Quiz for Sources for America’s History, Chapter 25

Question

1. In his long telegram to the Secretary of State in 1946 (Document 25-1), the American diplomat George Kennan wrote, “Soviet power, unlike that of Hitlerite Germany, is neither schematic nor adventuristic. It does not work by fixed plans. It does not take unnecessary risks. Impervious to logic of reason, and it is highly sensitive to logic of force. For this reason it can easily withdraw—and usually does—when strong resistance is encountered at any point. . . . Thus, if the adversary has sufficient force and makes clear his readiness to use it, he rarely has to do so.” Kennan’s analysis became the basis for which of the policies pursued by the Truman administration in the late 1940s?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. Kennan’s suggestion that the United States would need to apply strong counterforce to every situation in which the Soviet Union attempted to extend its reach became the basis for containment, which defined America’s evolving stance toward the Soviet Union in the Cold War years.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Kennan’s suggestion that the United States would need to apply strong counterforce to every situation in which the Soviet Union attempted to extend its reach became the basis for containment, which defined America’s evolving stance toward the Soviet Union in the Cold War years.

Question

2. Walter Lippmann, in his 1947 book Cold War: A Study in U.S. Foreign Policy (Document 25-2), disagreed with which of the following elements of George Kennan’s analysis of the Soviet Union in the postwar world?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is d. Lippmann argued that Kennan had overlooked the Soviet Union’s history as the Russian Empire and failed to see that its post-World War II actions would not take place “at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points,” but specifically in territory that Russia had previously controlled. “Instead of seeking ‘to contain’ the Soviet Union all over the Eurasian continent,” Lippmann suggested, “American diplomatic effort should be concentrated on the problem created by the armistice—which is on how the continent of Europe can be evacuated by the three non-European armies which are now inside Europe.”
Incorrect. The answer is d. Lippmann argued that Kennan had overlooked the Soviet Union’s history as the Russian Empire and failed to see that its post-World War II actions would not take place “at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points,” but specifically in territory that Russia had previously controlled. “Instead of seeking ‘to contain’ the Soviet Union all over the Eurasian continent,” Lippmann suggested, “American diplomatic effort should be concentrated on the problem created by the armistice—which is on how the continent of Europe can be evacuated by the three non-European armies which are now inside Europe.”

Question

3. As quoted by Max Lerner in Document 25-3, according to Senator Wherry, what made homosexual men who were employed in U.S. government positions a threat to national security in the 1950s?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. Wherry, like many Americans in the 1950s, believed that because homosexuals were typically closeted, their need to keep their sexuality a secret made them more vulnerable to blackmail. That vulnerability, policymakers suggested, made gay men a potential threat to U.S. national security.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Wherry, like many Americans in the 1950s, believed that because homosexuals were typically closeted, their need to keep their sexuality a secret made them more vulnerable to blackmail. That vulnerability, policymakers suggested, made gay men a potential threat to U.S. national security.

Question

4. Which of the following statements serves as evidence that the senators in this federal report (Document 25-3) balanced privacy and civil rights concerns with national security interests?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is a. While the committee recommended a more vigorous and thorough effort to purge the government of “sex perverts,” they wanted the process to take place according to “the traditional American concepts of justice and fair play.” To that end, they suggested that no dismissals take place until after a thorough review; that accused employees be informed of the charges against them so that they might have a chance to respond to them; and that an outside review board be established where dismissed employees could appeal their dismissal.
Incorrect. The answer is a. While the committee recommended a more vigorous and thorough effort to purge the government of “sex perverts,” they wanted the process to take place according to “the traditional American concepts of justice and fair play.” To that end, they suggested that no dismissals take place until after a thorough review; that accused employees be informed of the charges against them so that they might have a chance to respond to them; and that an outside review board be established where dismissed employees could appeal their dismissal.

Question

5. The case made by John Foster Dulles in his essay, “The Evolution of Foreign Policy” (Document 25-5), justified which of the following elements of Dwight Eisenhower’s approach to the Cold War?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is c. The Eisenhower administration aimed to limit the costs of containment and implemented its “New Look” defense policy in order to do so. The new approach cut expensive conventional military forces and relied on the nation’s nuclear arsenal instead. It also stepped up production of the hydrogen bomb and developed long-range bombing capabilities.
Incorrect. The answer is c. The Eisenhower administration aimed to limit the costs of containment and implemented its “New Look” defense policy in order to do so. The new approach cut expensive conventional military forces and relied on the nation’s nuclear arsenal instead. It also stepped up production of the hydrogen bomb and developed long-range bombing capabilities.

Question

6. During the 1950s and 1960s, the nation’s civil defense offices issued hundreds of advertisements such as the “The Family Fallout Shelter: Your One Defense Against Fallout” advertisement (Document 25-6). Propaganda like these were designed to promote a civilian counterpart to which of the following military plans?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is d. After the Soviet Union tested its first atomic weapon in 1949, the United States reassessed its position in the postwar world. In April 1950, the National Security Council issued NSC-68, which urged a crash program to maintain America’s nuclear edge, including the development of a hydrogen bomb, and increased taxes to finance “a bold and massive program of rebuilding the West’s defensive potential to surpass that of the Soviet World.” As it sought to respond to the development of Soviet nuclear capabilities with the creation of more nuclear weapons, the United States also began to promote civilian defense, urging Americans to respond to the Soviet threat through preparedness and the building of family shelters.
Incorrect. The answer is d. After the Soviet Union tested its first atomic weapon in 1949, the United States reassessed its position in the postwar world. In April 1950, the National Security Council issued NSC-68, which urged a crash program to maintain America’s nuclear edge, including the development of a hydrogen bomb, and increased taxes to finance “a bold and massive program of rebuilding the West’s defensive potential to surpass that of the Soviet World.” As it sought to respond to the development of Soviet nuclear capabilities with the creation of more nuclear weapons, the United States also began to promote civilian defense, urging Americans to respond to the Soviet threat through preparedness and the building of family shelters.