Multiple
Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the
question.
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HUMAN RIGHTS In the era of
détente, the issue of human rights gained attention on both sides of the Iron Curtain. In 1975
in Helsinki, 35 nations -- including the United States and U.S.S.R. -- signed a declaration on human
rights. Meanwhile, Czech dissidents secretly drew up Charter 77, a human rights document that was
smuggled to the West. Activists in the communist bloc set up Helsinki Watch Committees to monitor and
publicize abuses. But the Soviets did not feel bound by the Helsinki Accords and persecuted the
dissidents, many of whom ended up in KGB prisons -- or in mental hospitals, where mind-control drugs
were used to make them recant. Jews were a distinctive group among the dissidents -- claiming the
right to leave the Soviet Union. Many were refused exit visas and became known as refuseniks. Those
who campaigned for their rights were often sent to forced labor camps for years. In 1979, the
prominent refusenik Anatoly Sharansky was sentenced to 13 years for espionage and treason. Outside
the court, supporters defiantly publicized his case to the Western media -- triggering forceful
protests in the West. The evidence of human rights abuse inflamed anti-Soviet feeling in America.
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1.
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What were the Helsinki Watch Committees?
a. | Groups set up in the West to monitor human rights abuses by the U.S. | c. | Groups set up in
the to monitor anti-Soviet activities by Jews | b. | Groups set up in the West to monitor human
rights abuses by the Soviets | d. | Committees that helped the KGB to monitor treasonous activity
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2.
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Which ethnic group was especially targeted by the Soviet KGB for treasonous
activity?
a. | Slavs | c. | Jews | b. | Americans | d. | Christians |
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SALT II As Moscow and Washington
clashed over human rights, they also stepped up negotiations for a new arms limitation treaty -- SALT
II. One issue not on the SALT II agenda was the Soviets' decision to deploy the
SS-20, a new medium-range nuclear missile that targeted Western Europe. West Germany and other NATO
allies were alarmed. Instead of making the SS-20s an issue during the SALT II negotiations, the
United States pursued a twin-track policy: America would develop its new generation of missiles and
allow Moscow three years to negotiate limits on medium-range missiles. If no deal was reached,
America would station its cruise and Pershing nuclear missiles in Europe -- and target Soviet cities.
Fear of missiles in their backyard created a new mood of resistance among Western Europeans. By
June 1979, the superpowers had agreed to new limits on strategic arms -- completing the SALT II
treaty. Carter and Brezhnev met for the first time when they came to Vienna to sign the agreement.
Soviets viewed the treaty as a way to limit arms production -- and improve their civilian economy.
But in America, the pact was condemned by the political right for
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The Democrat controlled congress and much of the
American public thought the SALT II treaty was not good for the
U.S.
not imposing limits on the development of new
weapons systems. Ultimately, SALT II would fail to gain congressional approval even though the
congress was controlled by President Carter’s own party, the Democrats. | | |
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3.
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The purpose of SALT II was to
a. | Increase trade between the U.S. and Soviets | c. | Improve cultural contacts between
the U.S. and the Soviets | b. | reduce nuclear arms between the U.S. and the
Soviet Union | d. | Drive a wedge
between Russia and China |
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4.
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SALT II was
a. | a new treaty between the U.S. and the Soviets enacted into law in the
U.S. | c. | a defeat for President Carter | b. | a congressionally approved attempt to limit
U.S. nuclear arms | d. | a success
for President Carter |
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5.
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SALT II was signed by
a. | Carter and Brezhnev | c. | Reagan and
Gorbachev | b. | Carter and Andropov | d. | Carter and Gorbachev |
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Ronald
Reagan had a different philosophy and approach to communism than President Jimmy Carter. In 1981,
Ronald Reagan -- a strident Cold Warrior -- enters the White House on a platform of "making
America strong again." Convinced the United States is lagging in the arms race, Reagan increases
defense spending and proposes a "Star Wars" anti-missile system -- alarming leaders in
Moscow. Reagan reasoned that he could increase the chances of peace by eliminating the threat of
a nuclear attack by the Soviets. He offered to share the technology with the
Soviets.
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6.
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From the passage we can infer that Ronald Reagan was
a. | a pro-Soviet president | c. | a moderate regarding communism | b. | a strong
anti-communist | d. | a president
with socialist tendencies |
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7.
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The Soviets were most likely
a. | more afraid of Carter than Reagan | c. | equally fearful of Carter and
Reagan | b. | more afraid of Reagan than Carter | d. | not very concerned with Carter of
Reagan |
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REAGAN At his first press conference as president,
Ronald Reagan rendered a tough verdict on the policy of détente, calling it "a one-way
street the Soviet Union has used to pursue its own aims." Reagan's message was
unmistakable: The only way to deal with the Kremlin was from a position of strength. Immediately,
he began a new phase of rearmament. He increased the defense budget by $32.6 billion. He approved
production of the costly B-1 bomber, a project President Carter had scrapped. He expanded the size of
the Navy. And new defense guidelines called for preparations to wage a nuclear war "over a
protracted period." | The renewed arms race and Reagan's anti-Soviet rhetoric revived the anti-nuclear
movement in Western Europe. Reagan was portrayed by a vocal minority of Americans and many Europeans
as a warmonger. Yet, in truth, Reagan shared their antipathy for nuclear brinksmanship -- the policy
known as "mutual assured destruction."
