Name: _________________________
Paper 2: Topic 5: Cold War  Review
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Origins of Cold War
o Ideological differences; Mutual suspicion and fear; From wartime allies to post-war enemies
Nature of the Cold War
o Ideological opposition; Superpowers and spheres of influence; Alliances and diplomacy in the Cold War
Development and Impact of the Cold War
o Global spread of the Cold War from its European origins; Cold War policies of containment, brinkmanship, peaceful
coexistence, détente; Role of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement; Role and significance of leaders;
Arms race, proliferation and limitation; Social, cultural and economic impact
Examine the conflicting aims and policies of rival powers
o The Struggle for Europe – USSR, Germany/Berlin, Eastern Europe; Globalization of the Cold War – Asia, Latin
America, Middle East; Competition and Co-Existence
End of the Cold War
o Break-up of Soviet Union: internal problems and external pressures; Breakdown of Soviet control over Central and
Eastern Europe
1940s
1950s
-WWII Conferences/Big 3
-Truman Doctrine
-Marshall Plan
-George Keenan/
Long Telegram
-Berlin Blockade/Airlift
-NATO
-Mao & PRC
-Tito & Yugoslavia
-NSC-68
-Korean war
-Fall of Dien Bien Phu
-SEATO
-Warsaw Pact
-Secret Speech
-Nasser, Egypt, Aswan,
Suez
-Hungarian uprising
-Eisenhower Doctrine
1960s
-Berlin Wall
-Non-Aligned Movement
-U2 Crisis
-Cuban Revolution (Castro)
-Bay of Pigs Invasion
-Cuban Missile Crisis
-Kennedy Doctrine
-Six Day War
-Brezhnev Doctrine
-Prague Spring
-Nixon Doctrine /
Vietnamization
1970s
-Detente
-Yom Kippur War
-Camp David Accords
-Fall of Saigon
-Deng Xiaoping, Four
Modernizations
-Iranian Revolution
-Soviet Invasion of
Afghanistan
1980s
-Solidarity in Poland
-Carter Doctrine
-Gorbachev: Perestroika,
Glasnost, Democratization,
Sinatra Doctrine
-Independence Movements
in Eastern Europe
-Fall of the Berlin Wall
-Tiananmen Square
-Yeltsin & Fall of USSR
Cold War: Yalta and Potsdam 1: The origins of the Cold War – Yalta and Potsdam
Yalta
February 1945
Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill – the BIG THREE
Yalta – southern Soviet Union on the Baltic Sea
Agreement?
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Germany to be divided into 4 zones, as would Berlin – GB, Fr, USA, USSR
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Poland to gain land from Germany, but lose some to USSR
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USSR to declare war on Japan 3 months after the end of European war
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USSR guarantees free elections for Eastern Europe
Changes
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On April 12, 1945 Roosevelt died
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Roosevelt was replaced by Truman – an openly anti-communist
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Truman said he would ‘get tough with the Russians’
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During the Potsdam Conference, Churchill lost the election and was replaced by Attlee
Potsdam
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July – August 1945, outside Berlin. Germany had been defeated
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Change in the Big Three meant that the personalities had changed
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Disagreements at this conference saw the beginnings of the Cold War
Agreement?
