Background events, 1970 to 1987

 

What is a long-term effect of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979?

1. Communism was strengthened in South Asia.
2. Hostilities between China and India lessened.
3. The influence of militant Islamic groups increased in the region.
4. Tensions along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan were reduced.

 

A study of the fall of the Roman Empire (476) and of the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) shows that powerful empires can

1. lose strength when mercenaries enforce reforms
2. be threatened only when directly attacked by outsiders
3. conquer more than one continent and remain stable
4. be weakened by both internal and external pressures

 

A major development in relations between the Soviet Union and the United States occurred in the late 1980’s when the two nations agreed to

1. purchase all their oil from Mexico
2. withdraw from the United Nations
3. eliminate a group of nuclear missiles
4. ban arms sales to developing nations 

 

During the 1980’s, the Soviet Union experimented with modifications of its command economy by

1. eliminating central planning
2. allowing private ownership of major industries
3. introducing some market economy strategies
4. legalizing independent trade unions 

 

Which is a valid statement about the Soviet Union from the time of the Bolshevik Revolution through 1991?

1. Education has been limited to the communist party elite
2. Demand for consumer goods has exceeded production
3. Military expenditures have been low
4. Industrialization has not occurred 

 

Which heading best completes the partial outline below?

I. ______________________________ A. Fall of Constantinople B. Voyages of Columbus C. Posting of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses D. Collapse of communism in the Soviet Union

 

1. Importance of Revolution
2. War and Rebellion
3. Turning Points in History
4. Effects of Economic Change

 

Which Cold War event occurred last?

1. Cuban missile crisis
2. Korean War
3. fall of the Berlin Wall
4. Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

 

What is a long-term effect of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979?

1. Communism was strengthened in South Asia.
2. Hostilities between China and India lessened.
3. The influence of militant Islamic groups increased in the region.
4. Tensions along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan were reduced.

 

The revolt in Hungary (1956), the demonstrations in Czechoslovakia (1968), and the formation of solidarity in Poland (1980’s) are similar in that they

1. were movements in restore the power of the aristocracy
2. were tolerated by the communist leaders, who accepted the need for change
3. represented a challenge to communist leadership
4. represented attempts to rid these countries of western ideas and influence 

 

“Polish Communist Party Fails in Election Bid”

“Romanians Depose Communist Dictator”

Which is a valid conclusion based on these headlines from the late 1980’s?

1. military buildups are continuing in Eastern Europe
2. planned economies in Eastern Europe have become increasingly successful
3. demands for democracy ended many totalitarian governments in Eastern Europe
4. the Soviet Union stopped independence efforts in Eastern Europe 

 

“The Soviet Union Splits into 15 Republics”

“Yugoslavia Experiences Internal Conflict”

“Germany Reunifies”

Which conclusion do these three headlines suggest?

1. communism remains an important force in Europe
2. many Western European nations are experiencing civil war
3. international sanctions strengthen a nation’s ability to govern
4. the forces of nationalism can either divide of unite a nation 

 

The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 is symbolic of the

1. end of the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe
2. declining power of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
3. fall of the Weimar Republic
4. collapse of the European Union

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Mikhail Gorbachev (perestroika and glasnost)

 

The goal of Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost was to

1. expand collectivization and communes
2. resume development of Soviet nuclear weapons
3. stimulate economic growth and political discussion
4. stop expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty

 

Mikhail Gorbachev contributed to the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe by

1. introducing the policies of perestroika and glasnost
2. violating nuclear arms agreements
3. invading Afghanistan
4. signing the Camp David Accords

 

One way in which Vladimir Lenin’s New Economic Policy and Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of perestroika are similar is that both

1. allowed elements of capitalism within a communist economic system
2. strengthened their country’s military defenses
3. supported censorship of news and of personal correspondence
4. increased tensions during the Cold War

 

 

Which action occurred in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev?

1. Peasants were forced onto collective farms.
2. Citizens experienced more personal freedoms under glasnost.
3. The United States and the Soviet Union ended diplomatic relations.
4. The Soviet government increased its control over the Orthodox Church.

