AP Modern World History Flashcards: The Cold War
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
How did the Non-Aligned Movement challenge the Cold War's bipolar order?
The Non-Aligned Movement challenged the existing order by promoting alternatives to the economic, political, and social systems of the two superpowers.
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How did the Non-Aligned Movement challenge the Cold War's bipolar order?
The Non-Aligned Movement challenged the existing order by promoting alternatives to the economic, political, and social systems of the two superpowers.
What was the Non-Aligned Movement?
The Non-Aligned Movement was a group of nations that opposed the existing global order and promoted alternatives to siding with either the U.S. or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
What was a key effect of the ideological struggle between the two superpowers?
A key effect was the expansion of the power struggle between capitalism and communism to a global scale, influencing nations worldwide.
What major event caused the global balance of power to shift, setting the stage for the Cold War?
The global balance of economic and political power shifted during and after World War II, which led to the Cold War.
Describe the global political structure immediately following World War II.
Following World War II, the global political structure rapidly evolved into a bipolar system dominated by two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
What were the two superpowers that emerged after World War II, leading to the Cold War?
The democratic United States and the authoritarian communist Soviet Union emerged as superpowers after World War II.
How did the rise of the US and USSR as superpowers affect the rest of the world?
Their rise as superpowers led to an ideological conflict and a power struggle between capitalism and communism that extended across the globe.
Identify the two opposing political and economic systems at the center of the Cold War.
The two opposing systems were the democracy and capitalism of the United States and the authoritarian communism of the Soviet Union.
What was the primary cause of the ideological struggle that defined the Cold War?
The primary cause was the emergence of the U.S. and the Soviet Union as superpowers with conflicting ideologies, leading to a global power struggle.
What was the central ideological conflict of the Cold War?
The central ideological conflict was a power struggle between the capitalism of the United States and the communism of the Soviet Union.