SAT II World History : The Cold War in the Americas

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : The Cold War In The Americas

The Truman Doctrine was designed to __________.

Possible Answers:

improve funding for the American space program

ensure Truman's reelection

improve funding for the Manhattan Project

combat the spread of communism

ban all communist activity in the United States

Correct answer:

combat the spread of communism

Explanation:

The Truman Doctrine formed part of United States' foreign policy during the Cold War. It stated that the United States had a duty to provide economic or military support to any country threatened by the spread of communism or the expansion of the Soviet Union.

Example Question #2 : The Cold War In The Americas

The Nicaraguan rebels known as the Contras were sponsored by which American president?

Possible Answers:

John F. Kennedy

Ronald Reagan

George W. Bush

Richard Nixon

Bill Clinton

Correct answer:

Ronald Reagan

Explanation:

The Nicaraguan Contras were ostensibly democractic revolutionaries; however, many of the groups committed atrocities. This made it controversial when it was revealed that Ronald Reagan's American government was providing aid to the rebels. Congress banned such aid, but Reagan's adminstration continued to provide aid secretly, culminating in the Iran-Contra Affair.

Example Question #3 : The Cold War In The Americas

"Now in speaking like this, it doesn't mean that we're anti-white, but it does mean we're anti-exploitation, we're anti-degradation, we're anti-oppression. And if the white man doesn't want us to be anti-him, let him stop oppressing and exploiting and degrading us."

"The Ballot or the Bullet" was a speech delivered by what famous civil rights advocate?

Possible Answers:

Coretta Scott King

John Lewis

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Malcolm X

Reverend Jesse Jackson

Correct answer:

Malcolm X

Explanation:

The speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. The intention of the speech was to separate himself from the Nation of Islam as well as encourage African-Americans to defend their rights to vote.

Example Question #4 : The Cold War In The Americas

The American opposite to the Brezhnev Doctrine is __________.

Possible Answers:

Mutually Assured Destruction

the Domino Theory

The New Deal

Manifest Destiny

The Fair Deal

Correct answer:

the Domino Theory

Explanation:

The Brezhnev Doctrine states that all Communist states, in particular the Soviet Union, have a duty to aid the spread and ensure the continuation of Communism around the world. In this sense it can be seen as the opposite of the American foreign policy The Domino Theory. The Domino Theory states that if one country falls under the influence of Communism than the neighboring countries will likely fall also. Therefore, the American people must be willing to fight Communism wherever it appears.

Example Question #3 : The Cold War In The Americas

The House Un-American Activities Committee was established in 1945 to __________.

Possible Answers:

reinforce the internment of Japanese residents of the United States

monitor and prosecute suspected communists

encourage gender equality and the empowerment of women in the workplace

prevent the sale of nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union

prosecute those suspected of hate crimes against African-Americans

Correct answer:

monitor and prosecute suspected communists

Explanation:

The House Un-American Activities Committee was established in 1945 to monitor and prosecute suspected communists. Specifically, the committee believed its job was to protect the type of government specified under the Constitution—democratic, representative, capitalist, and providing equal economic opportunity—from potential subversion or sedition. The Committee was notable during the Red Scare period of American history.

Example Question #5 : The Cold War In The Americas

In the Vietnam War, the American military fought on the side of __________.

Possible Answers:

the North Vietnamese against the South Vietnamese

the South Vietnamese against the North Vietnamese

Cambodia and Burma against Vietnam

Vietnam against the combined forces of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand

Vietnam against the forces of communist China

Correct answer:

the South Vietnamese against the North Vietnamese

Explanation:

In the Vietnam War, the Americans fought against the communist government of North Vietnam and on the side of the republican government of South Vietnam. The American goal in the war was to prevent the spread of communism to South Vietnam. Opposition to the Vietnam War was a major mobilizer for social change in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

Example Question #6 : The Cold War In The Americas

The National Security Act of 1947 created which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Only the CIA and the NSC

National Security Council

Central Intelligence Agency

All of these answers

Department of Defense

Correct answer:

All of these answers

Explanation:

The National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense. The National Security Act of 1947 was a major change and growth in the powers of the Federal government to provide for the defense of the nation in the wake of World War Two. The creation of the Central Intelligence Agency can be seen as an important early moment in the budding Cold War.

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