How Many Of These Cold War Trivia Questions Can You Answer?
The Cold War was one of America's most infamous 20th-century conflicts. It was fought not militarily but through political and economic means, including spies and intelligence gathering. Communism was the natural enemy of capitalism, and the Soviet Union was America's arch-enemy.
The Cold War lasted for 40 years, ending in 1989. But how many of these trivia questions about the war can you answer correctly?
When Did The Cold War Begin?
The beginning of the Cold War wasn't marked by gunfire, but by a speech by American President Harry S Truman to Congress. This speech is generally considered the beginning of the Cold War, but on what date was it given?
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March 12th, 1947
President Truman stood before Congress on March 12th, 1947, and gave an 18-minute speech to Congress outlining the United States' foreign policy, including its attitudes toward Communism.
What Is The Name Of The Doctrine Outlined In President Truman's Speech To Congress?
This one's rather easy...
The Truman Doctrine
Perhaps lacking creativity—Truman's approach to American foreign policy was called "The Truman Doctrine".
What Was The Name Of A Plan By The US To Provide Financial Aid To Europe After WWII?
Devised by George C Marshall, the American Secretary of State, this plan was called the _______ Plan.
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan of 1947 was devised by George C Marshall, the US Secretary of State, to provide financial aid to Western Europe after WWII and help the continent get back on its feet.
Who Is Considered The Father Of Communism?
This person wrote The Communist Manifesto.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto in 1848. The book would shake the political and economic bedrock of the Western World. Fun fact: despite the manifesto being the foundation of the Soviet Union's system of government, Karl Marx was German.
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Who Was The First Leader Of The Soviet Union?
This ambitious politician would become the first leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922, but what was his name?
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Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Lenin, became the leader of the Soviet Union on December 30th, 1922. He led the Soviet Union for over a year before resigning in 1924 due to poor health.
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On Which Parallel Was Korea Divided After WWII?
Following the Japanese withdrawal from Korea at the end of WWII, the country was divided between the United States (which took the south) and the USSR (which occupied and established a government in the north). But what was the name of the dividing line?
The 38th Parallel
This division line in Korea was known as the "38th Parallel". It represents a latitudinal circle of the Earth and is roughly in the middle of the country.
When Did The Korean War Begin?
When North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel on this date, it began the Korean War.
June 25th, 1950
The Korean War began on June 25th, 1950, after the North Korean forces invaded South Korea.
What Is The Name Of A Zone Separating North And South Korea?
When an armistice was signed on July 27th, 1953, effectively ending the Korean War, this zone was created, which separated the two countries.
The Demilitarized Zone
Known as a "demilitarized zone" or DMZ, it surrounds the Demarcation Line, a land border between North and South Korea. Neither country's troops may cross the Demarcation Line, as it could be seen as an invasion.
When Was The Berlin Wall Constructed?
The Berlin Wall was built in ____ and designed to divide Germany into two parts: East Germany, controlled by its Soviet parent state, and West Germany, a free society.
1961
Following a conference of the German Democratic Republic, Walter Ulbricht, chairman of the GDR, signed the order to begin constructing the Berlin Wall. The first blocks were put into place on August 17th, 1961.
Which Organization Was Formed In 1949?
Under the threat of Communist expansion in 1949, the United States and the UK spearheaded an effort to form a deterrent-based military alliance known as what?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Abbreviated to NATO, this Western military alliance of deterrence saw 12 countries come together to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They were Canada, the UK, the US, Belgium, Denmark, France, Portugal, Norway, Italy, Iceland and the Netherlands.
The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, DC, on April 4th, 1949.
What Was The Soviet Union's Response To NATO's Formation?
This military alliance came into force on May 14th, 1955.
The Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, signed in Warsaw, Poland, saw Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland, and Romania pledge military support to the Soviet Union.
What Was The Name Given To The Boundary Established In Europe During The Cold War?
This metaphor was often used to describe a divided continent during the Cold War.
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The Iron Curtain
This term was used to describe Europe's ideological, political, and economic division during the Cold War, which involved the East and West.
Who First Used The Term "The Iron Curtain"?
You may think you know the answer. But were you right?
Vasily Rozanov
While popularly attributed to Winston Churchill, the first recorded use of the term was actually in Vasily Rozanov's The Apocalypse of Our Time (1918), when he wrote: "With clanging, creaking, and squeaking, an iron curtain is lowering over Russian History. The performance is over".