 

Prior to the 1980’s, the emphasis of the Five-Year Plans in the Soviet Union was on heavy industry. One result was the

1. scarcity of consumer goods

2. abundance of manufactured goods

3. rejection of agricultural planning

4. decline in military spending

 

The goal of Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost was to

1. expand collectivization and communes
2. resume development of Soviet nuclear weapons
3. stimulate economic growth and political discussion
4. stop expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty

 

In the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempts to change the Soviet Union resulted in

1. an increase in tensions between India and theSoviet Union
2. a strengthening of the Communist Party
3. a shift from producing consumer goods toproducing heavy machinery
4. a series of economic and political reforms

 

In the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP) and Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of Perestroika both sought to

1. increase spending of nuclear weapons

2. strengthen central planning

3. increase production through individual enterprise

4. reduce the influence of middle-class farmers 

 

During the 1980’s in the Soviet Union, a major element of the economic policy of Perestroika was

1. increased collectivization of farms

2. more reliance on local and regional decision making

3. the expanded use of national Five-Year plans

4. an emphasis on the redistribution of wealth 

 

The events that led to the overthrow of Czar Nicholas II in 1917 and to the forced resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 show that

1. economic crises often lead to political change

2. Russian absolutism continued into the 1990’s

3. international conflicts often strengthen the power of leaders

4. Russia is an ethnically unified nation 

 

Events in both Eastern Europe in the early 1900’s and in the Soviet Union in the late 1980’s were mainly the result of

1. movements toward the repression of individual rights

2. declines in the use of advanced technology

3. the influence of religion on government

4. challenges by ethnic groups desiring independence 

 

One way in which Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Nelson Mandela are similar is that each

1. led the people of his nation toward a more democratic government
2. fought for power for the black majority over the white minority
3. worked to end communism in his country
4. refused to participate in the United Nations

 

During the late 1980’s, the Soviet Union experienced internal unrest mainly as a result of

1. widespread protests against involvement in Afghanistan

2. a lack of raw materials and natural resources

3. a failure to use modern technology in the military

4. increased demands of minority ethnic groups 

 

During the presidency of Mikhail Gorbachev, which problem faced the Soviet Union?

1. ethnic minorities demanded the right of self-determination

2. agricultural production grew faster than food consumption

3. the nations of Eastern Europe insisted that the Soviet Union keep troops in Eastern Europe

4. Western European nations refused to trade with the Soviet Union 

 

During the 1980’s, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced Perestroika in the Soviet Union to

1. improve the economy and decentralize decision making

2. abandon arms treaties with the United States and Western Europe

3. tighten government controls over the communication media

4. suppress the growing nationalist movements in Eastern Europe 

 

Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms of perestroika and glasnost resulted in

1. an era of world peace and Soviet prosperity
2.  conditions that helped lead to the breakup of the Soviet Union
3.  a successful transition to a command economy in Russia
4.  censorship of the news media in Russia

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Fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany—causes and impacts

 

The destruction of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union signify the

1. end of the Cold War
2. collapse of the Taliban
3. strength of the Warsaw Pact
4. power of the European Union

 

This 1989 photograph symbolizes the

1. end of the Cold War
2. importance of the Berlin airlift
3. creation of a divided Germany
4. fear of Nazism among Germans

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 Ethnic conflict in former satellite states, e.g., Kosovo, Bosnia

After the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Soviet Union, new nations were formed. Which generalization accurately reflects the effect of the breakup on these new nations?

1. new nations are generally too poor and weak to become active members of the United Nations
2. new nations rarely use their limited resources to wage war
3. national and ethnic differences often lead to instability and violence in new nations
4. self-determination generally leads to democratic forms of government in new nations 

 

Which statement best describes an impact of topography on eastern Europe?

1. Many different languages, religions, and customs developed.
2. A Russian czar ruled the area as a single empire.
3. An extensive single-crop agricultural system emerged.
4. Neighbors who were more powerful could not invade the region.

 

Which conclusion about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) can be drawn from this 1994 cartoon?

