The cold War
Below is the Cold War clock. It is an overview of the Cold War and also has a short summary of the most important aspects of some of the points.
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Other Website
Just a reminder that a good amount of information can be found on our other website and some of the link will link there. You will need to be logged in:
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/
username: student
password: student
Just a reminder that a good amount of information can be found on our other website and some of the link will link there. You will need to be logged in:
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/
username: student
password: student
Wide Reading for the Context of the Cold War
You will need to be logged into the other website and then you will need to download the file - About 2mbs
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/w/file/73950791/Beginning%20of%20the%20Cold%20War%20-%20Smith%20smaller.pdf
You will need to be logged into the other website and then you will need to download the file - About 2mbs
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/w/file/73950791/Beginning%20of%20the%20Cold%20War%20-%20Smith%20smaller.pdf
Origin of the Cold War 1945-1953
Task 1
Read the information on the right regarding the debates surrounding the beginning of the Cold War. What is your gut reaction to both of these? Read pages 23 and 24 of your grey book (K. Webb) and make a note of the arguments for an against ideology and power struggle. |
Task 2
Find a map of Europe or do some research and work out which countries became communist at the end of WW2. The map above does not quite do it so you will need to go elsewhere.
Of those countries that were communist, which ones were and which ones were not directly under the control of the USSR?
Find a map of Europe or do some research and work out which countries became communist at the end of WW2. The map above does not quite do it so you will need to go elsewhere.
Of those countries that were communist, which ones were and which ones were not directly under the control of the USSR?
Task 3
Read the information to the right and make your own summary of each sides suspicions of the other. How valid do you think the suspicions of each side where? Is that a gut feeling or is there evidence to back that up? |
Task 4
Read the information to the right on the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. Answer the following questions:
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Task 5
Read the information in the link to the right and answer the following questions:
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Task 6
Read the information on the right and answer the following question from it.
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Task 7
Read pages 33 and 34 of the Grey book (K. Webb) and make a detailed summary of the Truman Doctrine and it's consequences. This is a significant moment that needs to be understood.
Read pages 33 and 34 of the Grey book (K. Webb) and make a detailed summary of the Truman Doctrine and it's consequences. This is a significant moment that needs to be understood.
Task 8
Read the information to the right about the Berlin Blockade and Airlift and then answer the following questions:
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Task 9
Having read and done the questions previously, now read through pages 40-42 of the grey book and make study notes focusing on why it came about, what exactly happened but most importantly, what were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade.
Having read and done the questions previously, now read through pages 40-42 of the grey book and make study notes focusing on why it came about, what exactly happened but most importantly, what were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade.
Video
Watch the documentary - Cold War - Berlin 1948-49 (Clickview) and takes notes particularly on the reasons for the Berlin Blockade. The video also gives a good sense of the tension that was growing between the West and the USSR.
Watch the documentary - Cold War - Berlin 1948-49 (Clickview) and takes notes particularly on the reasons for the Berlin Blockade. The video also gives a good sense of the tension that was growing between the West and the USSR.
Task 10
Read the information to the right and answer the following questions:
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Task 11
Read through pages 44-49 of the grey book and makes study notes on:
Read through pages 44-49 of the grey book and makes study notes on:
- the impact of China becoming communist
- the reasons for the Korean War
- the impact of the Korean War.
Task 12
Read the two articles called "The USSR was to blame for the Cold War" and "The US was to blame for the Cold War". They can be found at the following link under the section 'Wide Reading'
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/w/page/7956100/The%20Cold%20War
Read the two articles called "The USSR was to blame for the Cold War" and "The US was to blame for the Cold War". They can be found at the following link under the section 'Wide Reading'
http://ccsyear12modern.pbworks.com/w/page/7956100/The%20Cold%20War
Task 13
Let's have a think about our original debate topics (plus one more)
Let's have a think about our original debate topics (plus one more)
- Do you see the beginning of the Cold War as a struggle between competing ideologies, capitalism and communism, or do you think it was a power struggle between the competing nations of the USA and the USSR? What evidence have you go to prove this?
- Who do you see as most responsible for the build up of tension that led to the beginning of the Cold War?
- Which events do you see as the most significant in building the tension that led to the Cold War?
The Development of the Cold War
Task 1
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Task 2
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Task 3 - The Space Race
For this section, I want you to read through the entirety of the document to the right. It covers all of the arms race for the whole period of the Cold War but the last time a question was asked on arms, it covered the whole of the Cold War so you should know it. It makes for quite interesting reading also. It is a summary itself but you should make your own study notes. Only very briefly mentioned what happened, focus on the significance of the events for the Cold War. |
Clickview Video - 'Cold War: The Wall 1958-1963'
Task 4 - The Berlin Wall Crisis 1961
Read the brief notes to the right on the Berlin Wall crisis but maybe go and do some of your own research into why the Berlin Wall went up and what the significance of it was. Then answer the following questions:
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Video - Clickview - Berlin Wall: The Night the Iron Curtain Closed
https://online.clickview.com.au/exchange/videos/100639/berlin-wall-the-night-the-iron-curtain-closed Task 5 - The Cuban Missile Crisis
Read the brief notes to the right. Remember all we did last year and answer the following questions:
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Task 6 - The Czechoslovakian Crisis
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Task 7 - Essay Practice
Webb has a great essay question and suggested answer on p. 90 of the Grey book. Make a plan of how you would answer this question. You can use parts of his structure to help you but don't simply copy it, that is a waste of your time. As best you can, come up with a clear and effective thesis statement.
