DHS 2023 Y5 H2 History WA2 (IH SBQ) Suggested Approach

Year 5 History Weighted Assessment 2 – Suggested Approach 1 How far do Sources A – E support the view that the United States was responsible for the outbreak of the Cold War? The hypothesis suggests that it was US’ aggressive actions which threatened Soviet sphere of influence that caused the outbreak of the Cold War. Sources A and B support this stand. On the other hand, sources that challenge this stand would argue that it was not the USA that was responsible. Rather, it was the USSR’s aggressive policy or both superpower’s actions that resulted in the Cold War. Sources C, D would align with challenge views and E providing a balanced perspective. Support Sources A and B are similar in supporting the hypothesis that US was responsible for the outbreak of the Cold War as the Marshall Plan had heightened Soviet concerns about US aggression, escalating tensions that led to the Cold War . [Inference of Source B] In Source B, the Marshall Plan was likened to a bat symbolising the US dollar, bludgeoning the fence of tariff barriers to infringe upon the sovereignty of Western Europe. This reveals Soviet concerns that US was using economic means to expand into Western Europe and undermine Soviet sphere of influence. [corroboration/cross-reference with Source A] Source A emphasises the continuity of Soviet concerns about the Marshall Plan in Source B. [Inference of Source A] Source A highlights that while the initial reaction by the Soviet Foreign Minister, Molotov, to the Marshall Plan was positive, it did end up raising suspicions from Stalin that it was not intended to aid the Soviet Union but was “a ploy by Truman” to “infiltrate European countries”. Stalin’s paranoia that the US was using the Marshall Plan to expand their influence is illustrated in Source B. Evaluation Paragraph Upon closer examination, both sources provide a valid support to the hypothesis. [Contextual knowledge for B] In Source B, the Soviet Union viewed the Marshall Plan as an extension of the Truman Doctrine to counteract the communist threat and create an informal American empire in Europe (neo -imperialism). With the subsequent Soviet rejection of Marshall Plan and its implementation in Western Europe on April 1948, Soviet concerns about US expansion into Western Europe was confirmed. This had compelled Soviet to implement COMECON as a response to the Marshall Plan to stimulate economic recovery in Eastern Europe in January 1949. [Purpose] As such, it was likely that the Soviet newspaper was attempting to discredit the Marshall Plan in the Sov iet Union and garner more popular support for COMECON. With this in mind, Source B’s utility in highlighting US responsibility might be limited. [Evaluation for A: cross- reference to enhance B’s utility] Furthermore, given that Source A is an interview with a Senior Official in the Soviet Foreign Ministry, he would be privy to the genuine concerns that the Soviet Union had towards the Mar