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HIS CW-22 STAR WARS

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 
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. 

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
 

 2. 

Which ethnic group was especially targeted by the Soviet KGB for treasonous activity?
a.
Slavs
c.
Jews
b.
Americans
d.
Christians
 
 
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.
 

 3. 

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
 

 4. 

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
 

 5. 

SALT II was signed by
a.
Carter and Brezhnev
c.
Reagan and Gorbachev
b.
Carter and Andropov
d.
Carter and Gorbachev
 
 

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. 

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
 

 7. 

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
 
 
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."
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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."
 

 8. 

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
 

 9. 

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.
 

 10. 

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
 
 
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. 

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
 

 12. 

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
 

 13. 

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
 
 
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. 

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
 

 15. 

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
 

 16. 

What Soviet leader started the idea of perestroika" (restructuring) and "glasnost" (openness)
a.
Andropov
c.
Gorbachev
b.
Khrushchev
d.
Brezhnev
 
 
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
nar007-2.jpgSoviet Powerplant at Chernobyl explodes killing thousands and spreading radiation throughout Europe
 

 17. 

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
 

 18. 

In the 1985 Geneva summit, Reagan and Gorbachev learned to _____ each other.
a.
respect
c.
distrust
b.
hate
d.
fear
 

 19. 

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
 

 20. 

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
 
 
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.
 

 21. 

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.
 

 22. 

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
 

 23. 

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
 

 24. 

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
 

 25. 

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.
a.
true
b.
false
 



 
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