GCSEHistoryEdexcelExam QuestionsSuperpower Relations & the Cold WarThe Development of the Cold War, 1947-1955

The Development of the Cold War, 1947-1955 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Exam Questions

19 mins19 questions
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11 mark

What year was the Truman Doctrine announced? 

  • 1945.

  • 1946.

  • 1947.

  • 1948.

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21 mark

What was the main aim of the Marshall Plan?

  • To promote isolationism.

  • To rebuild European economies after the Second World War.

  • To strengthen the Soviet Union.

  • To allow the USA to establish ‘dollar imperialism’.

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31 mark

When did Stalin begin the Berlin Blockade?

  • 1946.

  • 1947.

  • 1948.

  • 1949.

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41 mark

What was the first military alliance formed during the Cold War?

  • NATO.

  • Warsaw Pact.

  • Cominform.

  • Comecon.

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51 mark

When was the Warsaw Pact established?

  • 1950.

  • 1953.

  • 1955.

  • 1957.

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61 mark

Where in Germany was the GDR?

  • West Germany.

  • East Germany.

  • West Berlin.

  • East Berlin.

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71 mark

How long did the Berlin Airlift last?

  • 6 months.

  • 9 months.

  • 11 months.

  • 1 year.

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81 mark

What was Cominform's main purpose?

  • To unify East and West under one ideology.

  • To spread capitalism among the Eastern Bloc.

  • To allow the USSR to control the governments of the satellite states.

  • To promote free trade between Eastern Europe.

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91 mark

Which country was excluded from Cominform due to growing tensions with the Soviet Union? 

  • Yugoslavia.

  • Czechoslovakia.

  • Poland.

  • Hungary.

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101 mark

How much money did the Marshall Plan give to European countries?

  • $12.7 million.

  • $12.7 billion.

  • $13 million.

  • $13 billion.

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11 mark

Which organisation was created as a consequence of the Marshall Plan?

  • NATO.

  • The GDR.

  • Comecon.

  • Warsaw Pact.

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21 mark

What event caused the Berlin Blockade?

  • The USSR built missile sites in Berlin.

  • Protests in East Berlin to be unified with West Berlin.

  • A mass refugee crisis from East Germany.

  • Trizonia introduced a new currency called the Deutschmark.

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31 mark

What was the main consequence of the Berlin Airlift?

  • The reunification of Germany.

  • The creation of the United Nations.

  • The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Berlin.

  • The solidification of the division of Berlin into East and West

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41 mark

Which event is considered the first major crisis of the Cold War? 

  • Cuban Missile Crisis.

  • Berlin Crisis.

  • The Berlin Wall.

  • The Hungarian Uprising.

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51 mark

What was a short-term cause of the Warsaw Pact?

  • The Truman Doctrine.

  • The creation of the United Nations.

  • The Potsdam Conference.

  • West Germany joining NATO.

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11 mark

What was the impact of the Warsaw Pact on Cold War tensions? 

  • It led to the dissolution of NATO, decreasing tensions between East and West.

  • It decreased the likelihood of war as both sides knew that they could not defeat the other.

  • It divided Europe into two armed camps, increasing tensions.

  • It had no impact on tensions as the Western countries refused to acknowledge its existence.

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21 mark

What was the impact of the Berlin Airlift on US-Soviet relations?

  • The Berlin Airlift improved US-Soviet relations as it resolved the tension surrounding who should govern Berlin.

  • The Berlin Airlift worsened US-Soviet relations. The event was a massive victory for the West over the East, humiliating the USSR.

  • The Berlin Airlift worsened US-Soviet relations. The USSR had proven that it had ultimate power over Berlin which the USA had to accept.

  • The Berlin Airlift had no impact on US-Soviet relations. The event caused a stalemate between the USA and the USSR with neither being able to declare dominance over Berlin.

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31 mark

Why did the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan increase Cold War tensions?

  • Stalin believed that it was the role of the United Nations, and not the USA, to provide money to other countries.

  • Stalin saw the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan as a threat to capitalism and the Soviet Union.

  • Stalin called the Marshall Plan ‘pound imperialism’ because of how the USA was trying to expand its ‘empire’ using money. 

  • Stalin was upset that Marshall Aid was not offered to Eastern European countries and the USSR.

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41 mark

Why did Berlin cause continued issues between East and West?

  • Berlin fell into the US territory of Germany. The USA felt that it should govern the whole of Berlin without Soviet influence.

  • Berlin fell into the Soviet territory of Germany. The USSR felt that it should govern the whole of Berlin whereas the Western powers felt it should control part of Berlin.

  • Berlin was the centre of Nazi Germany. Both countries felt they needed to control it to stop the Nazis from taking back control of Germany.

  • Berlin was an important trading hub for the rest of Europe. Both the USSR and the USA wanted to own this trade route.

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