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8.
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In dealing with the Soviets, Reagan believed the U.S. needed to deal from a
position of strength. What did he do to make America stronger?
a. | Spent money to make the U.S. military the most powerful in the world. | c. | Spent more money on
social programs like Medicare | b. | Spent more money on
education | d. | Made the U.S.
work more with the United Nations |
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9.
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Which idea was most likely believed by Reagan?
a. | It is more important that your enemy like you than respect you | c. | Do not do anything
to make your enemies upset | b. | If you are nice to your enemies they will be
nice to you | d. | It is more
important to be respected than loved. |
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10.
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How did Reagan feel about MAD (mutual assured destruction)
a. | was in favor of it | c. | was unconcerned about it | b. | was opposed to
it | d. | did not know what it
was |
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TENSION In Moscow, Andropov
(leader of the Soviet Union) responded defiantly to Reagan's "Star Wars" plan.
"All attempts at achieving military superiority over the U.S.S.R. are futile," he said.
Privately, however, Andropov was frightened by SDI and Reagan's anti-Soviet speeches. In one of
his speeches Reagan called the Soviet Union the, “Evil Empire.” Convinced that the West
was planning for war, Andropov ordered a worldwide alert. The KGB monitored every aspect of life in
the West. The Americans stepped up spy flights in sensitive areas along the Soviet Union's
long borders. Aircraft packed with electronic surveillance gear and disguised as civilian airliners
often flew close to passenger routes. On August 31, 1983, a South Korean airliner left Anchorage
for Seoul. For reasons still unexplained, KAL Flight 007, with 269 people on board, ended up in
Soviet air space, more than 300 miles from its normal route. Every indication was that the airliner
was a civilian plane. After firing several warning tracer shots across the plane's bow, a Soviet
fighter pilot downed the carrier, killing everyone on board. Reagan called the incident "an act
of barbarism." The American people, and the people of the world were outraged.
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11.
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It is safe to say that the Soviets and Andropov were
a. | unconcerned about the U.S. and Reagan | c. | unconcerned about the U.S. because
they had weapons just as good as the U.S. | b. | alarmed by Reagan and his
policies | d. | concerned about
American policies but liked and trusted Ronald Reagan |
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12.
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The shooting down of flight KAL 007
a. | helped to prove Reagan’s statement that the Soviet Union was an evil
empire | c. | improved relations between South Korea and the Soviet Union | b. | made the American
people more sympathetic towards the Soviets because it was a mistake | d. | made people more fearful of Soviet technology
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13.
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KAL 007 was a civilian airliner belonging to _____ shot down by _____
a. | the United States - the Soviet Union | c. | North Korea -
China | b. | the United States - China | d. | South Korea - the Soviet Union |
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GORBACHEV A mood of crisis now
gripped both East and West. Arms control talks were broken off. The Soviet leadership even believed a
nuclear attack by the West was imminent. Reagan was surprised when told the Kremlin seriously feared
an American first-strike offensive. It was time, he told aides, for a face-to-face meeting with
Soviet leaders. But to whom in the Kremlin could Reagan talk peace? In February 1984, Yuri
Andropov died. His successor, Konstantin Chernenko, was too frail to start a dialogue and died a year
later -- the third aged Soviet leader to die in three years. Party leaders knew the country
needed new blood. They turned to 54-year-old reformer Mikhail Gorbachev -- who in a speech the year
before had introduced the concepts of "perestroika" (restructuring) and
"glasnost" (openness) to the Communist Party lexicon. At a party plenum to ratify his
election by the Politburo, Gorbachev pledged to make the Soviet Union more democratic -- and
announced his intention to stop the arms race.
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14.
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The Soviets were
a. | not afraid of the U.S. under Reagan | c. | afraid of Reagan but sure he would
not attack the Soviet Union | b. | afraid the U.S. under Reagan might attack the
Soviet Union | d. | more concerned
about domestic issues than foreign affairs |
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15.
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Why did Reagan want a face to face meeting with the leader of the Soviet
Union?
a. | spy on the Soviet Union | c. | ease tensions between the two
countries | b. | to get trade concessions from the Soviets | d. | warn the Soviets that the U.S. might attack at
any time |
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16.
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What Soviet leader started the idea of perestroika"
(restructuring) and "glasnost" (openness)
a. | Andropov | c. | Gorbachev
| b. | Khrushchev | d. | Brezhnev |
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RAPPORT In November 1985,
Gorbachev traveled to Geneva to meet with Reagan for the first superpower summit in six years. At
their first face-to-face meeting, the two leaders outlined their positions in adversarial terms --
arguing about regional conflicts and accusing each other of trying to divide the world. Gorbachev
later told aides Reagan was not just a conservative, but "a political dinosaur." Later that
day, the tenor of the dialogue changed. Though the two leaders remained divided by Reagan's
"Star Wars" initiative, the atmosphere grew warmer -- they established a rapport. Gorbachev
left Geneva without agreement on his main objective -- curbing the arms race -- but the United States
and the Soviet Union were talking again. One year into the Gorbachev era the Cold War continued.
