WHAT AM I?

1. WHAT AM I? I came into being as a result of the Greek civil war and the USSR’s takeover of eastern Europe. I vowed to stop Communism from spreading, by using military force. I’m sometimes called the policy of containment. I was a huge embarrassment for the USA and President Kennedy. I involved the CIA training-up 1500 Cuban exiles It was intended that I would overthrow Castro from power, but I failed! I marked the high point of détente. I involved all countries agreeing to improve human rights. I was signed by 35 countries, including the USA and Soviet Union. I came about as a result of a refugee crisis. The West did nothing to stop me from being made. My foundations lie in the Yalta conference and the 1948 crisis. I showed that Stalin wanted total control of the Communist world. I ensured that all communist governments in the satellite states were put under the control of the USSR. I was set up in 1947.

2. Feeling really panicked?! Then bear this in mind…. • The Cold War exam is basically a memory test!Most of the marks available are awarded for your ability to select and regurgitate relevant facts. • So, the key to being successful in this exam is: • Remembering information and dates • Knowing which bit of information to write down for which question • There’s a lot of info, so where could you start? • For each event/topic/policy etc, try to learn….. • 2 causes, 2 facts about what happened, and 2 consequences • when it happened – which year? • Then test yourself by looking at the list of past questions (see T drive), finding a relevant question and jotting down a bullet-pointed answer.

3. What the exam paper will look like. • You will need to turn to unit 4 – ignoring the first half of the exam paper! • You should answer the questions for units 4, 5 & 6. • There are 3 types of question… • a - 2 marks Describe one…. • b - 6 marks Briefly explain the key features of…. • c - 12 marks Explain why…. • You will have to do one set of a,b,c questions for EACH unit (3 sets in total) • You get a choice for part (b) questions – choose one from two possible questions. You don’t get a choice for parts a and c!

4. Timings in the exam. • The exam last 1 hour 15 minutes. • You will have just 25 minutes maximum to answer each set of a,b,c questions. • So, this is how long you should spend on each Q – • a – 2 minutes • B – 7 to 8 minutes (if you need to make a sacrifice, it should be on part b questions!) • C – 15 minutes • This means that you should definitely… • Move on to the next unit after 25 minutes • Move on to question c after 10 minutes of doing that unit • You will lose more marks if you DON’T move on.

5. How many points do I need for each question? • a (2 marks, 2 minutes) • only one or two sentences needed • many students make the mistake of writing too much • check the wording of the Q very carefully – underline key words and phrases in the Q to focus your mind • For example… • Describe one reason why the Allies met at Yalta in February 1945. • Describe one decision that was made about Germany at the Potsdam Conference

6. How many points do I need for each question? • b (6 marks, 7-8 minutes) • 3explained features, in 3 separate paragraphs of a few sentences each • usually, your points can be causes, events or consequences, but check the Q carefully. Don’t write everything you know about the topic! • underline key words and phrases in the Q to focus your mind • you can get 4/6 marks for explaining just one key feature, so if you’re running over time, move on to question c! • For example… • Briefly explain the key features of the events of the Hungarian Uprising (1956). • Briefly explain the key features of the events of the Cuban Missiles Crisis in October 1962.

7. How many points do I need for each question? • c (12 marks, 15minutes) • 3 explainedreasons why, in 3 separate paragraphs. Your paragraphs should be longer than the ones you wrote for question b. • Make sure your paragraphs are clearly linked to the Q at the beginning and end – use the wording of the Q • Underline key words and phrases in the Q to focus your mind • You can get 9/12 marks without a conclusion, as long as your 3 reasons are well explained. • If you don’t have 3 well explained reasons, you won’t be given marks for any conclusion that you do write! • Your conclusion (if you can manage one) should EITHER explain the links between your 3 reasons, or say which is the most important, why, and why the other 2 are less important.

8. Examples of part c questions…. • Explain why relations between the USA and the Soviet Union changed in the years 1981–85. • Explain why there was a crisis over Cuba in 1962. • Note that part c questions can focus on: • Specific events or topics • Why relations between the Superpowers changed during a specific period • …so you need to know your dates! If you write about events which are outside of the dates stated in the question, the examiner has to see these points as irrelevant, and you won’t get marks for them.

