pre-war isolationism
B. Insuring that no other nation would possess nuclear technology
C. By threatening all the world’s nations with nuclear devastation if they did not comply with its wishes D. By spreading the message of democracy abroad,
dispensing foreign aid, and keeping militarily prepared
CORRECT ANSWER = D
A. Though in certain instances and in certain times this did happen, the extrovert United States prevailed B. This was not possible, within four years Russia had
acquired nuclear capability
C. This did not mesh with our policy of diplomacy and persuasion first
2. What may provide the best example of
mutual Cold War strategy between the major
antagonist powers?
A. To accommodate their different philosophies and compromise on their aspirations
B. To cooperate at least in the exploration of outer space C. The mission to extend their own ideology and power
throughout the globe
D. Suppressing freedom of speech to meet the emergency situation
CORRECT ANSWER = C
A. This was hoped for at the Yalta Conference, but differing interpretations of the Yalta agreement deepened the rift
B. There was instead fierce competition in the “race to space”
D. This started to happen in the United States during the McCarthy era but did not succeed
3. What by-product grew out of the Korean War?
A. Japan prospered and the U.S. ended its occupation B. China and Russia grew closer together out of fear of
the U.S.
C. Germany’s overtures for alliance with the U.S. were rebuffed by Washington
D. America ended the conflict feeling more secure within itself
CORRECT ANSWER = A
B. China felt betrayed by Russia’s reluctance to help C. America encouraged Germany to grow again into a
major ally
D. It increased the feeling of threat since China was now involved
4. What was the overall effect of the rule of
Leonid Brezhnev?
A. Gradualist attempts to modernize the Soviet system B. Gradualist attempts, not so much to modernize, but to
expand civil & human rights
C. Repression and bureaucratic stagnation
CORRECT ANSWER = C
A. No changes occurred in the functioning or the leadership
B. Severe crackdown on human rights occurred in Czechoslovakia & Poland
D. Afghanistan was anything but a victory for the Soviet Union
5. What characterized military action during the
Cold War?
A. Direct superpower confrontation
B. Supporting client states to fight proxy wars
C. Promoting the growth of revolt within the U.S. & the Soviet Union
CORRECT ANSWER = B
A. This was not done for fear of nuclear escalation
6. How was the myth of the “white man’s burden”
exploded for Third world nations?
A. The devastation of war cast doubts on the superiority of the colonizers’ civilization
B. The United States and Soviet Union coming to the support of decolonialization
C. The willingness of colonialist powers to relinquish their grip
D. When European powers fulfilled their promises for self-determination
CORRECT ANSWER = A
B. They did so at a later date; after A. was already an established fact
C. They were most unwilling
7. What nations were comparatively the most ardent
in their condemnation of colonialism
A. France & England
B. The Netherlands & England
C. The Soviet Union & the United States
D. One cannot distinguish between them, their attitudes were similar
CORRECT ANSWER = C
A. France stubbornly resisted in Algeria & Indochina; and England in India
B. The Netherlands resisted in Indonesia and was assisted by Britain
8. What basic foreign policy flaw did the Vietnam
War expose?
A. That a U.S. President could ignore popular opinion and keep running a war despite widespread protests B. The U.S. inability to understand nationalist guerrilla
warfare overseas
C. The essential weakness of and lack of support for the Vietcong
CORRECT ANSWER = B
A. The protests forced President Lyndon Johnson to decline running for a second term and brought about an ending to American involvement by President Richard Nixon
C. The Vietcong were strong, resilient, and enjoyed adequate support
9. How might one best characterize the developing
situation in post-war Africa?
A. Independence without struggle and a general triumph for democracy
B. Independence in the face of sometimes violent resistance, but a general triumph for democracy
C. Independence only partially achieved, and southern Africa still under white rule
D. Independence achieved after struggle, many dictatorships, and widespread instability
CORRECT ANSWER = D
A. It varied, but in some colonies independence was hard-won and bloody
B. Democratic governments were mostly overthrown or destabilized
C. All of Africa (since 1994) is now under African sovereignty
10. What precipitated the emergence of the
Non-aligned (“third world”) nations?
A. Protest from the poor, technologically backwards regions of the planet
B. Hostility towards the United States C. Hostility towards the Soviet Union
D. Desire of some nations for a “third alternative”, to avoid taking sides in the Cold War
CORRECT ANSWER = D
A.. The “third world” is now employed to define such countries, but it was not always so. Originally the term also encompassed some technologically
advanced countries like Yugoslavia
B. & C. It was the original intent of non-aligned countries to show no partiality to either
11. What was part & parcel of Ronald Reagan’s Latin
American policy?
A. Support for the Nicaraguan Sandinistas
B. Complying with the rulings of the World Court regarding intelligence activities
C. Arms sales to Iran to finance the Contra rebels
D. Following through on loans to Nicaragua promised by President Jimmy Carter
CORRECT ANSWER = C
A. He attempted to overthrow them B. He ignored the court’s orders D. He repudiated the loans
12. How did the situation in Iran after 1979 have an
impact on Western superpower politics?
A. It forced the British to come to terms with the Irish republican Army
B. Failures to cope with the situation there was a cause for President Carter’s defeat by Ronald Reagan
in 1980
C. It brought the Western powers and the Muslim world closer together
CORRECT ANSWER = B
A. This did not happen; there was never a connection C. It increased mutual tensions
13. In terms of demographics, what do the
present-day trends reveal?
A. A dramatic upsurge in the birth rates in underdeveloped areas
B. On average, the population is becoming much younger
C. The horrors of the “population bomb” have been fully realized
D. The world’s food supply has more than kept pace with population growth
CORRECT ANSWER = D
A. As in richer areas, the population has decreased, but at a slower rate
B. There is an increasingly aging population as people live longer life spans
C. This has not happened because of increases in the world’s food supply
14. What is the major significance of the Bretton
Woods agreement?
A. To plan a global economy that would avoid another depression
B. To determine the rate and flow of oil production
C. To reconcile economic & trade differences between the Western & Communist blocs
CORRECT ANSWER = A
B. This was OPEC
15. What fact might legitimately argue against
optimism in the post-Cold War era?
A. Colonialism still remains strong
B. Population growth is still at a very high rate C. The nuclear threat looms over everyone
D. Governments do not provide adequate means of distribution for the world’s food supply
CORRECT ANSWER = D
A. Nearly all colonies have won their independence B. New technologies provide the capacity to feed the
global population