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Plans for division of Germany agreed, Germany to pay reparations (USSR), war criminals to be tried, and United Nations set
up
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Truman demanded USSR hold free elections for Eastern Europe
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Stalin angry that Truman didn’t mention the atomic bomb which Stalin secretly knew about
Iron Curtain
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One year later Stalin set up the Iron Curtain
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Term coined by Winston Churchill in speech at Fulton, Missouri in 1946
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Border between East and West Europe – Stalin took control of Eastern Europe to act as a buffer zone to any future invasion
from the West
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The Cold War (in great detail)
1929: Great Depression
1930s: Rise of Totalitarian Dictators (Single-Party States) & Appeasement
World War II: 1939-1945
Big 3 @ Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam Conferences
Truman Doctrine
George Keenan,
Long Telegram &
Article X in Foreign
1947
Marshall Plan
1948
Affairs
1947
NATO
1949
NSC-68
1950
Warsaw Pact
1955
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Policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology
State Department official
Called for a policy of containment toward the Soviet Union & est. the foundation for much of America's early Cold War
foreign policy
Popularized the term "containment"
U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall (Speech at Harvard, June 1947)
Economic Assistance Act
Help the nations of Europe recover and rebuild after the devastation wrought by World War II (and counter forces of
communism)
$13 billion in aid over four years (1948-51)
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
USA, Canada, and Western Europe
Collective security against the Soviet aggression
National Security Council Paper NSC-68
"United States Objectives and Programs for National Security"
Rejected isolationism
Called for a build-up of the U.S. military and its weaponry (conventional & nuclear)
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1948-1949 Berlin Crisis = Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift
US Occupation of Japan: 1945-1952
Establishment of the People’s Republic of China: 1949 (Mao, CCP, PLA)
Korean War: 1950-1953
Fall of Dien Bien Phu (French Indochina): 1954
Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO): 1954
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Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance
Soviet-led political-military alliance in Eastern Europe
Counterweight to NATO
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Speech during closed session of Communist Party
Denunciation of Stalin’s policies  De-Stalinization campaign
Idealized Leninist Model
Any country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened
by armed aggression from another state
Motivated in part by an increase in Arab hostility toward the West, and growing Soviet influence in Egypt and Syria
Vietnam War: 1955-1975
Bandung Conference: 1955 (precursor to Non-Aligned Movement)
Nasser: Aswan Dam, Nationalization of Suez Canal, Suez Crisis: 1956 (Sevres Protocol, UK/France/Israel)
Hungarian Revolution: 1956 (crushed by Soviet troops)
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Khrushchev’s
Secret Speech
1956
Eisenhower
Doctrine
1957
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(Suez Crisis)
Berlin Crisis 1958-1961 / Construction
of the Berlin Wall
U2 Crisis: 1960- Francis Gary Powers
Kennedy Doctrine
Johnson Doctrine
1962
1965
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Cuban Revolution: 1959
Bay of Pigs Invasion (fail): 1961
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Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962
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Formation of the Non-Aligned
Movement: 1961
(Egypt/Nasser, Ghana/Nkrumah,
India/Nehru, Indonesia/ Sukarno,
Yugoslavia/Tito,)
Cold War containment
Focus on Latin America
"Pay any price, bear any burden"
Domestic revolution in the Western Hemisphere would no longer be a local matter when "the object is the
establishment of a Communist dictatorship" (extension of Kennedy Doctrine)
Détente: 1960s & 1970s (Limited Test Ban Treaty, SALT I, ABM Treaty, Helsinki Accords)
Six Day War: 1967, UNSC Resolution 242
Prague Spring (Czechoslovakia):1968
Brezhnev Doctrine
1968
Nixon Doctrine
1969
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USSR’s policy of combating "anti-socialist forces"
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U.S. would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region
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Glasnost  Openness in politics and government (eliminate corruption & gerontocracy)
Perestroika  Restructuring of the economy
Democratization  See Sinatra Doctrine
Policy of allowing neighboring Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs
“The sovereignty of each socialist country cannot be opposed to the interests of the world of socialism”
US expects its Asian allies to tend to their own military defense
“Vietnamization”
Yom Kippur War: 1973, UNSC Resolution 338, Geneva Conference 1973, Camp David Accords 1978
Fall of Saigon: 1975, Deng Xiaoping begins Four Modernizations: 1978
Iranian Revolution: 1979, Soviet Afghan War: 1979-1989 (1980 & 1984 Olympic Boycotts)
Solidarity Movement in Poland: 1980s (Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II)
Carter Doctrine,
NSC-63
Policies of Mikhail
Gorbachev
Sinatra
Doctrine/My Way
1980
1980s
1989
Independence Movements in Eastern Europe: 1989-1991
Fall of the Berlin Wall: 1989
Tiananmen Square Protests and Massacre: 1989
Collapse of the Soviet Union 1991 (Commonwealth of Independent States: CIS, Boris Yeltsin)
Cold War: The USA versus USSR: What were the Ideological Differences Between America and Russia in 1945?