Webb has a great essay question and suggested answer on p. 90 of the Grey book. Make a plan of how you would answer this question. You can use parts of his structure to help you but don't simply copy it, that is a waste of your time. As best you can, come up with a clear and effective thesis statement.
Detente
Task 1 - Reasons for Detente
Read the information to the right and make a careful summary of the reasons for detente in your own words. |
Task 2 - Essay Practice
After reading and summarising the information on the reasons for detente, make a plan for the following essay:
To what extent were economic considerations the justification for Detente for both the US and the USSR?
After reading and summarising the information on the reasons for detente, make a plan for the following essay:
To what extent were economic considerations the justification for Detente for both the US and the USSR?
Task 3 - The Vietnam War - 1965 to 1973 (Direct US involvement)
Study notes... At this stage, just prior to exams, might be best simply to focus on study notes rather than answering questions. To give you some guidelines for your notes, make sure you focus on aspects of Vietnam that relate to Detente. Don't get bogged down in all the details of the Vietnam War, just how it made a difference to the Cold War and to Detente specifically. Read the notes to the right and the grey book for this. The 5 points on pages 101 and 102 are helpful. |
Task 4 - The Sino-Soviet Split
Same again - Study notes. Focus on the reasons for the Sino Soviet Split and the significance. Use the grey book and my notes to the right to help you with this. |
Task 5 - The Middle East
Read through the events listed on pages 104 and 105 of the grey book. Make a note of the significant events that happen during the time of Detente - 69-79. Read the section to the right and make some notes on the significance of the Middle East on Detente. Main points should be the financial impact that this had on the US and the way the Soviets betrayed detente in certain ways and also the way that American involvement in the Middle East led to oil crisis in 1973. This severely impacted the American economy and furthered the need for detente on the part of the US. |
Task 6 - Essay Practice
Assess the significance of the Vietnam War on the policy of Detente. |
Task 7 - Essay Practice
Assess the significance of the Sino-Soviet Split on the policy of Detente |
Task 8 - Features and Consequences of Detente
Read the information to the right and answer the following questions:
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Renewal and End of the cold war
Task 1 - The debate
The major debate over the topic of Gorbachev is the extent to which he deserves the credit for ending the Cold War. The 3 major possibilities are:
Gorbachev deserves most of the credit for ending the Cold War. It was the policies he pursued and his desire to pursue peace with the West that brought peace to the conflict and therefore he deserves most of the credit for ending the Cold War. Obviously there were pressures upon him that pushed him to do something but he was ultimately the one who chose what to do and how to do it, therefore he deserves the credit. (Richard Lebow and Janice Gross Stein argue for this idea – article called – “Reagan and Gorbachev” – on the Wiki)
Reagan deserves more credit than Gorbachev because he pushed Gorbachev into acting the way that he did. The pressure he applied, particularly militarily, left Gorbachev with no choice but to pursue peace because the Soviets had no hope of keeping up with the West. Some argue that what Reagan did was a form of economic warfare and that he clearly won… he forced the other side to back down. (Peter Schweizer argues for this – article called “Who ended the Cold War?” – this is on the Wiki)
Circumstance deserves more credit than anyone for bringing an end to the Cold War. The Soviets were economically in dire straits and this was the driving force pushing Gorbachev to do the things that he did. It was the economic hardship in the Soviet Union that pushed Gorbachev to pursue peace with West so that he could save money. Economically, he could save money by no longer holding on to the Eastern Bloc nations who were a liability. It was the poor management of previous leaders, coupled with the Afghanistan War that put the USSR in the circumstances that forced Gorbachev to do the things that he did.
The major debate over the topic of Gorbachev is the extent to which he deserves the credit for ending the Cold War. The 3 major possibilities are:
Gorbachev deserves most of the credit for ending the Cold War. It was the policies he pursued and his desire to pursue peace with the West that brought peace to the conflict and therefore he deserves most of the credit for ending the Cold War. Obviously there were pressures upon him that pushed him to do something but he was ultimately the one who chose what to do and how to do it, therefore he deserves the credit. (Richard Lebow and Janice Gross Stein argue for this idea – article called – “Reagan and Gorbachev” – on the Wiki)
Reagan deserves more credit than Gorbachev because he pushed Gorbachev into acting the way that he did. The pressure he applied, particularly militarily, left Gorbachev with no choice but to pursue peace because the Soviets had no hope of keeping up with the West. Some argue that what Reagan did was a form of economic warfare and that he clearly won… he forced the other side to back down. (Peter Schweizer argues for this – article called “Who ended the Cold War?” – this is on the Wiki)
Circumstance deserves more credit than anyone for bringing an end to the Cold War. The Soviets were economically in dire straits and this was the driving force pushing Gorbachev to do the things that he did. It was the economic hardship in the Soviet Union that pushed Gorbachev to pursue peace with West so that he could save money. Economically, he could save money by no longer holding on to the Eastern Bloc nations who were a liability. It was the poor management of previous leaders, coupled with the Afghanistan War that put the USSR in the circumstances that forced Gorbachev to do the things that he did.
