Alliance: Cold War Essay

ORIGINS OF COLD WAR
ESSAY REVIEW

Relevant IB Objectives

1. Origins of the Cold War a. Ideological differences b. Mutual suspicion and fear c. From wartime allies to post-war enemies 2. Nature of the Cold War a. Ideological opposition b. Superpowers and spheres of influence c. Alliances and diplomacy in the Cold War 3. Development and impact of the Cold War a. Role and significance of leaders b. Social, cultural, and economic impact 4. Material for detailed study • Wartime conferences: Yalta and Potsdam • US policies and developments in Europe: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO • Soviet policies, Sovietization of Eastern and Central Europe, COMECON • Germany (especially Berlin (1945‑61)), Korea • Stalin, Truman

Past Essay Questions
I. Origins of Cold War 1. ‘Ideological differences played little part in the origin of the Cold War.’ How far do you agree with this judgment? (2000) 2. Assess the part played by differing ideologies in the origin of the Cold War. (2005) 3. “The Cold War was caused by fear, not aggression.” To what extent does this view explain how the Cold War developed between 1945 and 1949? (2001) 4. To what extent did events in the final year of the Second World War turn wartime allies into Cold War enemies? (2004) 5. “An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common enemy.” To what extent does this statement explain the origin of the Cold War? (2006) 6. Analyse the origin of East-West rivalry and explain why it developed into the Cold War. (2008)
I. Nature of Cold War 1. Assess the part played by differing ideologies in the origin of the Cold War. (2005) 2. Define ‘superpower rivalry’ and assess its importance in international politics since 1945. (2000) 3. In what ways, and for what reasons, did super-power rivalry dominate international politics between 1945 and 1961? (2002) 4. Analyse the origin of East-West rivalry and explain why it developed into the Cold War. (2008) 5. Also: the role and impact of alliances and diplomacy in the Cold War
II. Development and impact 1. For what reasons, and with what effects, did social and cultural differences affect the origin and development of the Cold War? (2002) 2. Also: role and significance of Truman and/ or Stalin
III. Material for detailed study 1. How, and to what extent, did the conferences at Yalta and Potsdam (1945) contribute to the origin of the Cold War? (2003) 2. For what reasons, and with what results, were there disagreements between participants at the conferences of Yalta and Potsdam in 1945? (2009) 3. For what reasons, and with what results, did the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan affect Cold War development? (2008) 4. To what extent was Germany the cause of East/West disagreements between 1943 and 1963? (2000) 5. Analyze the role of Germany in the origin and development of the Cold War. (2002) 6. In what ways, and with what results, was Germany the key focus of the early stages of the Cold War? (2005) 7. Compare and contrast the policies of the USA and the USSR towards Korea between 1945 and 1955. (2004) 8. Also: NATO, Soviet policies, Sovietization of Central and Eastern Europe, COMECON, Stalin, Truman