Capitalism v Communism
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Businesses / farms owned by private people
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Profit is good – a reward for risk-bearing
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VERSUS
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Businesses and farms owned by the state and…
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…run by the government for the benefit of all people
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Profit is a form of oppression
Democracy v Dictatorship
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Multi-party system
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Free elections
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Parliament (UK) / Congress (USA) make the laws – separate executive and legislative branches
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VERSUS
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Elections to the ‘Soviets’
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One party only – the Communist party which…
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…rules the country
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Stalin de facto (in fact) an absolute dictator
Freedom v Human Rights
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‘His Majesty’s Opposition’ – minority party in UK
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Protests and demonstrations
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Human rights respected in law
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VERSUS
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Dissidents imprisoned
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KGB arrest grumblers
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The gulag
Free Market v Command Economy
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Laws of supply and demand control production
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Competition keeps prices low and quality up – the weak go out of business
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Strikes and unemployment
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Freedom of choice
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VERSUS
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Workers ordered to a job / area
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Wages and hours fixed by law
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No unemployment – everyone has a job
Equal Opportunity v Equality
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Everyone has a chance to succeed
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Consumer economy
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Great differences in wealth and class – millionaires v poverty
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Private medicine, houses, etc (health care is very good, but very expensive)
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VERSUS
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Poor standard of living – ‘producer’ goods (goods made are good for the producer, not necessarily good for the
consumer) / empty shops
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Fewer very poor people
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Free health care / state-provided housing (health care is poor, but available to everyone)
Free Press v Censorship
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Freedom of speech
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Newspapers, books, radio / tv / films not censored
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Media openly criticize government (Washington Post , New York Times)
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VERSUS
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No freedom of speech
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The media are owned and run by the government
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Censorship and propaganda (Pravda, Izvestia)
Berlin Blockade 1948:
Why did the Blockade happen and what were the
Consequences?
The Berlin Wall 1961:
How Significant was the Berlin Wall and Why was it Built?
Yalta Background
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Had been agreed to split Germany into four zones
between USSR, France, Britain and USA. Berlin
was similarly divided
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In 1948 USA, Britain and France merged their
zones into West Germany and West Berlin
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USA poured large sums of money into West Berlin
Background
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At Yalta, Berlin had been divided into four zones
(just as Germany had been)
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In 1948-49, the Berlin Blockade saw Stalin attempt
to ‘starve’ West Berlin into submission
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Stalin was forced to back down following the
Berlin Airlift
Stalin’s Concerns
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Stalin was convinced this was a capitalist plot to
lure East Germans and East Berliners
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He was angry that he wasn’t consulted about
decisions – such as the new Deutschmark
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Stalin may have thought the US and its allies were
planning to reunite Germany
Differences
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Apart from the Berlin Blockade, those living in
Berlin could travel freely – live in the East and
work in the West and vice versa
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Khrushchev proclaimed that Berlin was being used
by the West as a base for spying and sabotage
Stalin’s Reaction
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June 24, 1948 Stalin ordered all road, rail and canal
routes between West Germany and West Berlin to
be closed
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He hoped to force the US and her allies into
submission
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US reacted strongly, claiming this was Stalin’s first
step in a take-over of Western Europe
Allied Reaction
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The Allies didn’t want to force their way into
Berlin for fear of sparking a war, so they began to
fly supplies in
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Flights began on June 26, reaching a peak of one
every 3 minutes by September 1948
Consequences for USSR
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Stalin couldn’t just shoot the planes down
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He had to eventually back down – on May 12, 1949
he ended the blockade – it was a major
embarrassment
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Stalin realized the USSR needed the atom bomb to
stand up to the US. Atomic testing was increased
Consequences for USA
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Seen as ‘proof’ that the USSR had plans to take
over Europe
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
formed in April 1949 as a result
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Stalin saw this as a deliberate threat
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In 1955 when West Germany joined NATO, the
USSR-led ‘Warsaw Pact’ was formed
Problems
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In reality, he wanted to prevent all the highly
skilled and educated from working in West Berlin
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East Berlin was still suffering badly, whereas West
Berlin was recovering well
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Between 1945-60 it is thought 3 million people
crossed from East to West Berlin
August 13, 1961
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Overnight a well guarded fence was constructed
dividing the city in two
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People were trapped in either East or West Berlin
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The fence was guarded by Red Army machine gun
posts
Concrete Wall
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By August 17th, the barbed wire fence was replaced
with a concrete wall, split only by well guarded
checkpoints
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From 1961 to 1989 nearly 90 people died trying to
cross
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The wall became a symbol of the division between
Communism and Capitalism
Consequences
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In some ways it was a propaganda victory for the
‘West’ – they claimed Communist countries had to
build a wall to imprison people
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However, there was very little the West could do to
stop it – and the wall did serve its purpose
Paper 2 - Topic 5 The Cold War – past exam questions
2011:
 “The Potsdam Conference marked the end of the wartime alliance and laid the foundations for post-war hostility.”
With reference to the period up to 1949, to what extent do you agree with this statement?
 With reference to two countries, each chosen from a different region (excluding the US or the USSR), assess the
social and economic impact of the Cold War.
 In what ways, and with what success, did the US and the USSR attempt to reduce Cold War tensions between
1956 and 1979?
 For what reasons, and with what results, did the Cold War affect the Middle East between 1956 and 1979?