Task 2 - The Afghanistan War - 1979 to 1989
1. What were the Soviets hoping to achieve in their takeover of Afghanistan? 2. When the PDPA (Taraki) took power in a coup, who were they being backed by? 3. Which particular action on the part of the PDPA inflamed anger amongst the Muslim people of Afghanistan? 4. Civil war is breaking out and Taraki loses the support of the Army. Hafizullah Amin takes power. Why don't the Soviet like him? 5. What do the Soviets choose to do on 26th December 1979? 6. How long did they intend on being there and how long did they actually end up fighting in Afghanistan? 7. What would this do the Soviet economy? How did the US respond and which particular actions would have further impacted the Soviet economy? |
Task 3 - Attitudes and policies under Reagan
Read the information to the right and the extra reading it links to and then answer the following questions:
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Task 4 - Soviet Attitudes and Policies Under Gorbachev
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Task 5 - The Relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev
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Task 6 - Disarmament Agreements
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Task 7 - The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and the USSR
Short Video Summarising the Fall of the Soviet Union
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Task 8 - Essay Practice
To what extent were the attitudes and policies under Gorbachev responsible for the end of the Cold War?
Here are some possible answers:
Thesis one.
While the choices Gorbachev made ultimately brought about the end of the Cold War as we know it, it was more a matter that he was pushed rather than he jumped.
Thesis two:
There are many directions that Gorbachev could have gone in when he took control of the Soviet Union in 1985. It was the choices he made that brought an end to the Cold War and therefore he should be considered significantly responsible for the end of the Cold War.
To what extent were the attitudes and policies under Gorbachev responsible for the end of the Cold War?
Here are some possible answers:
Thesis one.
While the choices Gorbachev made ultimately brought about the end of the Cold War as we know it, it was more a matter that he was pushed rather than he jumped.
- Para 1 - The policy of Glasnost certainly did have an impact on the Nationalist groups within the Eastern Bloc. Although this wasn't Gorbachev intention with Glasnost, he did open Pandora's box and give the nationalist groups the belief that they could be free from Communism.
- Para 2 - Gorbachev's choice to employ the Sinatra Doctrine rather than send in the tanks was a big part of reasons for the end of the Cold War. He certainly deserves some credit for making this decision despite the pressure from within to take a different path.
- Para 3 - While Gorbachev may have made the final decisions, he was forced into doing something by the political and military pressure put on him by the policies of Reagan. His hardline approach to the Soviets, coupled with his determination to pursue SDI forced the Soviet to make some big changes. Without this pressure from Reagan, Gorbachev may very well have pursued different policies that would not have brought such a swift and relatively bloodless end to the Cold War.
- Para 4 - The situation with the Soviet Union was so dire that Gorbachev had no choice but to make radical changes. The economic situation that had worsened under Brezhnev was so bad that Gorbachev was forced into the decisions that he made. Events such as Chernobyl only confirmed the drastic need for change. The actual decisions that Gorbachev made may have ended the Cold War but if his circumstances were different, he may very well have made different decisions.
Thesis two:
There are many directions that Gorbachev could have gone in when he took control of the Soviet Union in 1985. It was the choices he made that brought an end to the Cold War and therefore he should be considered significantly responsible for the end of the Cold War.
- Para 1 - Novomyshlenie can be considered itself to be a huge part of the end of the Cold War. The desire to pursue better relations with the west and to end the conflict can be seen in many ways as and end to the Cold War. This was a deliberate policy pursued by Gorbachev and as such he should be viewed as significantly responsible for the end of the Cold War.
- Para 2 - Glasnost was another deliberate policy of Gorbachev's and even though it got more out of control than he intended, it was still his policy that he pursued that opened the door for an end to the Cold War.
- Para 3 - Gorbachev's choice to allow the Eastern Bloc nations to be free from communism was another very deliberate policy of Gorbachev's that played a huge part in ending the Cold War. The Sinatra doctrine, as it has been called, destroyed the prestige of the USSR and of Soviet Communism and was effectively an acknowledgement by Gorbachev that the USSR could not pursue the Cold War any longer.
Essay Questions: Below is a selection of Essay questions from your Blue Textbook.
Cold War essay questions from contested spaces.pdf | |
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