AP US History: Period 8 (1945–1980) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The policy of containment, articulated in George Kennan's 'Long Telegram,' was primarily aimed at which goal?
- Rolling back existing communist regimes by force
- Preventing the further spread of Soviet communism (Correct answer)
- Promoting free trade with the Soviet Union
- Establishing a permanent military alliance with China
Correct answer: Preventing the further spread of Soviet communism
Containment sought to stop the expansion of Soviet influence rather than to overthrow existing communist governments.
Question 2: The Marshall Plan (1948) provided U.S. economic aid primarily to which region?
- Latin America
- Western Europe (Correct answer)
- Southeast Asia
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Correct answer: Western Europe
The Marshall Plan funneled billions in aid to rebuild Western European economies and resist communism.
Question 3: The Berlin Airlift of 1948–1949 was a response to what Soviet action?
- The launch of Sputnik
- A blockade of West Berlin (Correct answer)
- The Cuban Missile Crisis
- The building of the Berlin Wall
Correct answer: A blockade of West Berlin
The U.S. and allies airlifted supplies after the Soviets blockaded ground access to West Berlin.
Question 4: NSC-68 (1950) recommended which major shift in American Cold War strategy?
- A dramatic increase in military spending (Correct answer)
- Withdrawal from European commitments
- Reliance solely on diplomacy
- Recognition of communist China
Correct answer: A dramatic increase in military spending
NSC-68 called for a large buildup of U.S. military forces to counter the Soviet threat.
Question 5: The Korean War ended in 1953 with what outcome?
- Reunification of Korea under U.S. control
- A communist takeover of the entire peninsula
- An armistice near the prewar 38th parallel (Correct answer)
- A formal peace treaty signed by all parties
Correct answer: An armistice near the prewar 38th parallel
An armistice halted fighting near the 38th parallel, leaving Korea divided as before.
Question 6: Senator Joseph McCarthy became notorious in the early 1950s for what?
- Negotiating with Soviet leaders
- Leading accusations of communist infiltration in government (Correct answer)
- Opposing the Korean War
- Authoring the Marshall Plan
Correct answer: Leading accusations of communist infiltration in government
McCarthy gained fame through sensational, often unsubstantiated charges of communist subversion.
Question 7: The launch of Sputnik in 1957 prompted what major U.S. response?
- Increased funding for science education and NASA's creation (Correct answer)
- Immediate invasion of the Soviet Union
- A trade embargo on all communist nations
- Abandonment of the space program
Correct answer: Increased funding for science education and NASA's creation
Sputnik spurred the National Defense Education Act and the founding of NASA in 1958.
AP US History: Period 8 (1945–1980) 2
The policy of containment, articulated in George Kennan's 'Long Telegram,' was primarily aimed at which goal?