 Compare and contrast the impact of two of the following leaders on the Cold War: Mao; Castro; Kennedy.
 To what extent did (a) ideological and (b) economic factors contribute to the ending of the Cold War?
2012:
 Assess the role of Truman and Stalin in the origins and development of the Cold War.
 “The sovietization of Eastern and Central Europe after the Second World War was undertaken as a defensive
measure by the Soviet Union.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
 Analyse the reasons for, and consequences of, the breakdown of Sino–Soviet relations in the 1950s and 1960s.
 Assess the economic and social impact of superpower involvement in one of the following: Cuba (after 1959);
Congo (after 1960); Afghanistan (after 1979).
 In what ways, and with what significance, did either Kennedy or Reagan influence the development of the Cold
War?
 For what reasons, and in what ways, did Cold War tensions hinder the work of the United Nations?
2013:
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“Post-war enmity was the product of longer term ideological differences.” To what extent do you agree with this
statement on the origins of the Cold War up to 1949?
For what reasons, and with what success, did the United States adopt a policy of containment between 1947 and
1962?
Account for the change in Sino–Soviet relations after the death of Stalin in 1953.
Assess the contribution of one of the following to the development of Cold War tensions: Truman; Mao; Castro.
Analyse the reasons for, and results of, Soviet involvement in the war in Afghanistan (1979–1988).
With reference to two states, each chosen from a different region, examine the cultural impact of the Cold War.
2014:
 “The Conferences of 1945 at Yalta and Potsdam marked both the high point and the breaking point of the wartime
alliance of East and West.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
 In What ways, and with what success, did the US attempt to prevent the global spread of Soviet influence between
1945 and 1962?
 Examine the social and economic impact of the Cold War on two states (excluding the US and USSR) each drawn
from a different region.
 Assess the significance of events in either Korea (1950-1953) or the Congo (1960-1964) on the development of
the Cold War.
 Examine the changing nature of US-Chinese relations between 1949 and 1972.
 Evaluate the role of internal problems in the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Attacking the Paper 2
“Candidate performance in all essay responses could be improved significantly by taking time to plan the answer- where possible
organising the response into suitable themes rather than producing narrative /descriptive accounts. Five to ten minutes drawing up
an essay plan is time well spent despite what many candidates may think in their eagerness to address the question. … There is no
substitute for sound knowledge, as this is the foundation of all good essays answers.”
- MAY 2009 IB Subject Report
Pre-writing:
•
1.
Select Task (Topic 3 & 5)
 Do you understand what you are being asked to do?
 Can you fully address this Task?
2.
5 Minutes to jot down ideas & groupings
 Key names, policies, dates, events, historiography
3.
Develop Thesis  Be Specific
 Address the task
 Explain WHY?
 Introduction & Thesis = 4-6 sentences at most
Writing the Paper 2:
Intro & Thesis
– Strong, argumentative thesis (take a stand)
– Address the task in its entirety
– Can include some background
•
Body Paragraphs
– Organized by argument or theme
– Strong topic sentences
– Historical vocabulary
– ANALYSIS!!!!
– Do not “name drop” historiography out of context
– Avoid narration & description
•
Conclusion
– Restate thesis
– acknowledge limitations and counter-arguments
“The best responses revealed command of chronology, task identification, structure and above all the provision of relevant
historical detail. It cannot be emphasized enough that answers must be supported by reference to historical knowledge.”
– May 2010, History Subject Report
IB Markscheme:
[0 to 7 marks]
for inadequate/ general
material
[8 to 10 marks]
for narrative with
implicit analysis and
assessment of methods
and conditions for “rise
to power”
Implicit = implied,
unspoken
[11 to 13 marks]
Meets 8-10 marks
criteria AND…
[14 to 16 marks]
Meets 11-13 marks
criteria AND…
[17+ marks]
Meets 14-16 marks
criteria AND…
for more exact focus
and explicit assessment
of methods used (e.g.
why they succeeded) and
conditions for “rise to
power”
for a structured,
analytical response
focused on methods and
conditions
for balance and an
extra quality such as
different interpretations
(historiography)
Explicit = overt,
unambiguous
Analytical = logical,
systematic
Extra Quality = Think
AP Expanded Core 
Thesis, Multiple POVs,
insight, comparison/
contrasts, synthesis…
A Note on Historiography (as a component of the Paper 2 essay): If you cannot provide direct historiography, use
indirect phrases such as … Historians have debated … or some historians suggest that … while others suggest that … This
provides the examiner with the knowledge that you know historical debate exists.