 

 

1. NATO did not react quickly enough to the crisis in Bosnia.
2. Bosnia and NATO continue to disagree about the causes of the civil war.
3. NATO's actions have allowed communism to take advantage of the destruction of Bosnia.
4. The United States will probably withdraw from NATO as a result of the Bosnian crisis. 

 

The wars that took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria in the 1960’s and in Rwanda and Somalia in the early 1990’s are similar in that these wars were caused in part by disputes

1. over water sources
2. over oil and mineral rights
3. between ethnic groups
4. between communist and noncommunist forces 

 

The governments of Augusto Pinochet, Saddam Hussein, and Slobodan Milosevic are examples of

1. absolute monarchies
2.  oppressive regimes
3.  democratic republics
4. Islamic theocracies

 

During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Soviet Union experienced ethnic tensions that were most similar to those experienced by

1. Japan in the early 17th century
2. Austria-Hungary in the late 19th century
3. Spain in the mid-18th century
4. Cuba in the late 20th century

 

One result of the collapse of the Soviet Union has been that

1. some former republics have reorganized the Warsaw Pact
2. ethnic violence has broken out in some regions
3. an era of peace and stability has emerged in most of the former republics
4. the republics have made an east transition to a market economy 

 

The initial reaction of the Russian government to the fighting that broke out in Chechnya in the 1990’s demonstrated that Russia

1. is unwilling to grant independence to dissenting ethnic groups
2. has little control over its arsenal of nuclear weapons
3. will defend its remaining republics against foreign invasion
4. favors reestablishing communism

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Changing political boundaries

 

“Germany Recognizes the Independence of Slovenia”

“United States Establishes Diplomatic Relations with Croatia”

“Latvia Joins the United Nations”

These headlines illustrate the

1. collapse of the governments of these nations
2. strength of the Russia Empire
3. beginning of a united Europe
4. increase in international support for self-determination 

 

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the major problems in Eastern Europe and Russia have primarily resulted from the

1. high rate of illiteracy found in most of these nations
2. refusal of government leaders to allow foreign investments
3. switch from a command economy to a free-market economy
4. unwillingness of the industrialized nations to provide advisors 

 

In both former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, the desire for self-determination is resulting in increased

1. collectivization
2. ethnic conflict
3. economic equality
4. educational opportunities 

 

One reason for the collapse of the Communist economic system in Eastern Europe during the early 1990’s was that this system

1. lacked adequate incentives to maintain high productivity
2. used the principles of mercantilism
3. encouraged laissez-faire practices and policies 
4. relied on the outdated law of supply and demand

 

What has the end of communism in the Soviet Union caused many countries in Eastern Europe to do?

1. shift to a command economy
2. maintain a communist form of government
3. pursue free-market economic policies
4. join the Warsaw Pact

 

The histories of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and  Finland have been greatly affected by their

1. proximity to Russia
2. abundant oil reserves
3. aggressive foreign policies
4. alliances with Israel

 

In the 30 years after World War II, which area was most influenced by the Soviet Union?

1. Southeast Asia
2. North Africa
3. Eastern Europe
4. Central America

 

Which statement best describes the political situation in Eastern Europe during the 1980’s?

1. nationalism has often been a strong force for change
2. communist governments have gained power through democratic elections
3. ethnic rivalries have been eliminated throughout the region
4. United States influence has been used to keep communist governments in power

Which conclusion about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) can be drawn from this 2002 map

1. NATO was considering including more former Soviet satellite countries as members.
2. NATO had fewer members than the Warsaw Pact.
3. NATO does not admit new members.
4. NATO has included many Asian members

 

 

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Challenges faced by post-communist Russia—the world of Boris Yeltsin 

The main idea of this 1990s cartoon is that Russia is

1. deciding between a capitalist or a communist system
2. attempting to restore military power
3. expressing concern about how the rest of the world views its government
4. maintaining a balance between a civilian and a military government

 

In the 1990’s under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin, Russia attempted to become

1. a democracy with a market economy

2. a dictatorship with a command economy

3. an autocracy practicing mercantilism

4. an oligarchy based on serfdom

 

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s, Russia has attempted to build an economic system based on

1. a return to feudalism

2. the ideas of Marx and Lenin

3. the writings of Mao Zedong

4. free-market a system