Revision Session
THE COLD WAR
Paper One – 2 Hours
The Big Picture
Part One – 50 mins
Section B – The Cold War
1945 -75
Who was to blame for the
Cold War?
Who won the Cuban
Missile Crisis?
Why did the USA fail in
Vietnam?
Part Two 70 mins
Depth Study – Causes and Events
of the 1st World War 1890 -1918
Why was there increasing tension
between the Great Powers, 1890–
1914?
Why did the First World War break
out in 1914?
What happened on the Western
Front?
How important were the other
fronts?
Paper One – Part One
The Big Picture
50 mins
Section B – The Cold War 1945 -75
Who was to blame for
Who won the Cuban
Why did the USA fail in
the Cold War?
Missile Crisis?
Vietnam?
Why did the USA-USSR
How did the USA react to Why did the USA get
alliance begin to break
the Cuban Revolution?
increasingly involved in
down in 1945?
Why did Khrushchev put
Vietnam?
How had the USSR gained missiles into Cuba?
What were the different
control of Eastern Europe
Why did Kennedy react as ways that the USA and the
by 1948?
he did?
Communists fought the
How did the USA react to Who won the Cuban
war?
Soviet expansionism?
Missile Crisis?
Whose tactics were the
Who was more to blame
most effective – the USA’s
for the start of the Cold
or the Communists’?
War, the USA or the USSR?
Why did the USA
withdraw from Vietnam?
www.historytl.com
The Cold War
 Why did the USA-USSR
alliance begin to break
down in 1945?
 How had the USSR gained
control of Eastern Europe
by 1948?
 How did the USA react to
Soviet expansionism?
 Who was more to blame
for the start of the Cold
War, the USA or the
USSR?
Why did the USA-USSR alliance begin to break down in 1945?
 Think of 3 reasons why
these 2 countries were
suspicious of each other
in 1945
 1.
 2.
 3.
 Think of 3 reasons why these 2
 You are going to focus on
 Communism v Capitalism
this question:
 Explain why the USA
was hostile to the
USSR in the years
1945-49 (8 marks)
countries were suspicious of
each other at this time.
 Rivalry of Superpowers
 They were only allies to
defeat Hitler; once that
was done, they had no
reason to work together
 You now have started to
answer the question
 2 Conferences were held
to plan what would
happen to Europe after
the war ended.
 One was at Yalta and the
second was at Potsdam
 These conferences
might give you the
reasons why the USA
was hostile to the
USSR
Explain why the USA was hostile to the USSR in
the years 1945-49 (8 marks)
Yalta
Potsdam
Germany
Leaders
Eastern
Europe
Put the statements in the right boxes
Germany to be divided into 4 zones; USSR wanted compensation
from Germany; President Truman; Eastern Europe to be seen as
under Soviet influence; President Roosevelt; USSR to move its
border into Poland; USA adopted a “get tough” attitude; Roosevelt
seemed pro-Russian
Why did the USA-USSR alliance begin to break down in
1945?
Yalta
Potsdam
Germany
Germany to be divided USSR wanted
into 4 zones
compensation
from Germany
Leaders
President Roosevelt
Roosevelt seemed
pro-Russian
President Truman
USA adopted a “get
tough” attitude
Eastern
Europe
Eastern Europe to be
seen as under Soviet
influence
USSR to move its border
into Poland
Can you remember 2 things that had happened that worried USA /
USSR ? Does this help to answer the question ?
Explain why the USA was hostile to the USSR in the
years 1945-49 (8 marks)
 How had the USSR gained
control of Eastern Europe by
1948?
 Can you think of 3 examples for
your answer ?



Now decide the order you should
put these reasons in.
Explain why the USA was hostile to the USSR in the
years 1945-49 (8 marks)
 How did the USA react to
Soviet expansionism?
 Truman Doctrine
(1947) was …?
 Marshall Plan (1947)
was …?
 Berlin Blockade
(1948-9) was …?
 Complete the sentence
for each one; do these
help you to answer the
question ?
Source Question
 What is the message of
the cartoon ?
Explain why the USA was hostile to the USSR in the
years 1945-49 (8 marks)

Give 3 reasons the
USA could be
blamed for this
hostility

1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Give 3 reasons the
USSR could be
blamed for this
hostility
Explain why the USA was hostile to the USSR in the years
1945-49 (8 marks)
 So now think about what
events you would include
in this answer.
 Any others ?
 Communism
 Disagreements at Yalta /
Potsdam
 Soviet expansion into
Europe
 Berlin blockade
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis?




How did the USA react
to the Cuban
Revolution?
Why did Khrushchev
put missiles into Cuba?
Why did Kennedy react
as he did?
Who won the Cuban
Missile Crisis?
 Historians argue that this
crisis brought the world
closer to nuclear war than
at any time since 1945.
 What is meant by the
Cuban Revolution ?
 Why was the USA worried
?
 Give 3 things the USA did
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis
?
 The Revolution referred
to Castro
 The USA were worried
about the spread of
communism
3 Things
1. Used the CIA to plan
the overthrow of Castro
2. Supported Cuban
exiles
3. Refused to co-operate
with Cuban businesses

Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis
?
 This source refers to the
Bay of Pigs; can you
explain it ?
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis ?
 Why did Khrushchev put
missiles into Cuba?
 Prioritise these reasons.
 Khrushchev offered Castro
missiles as a defence against a
US attack
 Khrushchev believed Kennedy
was inexperienced and could be
bullied
 The missile gap
 Khrushchev wanted to
strengthen his own position in
the USSR
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis ?
 Why did Kennedy react




as he did?
Name 3 possible choices
that Kennedy had.
1.
2.
3.
 Which one does he
choose and why ?
 Was he right to choose
that option?
Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis ?
 What is the message of
the cartoon ?
Why did the USA fail in Vietnam?
 Why did the USA get
increasingly involved
in Vietnam?
 What were the different
ways that the USA and the
Communists fought the
war?
 Whose tactics were the
most effective – the USA’s
or the Communists’?
 Why did the USA
withdraw from Vietnam?
Why did the USA get increasingly involved in Vietnam?
 Use the following to
construct a sentence
which explains why the
USA got involved
 Which one would you put
first ?
 Can you explain them
all?
 Ho Chi Minh
 Containment
 Domino Theory
 Military enthusiasm
What were the different ways that the USA and the Communists
fought the war?
 Fill in a diagram to show how
the Americans fought
 Do the same for the VietCong
USA
Tactics
Whose tactics were the most effective – the USA’s or the
Communists’?
 What is the message of
this source ?
 How does it help to
explain the problems
that the USA faced ?
 Can you name 2 other
problems ?
Why did the USA withdraw from Vietnam?
 What is the message of
this source ?
 Give 3 examples of Anti-
War protests back in the
USA.
 What was the Tet Offensive ? (4
marks)