9. Can you get the ‘guesser’ to guess this without using the actual words? NATO Please make sure the clues you give make use of your HISTORICAL knowledge!

10. Can you get the ‘guesser’ to guess this without using the actual words? Comecon Please make sure the clues you give make use of your HISTORICAL knowledge!

11. Can you get the ‘guesser’ to guess this without using the actual words? Nagy Please make sure the clues you give make use of your HISTORICAL knowledge!

12. Can you get the ‘guesser’ to guess this without using the actual words? The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) Please make sure the clues you give make use of your HISTORICAL knowledge!

13. Can you get the ‘guesser’ to guess this without using the actual words? Brezhnev Doctrine Please make sure the clues you give make use of your HISTORICAL knowledge!

14. Here’s part of the answer.What was the exam question? It was decided that both Germany and Berlin should be split into 4 zones – one run by the USA, one Britain, one France and one Soviet Union. One reason was differences which emerged both before and during the Potsdam Conference. For example, before Potsdam, the USA tested the first atomic bomb. Stalin was angry that he hadn’t been consulted beforehand. Both the USA and the USSR agreed not to test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere or under water. One feature was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The USA saw this as a serious threat to peace, and resulting in the US giving financial help and military training to the Mujahideen, the USSR’s enemies.

15. What’s this cartoon about? Can he block it? A US cartoon from around 1947.

16. Cold War dominoes • This activity will help you especially with…. • Thinking of points you could use in a & b questions • Revising dates/the order of events (important for part c questions) • What to do… • 1 You have a domino, either • An event/policy/topic • Or a point that helps describe an event/policy/topic • ….find your matching domino! • 2 With your domino partner, decide and note down: • Further facts you could add to build up the point described on your domino • One or two more points you could make to describe your event/policy/topic

17. Here are the events/policies/topics shown on the dominoes. Can you (a) put them in order, earliest to latest, and (b) give a date for each one? The Hungarian Uprising The Cuban Missiles Crisis The Prague Spring The first Berlin Crisis (the one with the airlift) The second Berlin Crisis (the one with the Berlin Wall) The Truman Doctrine The Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan The Soviet Boycott of the US Olympics in LA The SALT I and SALT II agreements Détente in the early 1970s The Warsaw Pact The Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia The refugee problem in Berlin

18. Answers! • The Truman Doctrine 1947 • The first Berlin Crisis (the one with the airlift) 1948-49 • The Warsaw Pact 1955 • The Hungarian Uprising 1956 • The refugee problem in Berlin since 1949, but especially 1961 • The second Berlin Crisis (the one with the Berlin Wall) 1961 • The Cuban Missiles Crisis 1962 • The Prague Spring 1968 • The Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968 • The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan 1979 • The Soviet Boycott of the US Olympics in LA 1984 • The SALT I and SALT II agreements 1972 & 1979 • Détente in the early 1970s – early 1970s! • The Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty 1987

19. Sample answer: what’s good? What could be improved? Briefly explain the key features of the events of the Cuban Missiles Crisis in October 1962. (6 marks) One feature was that the USA stopped buying Cuba’s sugar after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. This allowed the USSR to build up a friendship with Cuba by offering to buy Cuban sugar. By the 1960s, the Soviet Union was sending missiles and military supplies to Cuba. A second feature was Kennedy’s decision to place a naval blockade around Cuba, to stop the USSR from delivering any more nuclear missiles to Cuba. Kennedy did this after an American U2 plane took photos of intermediate range missile bases on Cuba, which threatened the security of US cities. A third feature was the negotiations between Kennedy and Khrushchev during the crisis. Khrushchev sent two letters making demands. The second was tougher, asking Kennedy to remove US missiles from Turkey. Kennedy accepted the first, which said the US would promise not to invade Cuba if the USSR removed the missiles.

20. Practising part c questions You and your partner will be given a part c question. Fill in which 3 points (reasons why) you would write about. When the time is up, pass it to the pair behind you (or at the front of your row, if you’re at the back) Develop the 3 points that the previous pair have listed – ie. add facts/details. Repeat stage 2. Now fill in your conclusion to the answer.

21. Hungarian Uprising/Soviet invasion of Hungary 1956 Berlin Crisis 1961 Can you think of one cause, one event and one consequence for each crisis??? Prague Spring/Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968 Cuban Missiles Crisis 1962