Download Study Guide For the Mid-Term Exam – May 2 – 3

HI385 – Cold War – Dr. Hutchinson
Study Guide For the Mid-Term Exam – May 2 – 3-5 PM
Format of the Test:


Short Answer Identification – choose 4 out of 8 options (40%)
Essay Question – choose 1 out of 3 options (60%)
Short Answer Identification: In this section, you will choose four out of eight
different concepts, ideas, individuals, or events, and briefly write (multiple
paragraphs but not multiple pages) about them. Describe the item and its significance
to the history of the Cold War. These choices will be drawn from the Library of Key
Terms.
Essay Question: In this section, you will choose one of three essay question options.
Each essay option will ask you to address a particular aspect of World War II.
Provide specifics in your question, and address the key events, personalities, ideas, or
attitudes that reflect that aspect of World War II.
Topics for the Essay Question:



The Cold War on the Brink: 1955-1963
Life In Cold War America
The End of the Cold War
Studying for the Exam:
A variety of sources can help prepare for the exam. Your class notes should be the
primary source you consult, either taken on your own or drawn from the Key
Terms posted online (one tip is to print out blank copies of the Key Terms and see
if you can fill them in from memory). Your course texts are also helpful in
providing information when you might be uncertain about specific events/issues.
Also, the sources used for the quizzes are also valuable in illustrating the periods
under review for the exam. Use all three in preparing for the exam and you should
be in a position to do well.
Questions To Consider For Each Topic:

The Cold War on the Brink: 1955-1963
o How did new leaders provide new directions for the Cold War after 1952?
What factors contributed to an escalation of the Cold War? How did crises
in Berlin and Cuba bring the United States and the Soviet Union into
dangerous confrontation? What long-term impact did the Cuban Missile
Crisis have on the Cold War?

Life in Cold War America
o How did the Cold War transform American politics? What events and
individuals contributed to an atmosphere of fear during the Red Scare?
What political figures emerged from the period to later shape the Cold
War? In what ways did the Cold War transform America’s society,
culture, and economy?

The Culture of the Cold War
o In what ways did culture become a tool of Washington and Moscow
during the Cold War? How were art, music, sports, and other forms of
cultural expression used to further geopolitical agendas? How did culture
reflect the Cold War, and in what ways did culture move beyond official
control to challenge Cold War values?

The End of the Cold War
o What triggered America’s involvement in the Vietnam War? How did the
Vietnam War impact domestic American politics, and give rise to the
Détente era? What were some of the successes and shortcoming of the
Détente era? How did a Second Cold War emerge in 1980? What factors
caused the collapse of the Soviet Union? What legacies did the Cold War
leave behind?
If you have a question regarding the exam, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected]
Remember! Bring several pens or pencils for the test!