Below are 6 potential prompts. I will select 3 for the day of the assessment and you will write on 2 of those prompts. When considering these prompts, always try to tie as much history as possible to them. For example, you may feel we did not cover much on NATO, but if you make the connection to the post war conferences and promises to demilitarize Germany, the inclusion of W. Germany in NATO, that is, a rearmed Germany, would be a major talking point that contributes to continued suspicion between the US and the USSR. You could also mention NATO as the implementation of Kennan's ideological stance against the Soviets, which would mean we are putting Kennan's theory into practice as a measure of containment. We are now no longer merely discussing theoretically whether or not to oppose the Soviets and posture ourselves in a way to demonstrate we are willing to use force, we are now implementing and acting upon our ideological underpinnings and drawing countries that surround the Soviet Union into our sphere of influence. Just some thoughts before you start prepping. Think about the activity we did with the padlet where you were supposed to create connections between various policies, events, and people...Begin making connections within your notes that could support an argument you are developing. (Just an FYI, if two questions seem very similar to one another, I probably won't choose both of them...use that information however you see fit)
READ Ch. 9 and 10 of the Anthony Best book if you want even more to draw upon outside of notes, the Korean war film, the padlet, and the events you covered on 3/21 or 3/22 assignments.
1. To what extent were Soviet policies responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949? (You may want to look in review materials under STALIN foreign policy to review these ideas).
2. Identify and explain the significance of two of the following in the development of the Cold War: COMECON; Marshall Plan; NATO; Warsaw Pact.
3. Assess the significance for the development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1950 of three of the following: Yalta Conference, Iron Curtain Speech, Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, Expulsion of Yugoslavia from Soviet Block, Berlin Blockade and Airlift, the formation of NATO.
4. In what ways, and with what results, was Germany the key focus of the early stages of the Cold War?
5. Why, and with what success, did the USA adopt a policy of containment in the period 1947-1962?
6. “Although it began in Europe the spread of the Cold War to other regions was a much more dangerous development.” To what extent do you agree with this judgment?