AMSCO APUSH LATEST 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔George Kennan - ✔✔Helped formulate Truman's containment policy. Expert on
Soviet Affairs, in an influential article he wrote that only "a long-term, patient but firm
and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies" would eventually cause the
Soviets to back off their Communist ideology of world domination and live in peace with
other nations. (p. 563)
✔✔Dean Acheson - ✔✔undersecretary of state who helped formulate Truman's
containment policy (p.
✔✔containment policy - ✔✔In 1947, President Truman adopted the advice of three top
advisers on how to contain Soviet aggression. This policy called for a long-term, firm,
and vigilant containment of the Soviet's expansion tendencies. They believed this would
eventually cause them to back off their Communist ideology of world domination. (p.
563)
✔✔Truman Doctrine - ✔✔This doctrine was in response to a Communist-led uprising
against the government in Greece and Soviet demand for some control of a water route
in Turkey. In 1947, President Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and
military aid to assist Greece and Turkey against totalitarian regimes. (p. 564)
✔✔Marshall Plan - ✔✔A 1947 plan of U.S. economic aid to help European nations
revive their economies and strengthen democratic governments, after the devastation of
World War II. This plan offered $12 billion in aid to western and southern Europe. The
Soviet Union refused to take any of the aid and the result was a deepening rift between
non-Communist West and the Communist East. (p. 564)
✔✔Berlin airlift - ✔✔The Soviets cut off all access by land to West Berlin. The United
States flew planes in with supplies to help the people. At the same time, the U.S. sent
60 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in England. Stalin chose not to
challenge the airlift and war was averted. (p. 564)
✔✔East Germany - ✔✔After World War II, this country was the German Democratic
Republic, a satellite of the Soviet Union. (p. 564)
✔✔West Germany - ✔✔After World War II, this country was the Federal Republic of
Germany, a U.S. ally. (p. 564)
✔✔North Atlantic Treaty Organization - ✔✔A military alliance, commonly known as
NATO. It consists of the United States, Canada, and ten European nations. Its purpose
was to defend Western Europe against outside attack. (p. 565)
, ✔✔National Security Act - ✔✔In 1947, this act provided for 1) a centralized Department
of Defense to coordinate the operations of the military, 2) creation of the National
Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the making of foreign policy in the Cold War, 3)
creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather information
on foreign governments. (p. 566)
✔✔Nuclear arms race - ✔✔Soviet and American scientists were in an arms race to
develop superior weapons systems. From 1945 to 1949 the U.S. was only country to
have atomic bombs. In 1949 the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb. President
Truman responded by approving the development of a hydrogen bomb which would be
1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb. (p. 566)
✔✔NSC-68 - ✔✔A 1950 secret report in which the National Security Council that U.S
must fight the Cold War by:
1) quadruple U.S. defense spending to 20% of GNP
2) form alliances with non-Communist countries
3) convince Americans that a costly arms build up was necessary for defense
(p. 566)
✔✔U.S. - Japanese Security Treaty - ✔✔A 1951 treaty, in which Japan surrendered its
claims to Korea and islands in the Pacific and the U.S. ended formal occupation of
Japan. U.S troops remained on military bases in Japan to protect it from external
enemies. (p. 567)
✔✔Douglas MacArthur - ✔✔Popular general who aggressively directed American forces
during the Korean War. He clashed with President Truman, who removed him from
command in 1951. (p. 566)
✔✔Chinese civil war - ✔✔The war between Communist Mao Zedong and Nationalist
Chiang-Kai Shek. The United States gave $400 million in aid to the Nationalists, but 80
percent of it landed in Communist hands. The Communists took over China and forced
the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. The U.S. did not recognize the People's Republic
of China until 1979. (p. 567)
✔✔Chiang Kai-shek - ✔✔Nationalist leader of China, forced out of China by the
Communists. He retreated to Taiwan, where the U.S. continued to support him. (p. 567)
✔✔Taiwan - ✔✔When the Communists took control of the China mainland, the
Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek were forced to retreat to this island. (p. 567)
✔✔Mao Zedong - ✔✔The Communist leader of the People's Republic of China. He
overthrew Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists. (p. 567)
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔George Kennan - ✔✔Helped formulate Truman's containment policy. Expert on
Soviet Affairs, in an influential article he wrote that only "a long-term, patient but firm
and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies" would eventually cause the
Soviets to back off their Communist ideology of world domination and live in peace with
other nations. (p. 563)
✔✔Dean Acheson - ✔✔undersecretary of state who helped formulate Truman's
containment policy (p.
