GED Social Studies World Wars, the Cold War, and Foreign Policy Summary

In World War II (1939-1945), the Axis Powers were led by Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allied Powers included the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China.

Wrong choices

• France, China, and Canada: France, China, and Canada fought on the Allied side.
• The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union: The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union were the main Allied Powers.
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire were the Central Powers in World War I.

The Cold War (about 1947-1991) was a rivalry between the United States, which supported capitalism and democracy, and the Soviet Union, which supported communism. The two sides never fought each other directly in a full war, which is why it is called "cold." It ended when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Wrong choices

• The United States and Japan: The United States and Japan became allies after World War II.
• Britain and France: Britain and France were allies during the Cold War.
• Germany and Italy: Germany and Italy were not the two sides of the Cold War.

The Marshall Plan (begun in 1948) gave billions of dollars to Western European countries to rebuild after World War II. The United States hoped strong economies would make communism less attractive.

Wrong choices

• A plan to divide Germany into zones: Germany was divided by agreements among the Allies, not by the Marshall Plan.
• A plan to build the Berlin Wall: East Germany built the Berlin Wall in 1961.
• A military alliance between the United States and Western Europe: The military alliance was NATO, formed in 1949.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy then declared war on the United States.

Wrong choices

• The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915: The sinking of the Lusitania was part of the lead-up to World War I.
• Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939: The invasion of Poland started the war in Europe, but the U.S. stayed officially neutral until 1941.
• The Berlin Blockade in 1948: The Berlin Blockade happened after World War II, during the Cold War.

After Pearl Harbor, the government removed Japanese Americans from the West Coast and held them in camps, even though most were citizens and were not charged with any crime. In 1988, Congress formally apologized and paid compensation to survivors.

Wrong choices

• It was an example of isolationism: Isolationism is a foreign policy of staying out of world affairs. Internment was a policy at home.
• It was part of the Marshall Plan: The Marshall Plan was aid to rebuild Europe after the war.
• Voting rights were expanded during wartime: The internment took away people's freedom. It did not expand voting rights.

This statement is the heart of the Truman Doctrine. The United States would help countries such as Greece and Turkey resist communist pressure. This policy of keeping communism from spreading is called containment, and it guided U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.

Wrong choices

• Manifest Destiny, expanding across the continent: Manifest Destiny was a belief about expanding across North America in the 1800s.
• Appeasement, giving in to an aggressor's demands: Truman called for resisting pressure, not giving in to it.
• Isolationism, staying out of world affairs: Truman promised to support other countries, which is the opposite of staying out of world affairs.

Many Americans after World War I wanted to avoid being pulled into future European conflicts. The Senate's refusal to join the League of Nations reflected isolationism, a policy of staying out of world affairs. This view stayed strong until the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Wrong choices

• Imperialism: Imperialism means taking control of other lands. Refusing to join the League was a step away from world affairs.
• Totalitarianism: Totalitarianism is a type of government, not a foreign policy choice by the Senate.
• Containment: Containment was a Cold War policy that came after World War II.