The Cold War: two blocs, a divided Berlin and how it ended

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to D, all summaries in our words, written today. Card A (Cuba): In October 1962 Soviet missiles were secretly placed in Cuba. US planes photographed the sites on October 14, and on October 22 the United States ordered a naval quarantine. The missiles were removed under United Nations supervision, and the United States pledged not to invade Cuba. The United States also planned to remove its own missiles from Turkey, a part kept out of the public deal. The State Department's historians call it the closest the superpowers came to nuclear conflict. Card B (the wall): On August 13, 1961, a barbed-wire fence went up overnight between West and East Berlin on the orders of East German leader Walter Ulbricht. The wall divided families. It stayed until November 9, 1989. Card C (the Warsaw Pact): The Warsaw Treaty Organization was used to contain dissent in Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Poland in 1981. East Germany left in September 1990, and the Pact was disbanded in 1991. Card D (the founding of the blocs): The Brussels Treaty was signed in March 1948. On June 24, 1948, the Berlin blockade began. The North Atlantic Treaty followed in 1949, agreeing that an attack on one is an attack on all. Greece and Turkey joined NATO in 1952, and West Germany joined in May 1955. The Warsaw Pact was established on May 14, 1955, as a counterbalance to NATO.

2. 1.

   Card A says the Turkey missiles were kept out of the public deal. Ari asks what that does to a source that reports only the public deal.

   • It is outdated, since the terms changed after October 28
   • It is complete, since card A lists the pledge not to invade Cuba
   • It leaves out part of the bargain, so it cannot show the full terms
   • It is false, since a public deal and a secret one cannot both exist
3. 2.

   Card C says the Warsaw Pact was used to contain dissent in 1956, 1968 and 1981. Esme asks what a reader should check about "contain dissent."

   • That the Pact was formed in order to do this, since the card says it was used so
   • That East Germany joined in 1990, since card C gives that year for it
   • That the members agreed to each action, since the Pact was a treaty among them
   • Whose wording it is, and what happened in each country behind the phrase
4. 3.

   A student says NATO formed because of the Berlin blockade. What does card D show, Jun asks?

   • The Brussels Treaty of March 1948 came before the blockade, so other reasons existed
   • It holds in part, since the blockade was the sole danger NATO's members named
   • It holds, since the North Atlantic Treaty came after the blockade and answered it
   • It fails, since the blockade began after NATO was signed in 1949, so it could not be the cause
5. 4.

   Card D says West Germany joined NATO in May 1955 and the Warsaw Pact formed on May 14. Kira asks what the order supports.

   • A reaction to West Germany is plausible, but card D says counterbalance to NATO
   • It formed just because of West Germany, since West Germany joined days before
   • It formed to attack West Germany, as the close timing of the two events shows
   • It formed after Greece and Turkey joined NATO in 1952, so it answered them
6. 5.

   A student says the Cuban crisis ended because the US gave up nothing. What does card A show, Luz asks?

   • The US removed its missiles from Turkey before the quarantine of October 22
   • The US gave up nothing, since just the Soviet missiles left Cuba in public
   • The US pledged not to invade Cuba and planned to pull its Turkey missiles
   • The Soviets pledged not to invade Cuba, and the US removed missiles under UN watch
7. 6.

   Milo compares Cuba in 1962 (card A) with the wall in 1961 (card B). Which statement is fair?

   • Both ended in a deal, since each crisis ended without a war between the superpowers
   • The wall ended the Cuban crisis, since it went up before the quarantine
   • Cuba ended in a deal; the wall was built by one side and stood 28 years
   • Berlin ended in a pledge not to invade, as in Cuba, since both crises came in 1961 and 1962
8. 7.

   Turkey appears in cards A and D. Noah asks what the two cards together show about Turkey.

   • Turkey joined NATO after the Cuban crisis, which is why the missiles were removed
   • Turkey joined the Warsaw Pact in 1955, so Soviet missiles there were part of the bargain
   • Turkey joined NATO in 1952, and in 1962 US missiles there were part of the Cuba bargain
   • Turkey caused the Cuban crisis, since it had joined NATO and hosted missiles in 1962
9. 8.

   Pia compares NATO and the Warsaw Pact in card D. What does the card's wording show?

   • They were alike in their wording, since both formed in reply to a threat
   • The Pact pledged mutual defense and NATO was the counterbalance, as the card words them
   • Both were alliances; NATO pledged mutual defense, the Pact balanced NATO
   • NATO formed after the Pact, so NATO was the counterbalance to the Pact
10. 9.

    The wall stood from August 1961 to November 1989. Tala asks what the span can show.

    • Families were kept apart for the full 28 years, since the wall divided families
    • A division lasting 30 years, since the wall went up in 1959 and fell in 1989
    • The wall's fall caused the Cold War's end, since it came last of the events
    • A division lasting 28 years, though not how Berliners lived day to day
11. 10.

    Card C lists Pact actions in 1956, 1968 and 1981. Zee asks what that spread of 25 years shows.

    • A pattern of one case in 12 years, since 36 years divided by 3 cases is 12
    • The pattern ended in 1981 because the Pact collapsed then and stopped acting
    • Each member state revolted at some point, since three are listed as examples
    • A pattern over 25 years, though each case may have had its own causes