✔✔containment policy - ✔✔In 1947, President Truman adopted the advice of three top
advisers on how to contain Soviet aggression. This policy called for a long-term, firm,
and vigilant containment of the Soviet's expansion tendencies. They believed this would
eventually cause them to back off their Communist ideology of world domination. (p.
563)
✔✔Truman Doctrine - ✔✔This doctrine was in response to a Communist-led uprising
against the government in Greece and Soviet demand for some control of a water route
in Turkey. In 1947, President Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and
military aid to assist Greece and Turkey against totalitarian regimes. (p. 564)
✔✔Marshall Plan - ✔✔A 1947 plan of U.S. economic aid to help European nations
revive their economies and strengthen democratic governments, after the devastation of
World War II. This plan offered $12 billion in aid to western and southern Europe. The
Soviet Union refused to take any of the aid and the result was a deepening rift between
non-Communist West and the Communist East. (p. 564)
✔✔Berlin airlift - ✔✔The Soviets cut off all access by land to West Berlin. The United
States flew planes in with supplies to help the people. At the same time, the U.S. sent
60 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in England. Stalin chose not to
challenge the airlift and war was averted. (p. 564)
✔✔East Germany - ✔✔After World War II, this country was the German Democratic
Republic, a satellite of the Soviet Union. (p. 564)
✔✔West Germany - ✔✔After World War II, this country was the Federal Republic of
Germany, a U.S. ally. (p. 564)
✔✔North Atlantic Treaty Organization - ✔✔A military alliance, commonly known as
NATO. It consists of the United States, Canada, and ten European nations. Its purpose
was to defend Western Europe against outside attack. (p. 565)
, ✔✔National Security Act - ✔✔In 1947, this act provided for 1) a centralized Department
of Defense to coordinate the operations of the military, 2) creation of the National
Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the making of foreign policy in the Cold War, 3)
creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather information
on foreign governments. (p. 566)
✔✔Nuclear arms race - ✔✔Soviet and American scientists were in an arms race to
develop superior weapons systems. From 1945 to 1949 the U.S. was only country to
have atomic bombs. In 1949 the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb. President
Truman responded by approving the development of a hydrogen bomb which would be
1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb. (p. 566)
✔✔NSC-68 - ✔✔A 1950 secret report in which the National Security Council that U.S
must fight the Cold War by:
1) quadruple U.S. defense spending to 20% of GNP
2) form alliances with non-Communist countries
3) convince Americans that a costly arms build up was necessary for defense
(p. 566)
✔✔U.S. - Japanese Security Treaty - ✔✔A 1951 treaty, in which Japan surrendered its
claims to Korea and islands in the Pacific and the U.S. ended formal occupation of
Japan. U.S troops remained on military bases in Japan to protect it from external
enemies. (p. 567)
✔✔Douglas MacArthur - ✔✔Popular general who aggressively directed American forces
during the Korean War. He clashed with President Truman, who removed him from
command in 1951. (p. 566)
✔✔Chinese civil war - ✔✔The war between Communist Mao Zedong and Nationalist
Chiang-Kai Shek. The United States gave $400 million in aid to the Nationalists, but 80
percent of it landed in Communist hands. The Communists took over China and forced
the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. The U.S. did not recognize the People's Republic
of China until 1979. (p. 567)
✔✔Chiang Kai-shek - ✔✔Nationalist leader of China, forced out of China by the
Communists. He retreated to Taiwan, where the U.S. continued to support him. (p. 567)
✔✔Taiwan - ✔✔When the Communists took control of the China mainland, the
Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek were forced to retreat to this island. (p. 567)
✔✔Mao Zedong - ✔✔The Communist leader of the People's Republic of China. He
overthrew Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists. (p. 567)
