Your mid-term exam for History 110G is scheduled for Thursday, November 5. It will consist of two sections.
Section 1: Essay
First, you will be expected to answer all four parts of this essay question in detail, drawing from your books and on-line readings. It will be worth 50 percent of your exam grade.
Part I
Define the Cold War as it was understood by its leading advocates in the United States. Identify three important policy statements on how to wage the Cold War. Did everyone agree on how to pursue the United States’ rivalry with the Soviet Union? If not, why not?
Part II
How did the Cold War and McCarthyism change the United States domestically in the late 1940s and early 1950s? Offering examples (one apiece), show how the culture of the Cold War impacted each of these areas: movies, literature, and organized religion.
Part III
Aside from anti-Communism, what values did the United States promote to contrast itself to the Soviet Union during this period? Give an example. Did the U.S. measure up to those values when it came to race relations? Why or why not? Give an example.
Part IV
How did various individuals respond to McCarthyite investigations? Describe the strategies of two. What was the “thaw”? Give two cultural examples from that period.
Section 2: IDs
Second, seven identifications will appear on the exam. They will focus on the readings from weeks one through four. You will be required to answer five of them in paragraphs of four or five sentences each. Each will be worth a maximum of ten points.
PS: Bring a blue book!