 starter activity
Explain the meaning behind this British cartoon of the 1940s.
 Extension task – can you write a caption?
Did Cold War start as
Second World War ended
 Learning objectives
To identify the strains in the Grand Alliance
To assess the extent that relations had
broken down by the end of WWII
 Your task
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Can you recall 9 key reasons for growing
tensions between the West & USSR? Jot them
down on a piece of paper – but no sneaky
peaking!
Read p.8-10 and list additional reasons why
tensions increased between the West and USSR
during WWII
 Extension – read Gaddis p.15-18 and
evaluate the prospects for peace after WWII
Reasons for growing tensions
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Grand Alliance based on mutual opposition to
Nazi Germany – what would happen when the
war was over?
Opening ‘Second Front’
Post-war settlement, e.g. Poland
Anti-Communist feeling in US, e.g. VP, Truman,
‘If we see that Germany is winning the war we ought to
help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help
Germany, and in that way let them kill as many as
possible’
 Your task
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
Study the factoids on p.11. Your teacher will
give you a photocopy. Highlight in different
colours evidence that might cause or reduce
tension in international relations
 Extension task – how would an orthodox
and a revisionist historian treat this evidence?
Explain who was most responsible for causing
tensions from the perspective of both schools of
thought.
 Extension

Read the extracts your teacher provides.
Highlight in different colours evidence of
origins of Cold War tensions in terms of:
Ideological differences
 Personalities
 Conflicting national interests
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Would you say these historians are orthodox or
revisionist?
 Your task
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On a sheet of flip chart paper draw a line across the
centre and plot how far you think the following factors
were responsible for Cold War tensions by the end of
WWII
Ideological differences
Personalities
Conflicting national interests
Beneath each heading note down the evidence you will
use to support your judgement. Include at least 2 pieces
of evidence and explain its relevance
Level 2 (1-12)
Level 3 (13-18)
Level 4 (19-24)
Your essay is written as a
series of statements with
some development in the
form of mostly accurate
and relevant factual
material
There may be some material
which is broadly descriptive,
lacks depth or which is only
partially relevant to the
question’s focus. Or which
strays from the focus from time
to time.
The analysis is supported by accurate
factual material, which will be mostly
relevant to the question asked.
There is some analysis,
but focus on analytical
development is implicit.
You attempt to make links
between the statements
and the material but this is
not developed very far.
Your answer is broadly
analytical and shows some
understanding of the focus of
the question.
You have written an analytical
response which relates well to the
focus of the question, and shows
some understanding of the key issues
it contains.
 Homework – first essay!

How far do you agree with the view that the
origins of Cold War in 1945 and 1946 owed
much to ideological differences and little to
personalities?
 Plenary
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List 3 reasons why there were strains in the
Grand Alliance by 1945
Give 3 examples of individuals bringing strength
to the Alliance and 3 examples of them causing
tensions
In your opinion which factor was the greatest
cause of Cold War in the 1940s?