What Was The Name Given To The First Russian Nuclear Weapons Test In 1949?
While the United States had developed and used nuclear weapons before, what was the first Russian nuclear weapons test called?
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First Lightning Or Joe-1
Modeled on the American "Fat Man" weapon, the Soviets first tested "First Lightning" or "Joe-1" (we'll accept both answers) on August 29th, 1949, in Kazakhstan. This was the beginning of the nuclear arms race between the USSR and the United States.
What Was The Name Given To An Event That Took Place In Cuba In October 1962?
Because of this event, the United States took its nuclear forces to Defense Condition 2 (DEFCON 2) on October 28th, 1962. But what was its name?
The Cuban Missile Crisis
After the discovery of nuclear missile sites in Cuba (built in secret by the Soviet Union) on October 14th, 1962, President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of the country and began a series of political discussions with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, attempting to avoid a world-ending nuclear conflict.
What Was The Name Given The USSR's Largest Nuclear Weapon?
The Soviets tested this nuke in the Arctic Circle on October 30th, 1961.
The Tsar Bomba
Known as the Tsar Bomba, it was the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated and was a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb.
What Is The Common Name Given To The Communications Link Established Between The US And USSR In 1963?
Following the clumsy and slow communications that contributed to the near end of the world during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Thomas Schelling, a Harvard professor and former nuclear policy analyst for the Defense Department, first developed the idea for a direct communications link.
The Red Phone
Commonly known as the Red Phone, it was a secure communications line between the Kremlin and the White House. Although it was called a phone, the first iteration was a teletype device that transmitted typed messages via a transatlantic cable link. Today, the two parties use a secure form of email.
What Was The Name Given To The Anti-Communist Doctrine Of 1950?
Coined by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, this doctrine espoused that Soviet and communist ideals had permeated throughout American society and that the government itself had been "infiltrated". But what was it called?
McCarthyism
Otherwise known as the Second Red Scare, McCarthyism was the term given to this widespread campaign of fear-mongering about the influence of the Soviet Union and communism on Americans.
What Is The Name Of The US House Committee Widely Used During The Cold War?
Such was the hysteria around communism and the Soviet Union's influence that a 1938 House of Representatives investigatory committee was revived. It was known as...
The House Un-American Activities Committee
Set up in 1938 to "investigate disloyal or subversive activities" by citizens, the HUAC shifted its focus to Americans who were thought to be in the pockets of or directly spying for the Soviet Union. This led to hundreds of arrests and investigations of private citizens, including authors, political activists, actors and actresses, and anyone else suspected of having communist ties.
What Was The Infamous Phrase Uttered By John F Kennedy In 1963 At A Speech In West Germany?
This line from Kennedy's speech was one of the most powerful moments of the Cold War.
"Ich Bin Ein Berliner!"
Addressing the freedoms enjoyed by West Berliners, Kennedy said, "Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum ["I am a Roman citizen"]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
What Was Another Infamous Phrase Of The Cold War, This Time Spoken By Ronald Reagan?
JFK's speechwriter was eclipsed only by Ronald Reagan, who crafted this hammer blow to Mikhail Gorbachev in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, addressing Mikhail Gorbachev.
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
One of Ronald Reagan's most famous moments came when he told the crowd, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and liberalization, come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
When Did The Berlin Wall Fall?
Remember the earlier question about when the Berlin Wall went up? Now we'd like to know when it came down.
November 9th, 1989
Effectively ending the Cold War, the government of East Germany announced at midnight on November 9th, 1989 that East Germans would be free to travel to West Germany, ending 28 years of division. The Berlin Wall was officially deconstructed in June 1990.
What Is The Name Of The Man Who Averted Nuclear War In 1983?
In 1983, this Soviet officer was on duty in a nuclear bunker near Moscow. He was notified (twice!) by a Soviet early warning system that the United States had launched a pre-emptive nuclear strike on Russia and that missiles were inbound. His next decision saved us all.
Stanislav Petrov
Perhaps the greatest unsung hero of the Cold War was Stanislav Petrov, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces. His decision not to launch a nuclear weapon in response to what the Early Warning System had mistakenly identified as a nuclear launch likely saved humanity from a nuclear holocaust.
He decided that what the system was telling him was a computer error. He later said that he thought that five impending missiles would be too small for a nuclear first strike by the United States; therefore, the computer must be wrong.
