The Cold War · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Rivalry and nuclear danger

History · The Modern World · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which pair names the two main Cold War rivals?

    • The United States and the Soviet Union
    • The United States and the People's Republic of China
    • The Soviet Union and the United Kingdom

  2. What does cold mean in the name Cold War?

    • The rivals limited military operations to countries with cold winter weather
    • The rivals avoided full-scale war against each other
    • The rivals competed without building alliances or keeping armed forces

  3. Which example involved actual regional fighting during the Cold War?

    • The formation of an alliance promising military help after an attack
    • The opening of a communication link between Washington and Moscow
    • The Korean War, in which the rivals supported opposing sides

  4. Which commitments helped end the Cuban Missile Crisis?

    • Soviet missiles out of Cuba; US pledge not to invade Cuba; private US promise to remove missiles from Turkey
    • Soviet missiles out of Cuba; US pledge to invade Cuba; public US promise to add more nuclear missiles in Turkey
    • Soviet missiles kept in Cuba; US pledge not to invade Cuba; private US promise to keep nuclear missiles in Turkey

  5. How did nuclear weapons help discourage full-scale war?

    • They removed the danger that an opponent could answer an attack with force
    • They replaced conventional armies, leaving neither side able to fight elsewhere
    • They made an attacker fear a devastating nuclear answering attack

  6. The Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956 shows that Cold War violence also occurred in Europe.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Which conclusion about the 1963 hotline and Limited Test Ban Treaty is supported?

    • They addressed communication and testing risks without abolishing nuclear weapons
    • They replaced military alliances and ended conventional fighting in every region
    • They removed both nuclear arsenals and ended the need for further arms negotiations

  8. A student explains Korea and Vietnam only as contests directed from Washington and Moscow. What does this explanation leave out?

    • The absence of any outside troops or military supplies from either regional conflict
    • The goals of local states and movements alongside outside involvement
    • The agreement of every local movement to follow the same superpower's instructions
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Rivalry and nuclear danger W1-mt_vod9wscQjU-s1

  1. The United States and the Soviet Union · The United States and Soviet Union became the main rival superpowers after the Second World War.
  2. The rivals avoided full-scale war against each other · Cold describes the absence of full-scale US-Soviet war. It does not mean that the period lacked weapons, alliances or other wars.
  3. The Korean War, in which the rivals supported opposing sides · The Korean War involved actual fighting. US troops fought there, and the Soviet Union supported their opponents.
  4. Soviet missiles out of Cuba; US pledge not to invade Cuba; private US promise to remove missiles from Turkey · The Soviets agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba. The US pledged not to invade Cuba and privately agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey.
  5. They made an attacker fear a devastating nuclear answering attack · Retaliation threatened destruction for an attacker too. Fear of that response could discourage war, but mistakes and escalation remained possible.
  6. True · Hungary provides a European example of armed intervention. Cold War violence was not confined to other continents.
  7. They addressed communication and testing risks without abolishing nuclear weapons · The hotline improved direct communication, and the treaty restricted certain tests. Nuclear weapons and the arms race remained.
  8. The goals of local states and movements alongside outside involvement · Outside involvement mattered, but local states and movements also pursued their own goals. Superpower rivalry alone does not explain every cause.
Worksheet · LightMySky