The Cold War.

After World War II, an intense rivalry developed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. These two nations, and their allies, viewed each other with deep distrust and hostility. Although the U.S. and the Soviet Union never faced each other in battle, the tension between these countries always made war seem possible. This tense period of history was known as the Cold War.

Below is a time line of important events in the Cold War. Study this information, then answer the questions.

TIME LINE

1946

Communists backed by the Soviet Union take over Bulgaria, Albania, and East Germany. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warns that an "iron curtain" has descended across Europe.

1950

Troops from Communist North Korea invade South Korea, sparking the Korean War. For three years, the U.S. and 16 other countries fight in defense of South Korea; China and the Soviet Union aid the North Koreans.

1985

Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev launches a program of economic and political reforms called perestroika (or "restructuring").

1948

Soviet troops block all routes to West Berlin in an attempt to drive U.S., French, and British forces from the area. The next year, Germany is divided into two separate nations.

1962

U.S. President John F. Kennedy demands that the Soviet Union remove nuclear missiles it has installed in Cuba. After a week of extreme tension, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agrees to remove the missiles.

1989

Facing increasing pressure from communist nations calling for independence, Gorbachev orders the opening of the Berlin Wall. One year later, East and West Germany are reunited.

1949

The U.S., Canada, and 10 Western European countries form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide a common defense against Soviet forces in Eastern Europe.

1965-73

The U.S. provides combat troops to help South Vietnam fight Communists led by North Vietnam. By 1968, more than 500,000 U.S. troops are fighting in the Vietnam War. In 1973, the U.S. withdraws its forces from the area.

1991

The Soviet Union dissolves, ending 74 years of Communist rule. Many of the 15 former Soviet republics struggle to create new democratic societies.

QUESTIONS

1. Who described the spread of Communism across Europe as "an iron curtain"?--.

2. In which year was Germany divided into two separate nations?--.

3. What alliance did the U.S., Canada, and 10 Western European countries form to defend themselves against Soviet forces in Eastern Europe?--.

4. What event sparked the Korean War?--.

5. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. helped South Vietnam fight against which group?--.

6. How many U.S. troops were fighting in Vietnam in 1968?--.

7. What was the name of Mikhail Gorbachev's program of economic and political reforms for the Soviet Union?--.

8. Which Soviet leader agreed to remove nuclear missiles from Cuba in 1962?

9. How long was Germany divided into two separate nations?--.

10. When did the Soviet Union dissolve?--.

Answers:

1. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

2. 1949

3. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

4. North Korea's invasion of South Korea

5. Communists from North Vietnam

6. More than 500,000

7. Perestroika

8. Nikita Khrushchev

9. More than 40 years

10. In 1991