The Geneva call for a second summit was repeatedly postponed. Fears of nuclear war remained. In April
1986, an explosion ripped apart a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine north of
Kiev. The disaster highlighted the incompetence of the Soviet system. The Soviets were weak
economically, scientifically, and their infrastructure was poor.
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Personal Friendship develops between Reagan and
Gorbachev
Soviet Powerplant at Chernobyl explodes
killing thousands and spreading radiation throughout Europe | | |
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17.
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What was the main result of the first meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev at Geneva in 1985?
a. | Reagan and Gorbachev confirmed that they could not trust each
other | c. | Gorbachev became convinced that he could manipulate Reagan any
way he wanted. | b. | A new arms reduction treaty was agreed to by
the Soviets and the U.S. | d. | The two men established a rapport and a basis for trust between
them |
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18.
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In the 1985 Geneva summit, Reagan and Gorbachev learned to
_____ each other.
a. | respect | c. | distrust | b. | hate | d. | fear |
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19.
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What happened at Chernobyl ?
a. | Soviet nuclear missile exploded | c. | Ukrainian water power plant
exploded | b. | Soviet nuclear power plant exploded | d. | The U.S. attacked a Ukrainian power
plant |
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20.
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What did Chernobyl illustrate to the
world?
a. | Strength of the Soviet economy | c. | The power of the Soviet
infrastructure | b. | Serious weaknesses in all phases of Soviet society | d. | The power of Soviet Science and
technology |
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REYKJAVIK Six months after the
Chernobyl disaster, Reagan and Gorbachev went to Reykjavik, Iceland, for their second summit. No one
expected much of substance to emerge. But over the next few days, the two leaders took a series
of bold and unexpected steps aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear war. Gorbachev seized the
initiative, winning Reagan's backing for a comprehensive set of reductions of strategic arms,
intermediate-range missile and space weapons. Next, the two leaders agreed on the complete withdrawal
of intermediate-range missiles in Europe and a 50 percent reduction in ballistic missiles over a
five-year period. As the talks continued, Reagan and Gorbachev each raised the ante in their
quest for arms reductions. Finally, Reagan stunned Gorbachev and his own advisers by offering to
eliminate all nuclear weapons in 10 years, effectively abolishing the nuclear deterrent. But
Gorbachev continued to press Reagan on "Star Wars." "Our meeting cannot produce one
winner. We both either win or lose," he said. Reagan would not budge. The summit ended
without an agreement -- but each delegation realized the discussions had crossed a historic line. In
1987, Reagan and
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Gorbachev met in Washington to sign
the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty -- eliminating an entire class of U.S. and Soviet
nuclear arms for Eastern and Western Europe. Reagan's defense of "Star Wars" prevented
further progress in arms talks for the remainder of his presidency. Nevertheless, two leaders a
generation apart had brought their two countries closer then they had been in 40 years.
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21.
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At Reykjavik, Iceland, Reagan and Gorbachev
a. | laid the foundation for a series of major arms reduction measures | c. | could not agree on
any arms reduction measures | b. | agreed to develop “star wars”
together. | d. | left angry and
distrustful of each other. |
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22.
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What was the big surprise proposal made by Reagan at the Reykjavik, Iceland summit?
a. | that Reagan would be NICE to the Soviet Union from now on and stop calling them
names. | c. | that the U.S. was willing to end Star Wars | b. | Reagan made no
surprise proposal | d. | that both
nations would eliminate ALL nuclear arms |
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23.
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Many people in the United States and Europe thought that Star Wars was a fantasy
and could not be achieved. How did the Soviets feel about Star Wars?
a. | They were afraid of it | c. | They did not concern themselves with it | b. | They agreed that it
was a fantasy | d. | All of these
are true of the Soviets |
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24.
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Reagan believed that Star Wars was protection for the American people against
nuclear missile attack. He also knew that if he agreed with Gorbachev to get rid of Star Wars, he
could go down in history as the president who ended the cold war. Reagan refused to get rid of Star
Wars showing that he was _____ president who _____ .
a. | a weak - who would do anything to become famous | c. | a strong - cared more for the
people than his own legacy | b. | a cruel - who cared little for the American
people. | d. | an evil - who put
the destruction of the Soviet Union ahead of the safety of the American
people |
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25.
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Reagan was a strong Republican conservative. Many people give him credit for
winning the cold war because he built up the military to a point where the Soviets could no longer
keep up. Of all the presidents during the cold war, it was Reagan who came up with the bold ideas
that finally ended the cold war. Gorbachev agreed to an end of the cold war because he trusted
Reagan.
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