Who was responsible for the
Cold War?
L/O – To evaluate the competing interpretations on
responsibility for the Cold War
Exam Question
• ‘Describe one effect on the relations between the
USA and the Soviet Union of the Potsdam
Conference’ (4 marks)
Level
Descriptor
Simple or generalised statements of consequence – The candidate
Level 1 makes statements which lack any supporting contextual knowledge.
WILL GIVE A CONSEQUENCE OR EFFECT, BUT NO SUPPORTING DETAIL
Level 2
Developed statements of consequence – The candidate supports
their statements with relevant contextual knowledge. WILL MAKE A
STATEMENT GIVING A CONSEQUENCE AND THEN DEVELOPS THIS
STATEMENT BY GIVING EXTRA DETAIL OR EXPLANATION
Mark
1-2
3-4
The Soviet Takeover of Eastern Europe
• After Potsdam, it was clear that Stalin
would use force and terror to create a
‘buffer zone’ in eastern Europe.
• He had gone back on his word to hold
free elections in Poland by arresting
members of the Polish resistance in
March 1945.
• In reality this meant setting up proSoviet Communist governments in the
occupied countries of Eastern Europe.
By 1949, Stalinist governments had been
set-up across Eastern Europe.
The Soviet Takeover of Eastern Europe
The War of Words
• It became increasingly clear
throughout 1946 that Europe had
become divided between capitalist and
communist ‘spheres of influence’.
• Both sides began to compete in a war
of words, blaming each other for
increasing tensions.
• Both Churchill and Stalin publically
clashed, showing that the former allies
now viewed each other with
tremendous suspicion.
The Iron Curtain
• In March 1946, Winston Churchill gave a
speech in Fulton, Missouri. In his speech he
was the first to use the term iron curtain.
“From Stettin, in the Baltic, to
Trieste, in the Adriatic, an iron
curtain has descended across
the continent. Behind that line
… all are subject to a high and
increasing control from
Moscow...”
The Iron Curtain
• The ‘Iron Curtain’ stood for the border
between East and West set up by
Stalin. It soon became a thousand mile
fence making a clear division between
East and West, the division between
communism and capitalism.
• In Dec 1946, Britain and the USA
agreed to unite their German zones for
economic purposes. The Soviets were
furious. Not only had they acted
without agreement from the Soviets,
but they also appeared to be
rebuilding Germany, when Stalin
wanted to keep it weak.
Essentially, Mr. Churchill
now adopts the position of
the warmonger, and in this
Mr. Churchill is not alone.
He has friends not only in
Britain but in the United
States of America as well.
A point to be noted in this
respect is that Mr.
Churchill and his friends
bear a striking
resemblance to Hitler and
his friends.
Stalin’s response to
Churchill’s speech, March
1946
Secret Telegrams
• Truman and Stalin were concerned about
the breakdown of their alliance and the
threat of a new war. Both men asked for
secret reports from their embassies to
help them to understand how their
opponents were thinking.
• The Long Telegram (1946) reported that
Stalin had called for the destruction of
capitalism and USSR was building its
military power.
• Novikov’s Telegram (1946) reported that
America wanted to dominate the world
and was preparing for war.
The Long & Novikov’s Telegram
The Truman Doctrine
• By the end of 1946, the alliance was all
but over. Both sides believed the other
was planning world domination.
• In March 1947, President Truman
addressed the American government,
setting out his belief that America
must stand against communism and
‘contain’ it.
• This became known as the ‘Truman
Doctrine’ – the unofficial declaration
of the Cold War.
Exam Question
• ‘Why had the wartime alliance between the USA
and the Soviet Union broken down by the end of
1946?’ (8 marks)
Level
Descriptor
Simple or generalised statements of causation – The candidate
Level 1
Level 2
makes statements which lack any supporting contextual knowledge or
makes unsupported generalisations.
Developed statements of causation – The candidate supports their
statement with relevant contextual knowledge.
Developed explanation of causation – An explanation of more
Level 3
than one factor supported by selected knowledge. One explained factor
should be marked at the top of Level 2.
Mark
1-2
1 mark for one simple
statement
2 marks for two or more
3-5
3 marks for one developed
statement
4/5 marks for two or more
6-8
6/7 marks for two or more
explained factors
8 marks for answers which
show links between factors