Copy of Cold War Docs Suggested Approach + Notes FINAL

1. ThisquestionisabouttheoriginsoftheColdWarinEurope. Level Descriptors Marks 5 ● Interpretsthesourceincontext&checksvalidityofsourceinsupporting/challengingthestatementclearlyandprecisely● Clearlydefinestheextentto whichthestudentsupportsorchallengesthestatement● Eithersupportsor challengesthestatement,butthoroughanalysiswillshowelementsofbothaspects 9-10m ASSERTION/ STATEMENT: “THEUSSRWASRESPONSIBLEFORTHEOUTBREAKOFTHECOLDWAR.”Howfar doesthesourceagreewiththestatement?Explainyouranswer.[10m] Thisassertionsuggeststhatit wasSoviet’saggressionwhichcausedthecoldwarwhiletheUSwasmerelyactingto preventtheSovietdominationofEurope. GP1 ExcerptfromGeorgeKennan’s“LongTelegram”,22February1946 At bottomof Kremlin'sneuroticviewof worldaffairsis traditionalandinstinctiveRussiansenseofinsecurity. Originally, thiswasinsecurityofapeacefulagriculturalpeopletryingto liveonvastexposedplainin neighbourhoodof fiercenomadicpeoples.To this wasadded,as RussiacameintocontactwitheconomicallyadvancedWest,fearof morecompetent,morepowerful,morehighlyorganizedsocietiesinthatarea. ButthislattertypeofinsecuritywasonewhichafflictedratherRussianrulersthanRussianpeople;forRussianrulershaveinvariablysensedthattheirrulewas…unableto standcomparisonorcontactwithpoliticalsystemsofWesterncountries…Insummary, wehavehereapoliticalforcecommittedfanaticallyto thebeliefthatwithU.S.therecanbenopermanentmodusvivendi(peacefulcoexistence),thatit is desirableandnecessarythattheinternalharmonyof oursocietybe disrupted, ourtraditionalwayof lifebe destroyed,theinternationalauthorityofourstatebebroken. ..

SOURCEA’SANALYSISBYGP1 Kennan,aForeignServiceofficerfromUSEmbassyinMoscow, sentan8,000-wordtelegramtothedetailinghisviewsontheSovietUnion. NOTES: -KennanbelievedthattheSovietswantedtospreadcommunistinfluenceaswidelyaspossible. -TheUSSRsawtheUSAasitsenemy. -AnyattemptatcooperationbettheUSA&theUSSRwouldfail. -TelegramconfirmedPresidentTruman’s ownfears&hada largeinfluenceonhisfutureapproachtowardstheUSSR. 1.Premise/Point Thisassertionsuggeststhatit wasSoviet’s aggressionthatcausedthe coldwarwhilethe US wasmerelyactingtopreventtheSovietdominationofEurope. At facevalue, theUSSRwasseenasrepresentinga politicalsystemthatwasa directthreatto the freedomsof westerncapitalism. 2ContentEvidence SourceAstatesthattheSovietUnionhada"senseofinsecurity”becausetheywereafraidofthe“morecompetent,morepowerful,morehighlyorganizedsocieties”of the“economicallyadvancedWest.”TheSovietsbelievedthattherecouldbenopeacefulexistencewiththeUSanddesiredthattheinternalharmonyofUSA’ssocietybedisrupted,theirtraditionalwayof lifebedestroyed,andtheinternationalauthorityoftheirstatebebroken. 3Elaboration ThismeansthatStalinwantedtoseethedestructionofcapitalismandthathefelttheworldoutsidetheSovietUnionwashostileandlookingtodestroycommunism.SovietwashostiletotheUSduetoSoviet’slong-termfeelingofdomesticinsecurity. 4Context ThecontextwasthatStalinhadviolatedthetermsoftheYalta&PotsdamConferencesregardingfreeelectionsin PolandandotherEasternEuropeancountries.TheseactionsreflectedtheSoviet’s intenton spreadingCommunismin Europe.The

Sovietisationof EasternEuropewasinterpretedbytheUSasexpansionistandaggressive.By 1947,everystatein EasternEuropewascontrolledbya communistgovernment,apartfromCzechoslovakia(1948-1989).Stalinhadused‘salamitactics’toinstallgovernmentsfavourableto himin EasternEurope.Stalinhadarrestednon-CommunistPolishleadersto establisha newcommunistgovernment.Hebuilta ringofsatellitestatesaroundtheSovietUnionandinsistedthatnogovernmentsin EasternEuropebehostiletotheUSSR. 5CREDIBILITYCounterevidencefromcontextualknowledge However, upondeeperanalysis, thissourceislimitedasitfailstotellusabouttheUSSR’s needforsecuritydefence.TheUSSRwasattackedtwiceduringWWIandWWII. Stalinwanteda ringof satellitestatesaroundtheSovietUnionusingsalamitactics.He sawthisas defensivemeasurestostrengthenthesecurityof theSovietUnionandtheirsphereofinfluence. However, the westernpowersinterpretedthisdifferently. TheUSAsawit asexpansionistandaggressive.By1947,everystatein EasternEuropewascontrolledby acommunistgovernment, apartfromCzechoslovakia(1948-1989).Stalinhadinsistedthatnogovernmentsin EasternEuropebehostiletotheUSSR. HenceSourceAprovidesaweaksupporttothehypothesis. 6CREDIBILITYCritiquetheprovenancetocheckusefulness&reliabilityofsource Basedontheprovenance,thereliabilityofthesourceissomewhatquestionable.GeorgeKennan,ahigh-rankingUSofficialbasedinMoscow, astheauthor, wasbiasedin presentingtheUSSRasaggressiveandexpansionist.Hisanti-SovietsentimentsgreatlyinfluencedtheUSgovernment.Hecouldhaveexaggeratedthethreatsposedby theUSSR.Heover-representedthefear&aggressionof the USSR.Thus,Kennanwas at fault forheighteningthetensionbetweentheUSAandtheUSSR.HisbiasedconclusionledtheUStojustifytheirpolicyofContainment.Kennan’s longtelegramgavetheUSgovernmentanintellectualbasisforthepolicyofContainment(TrumanDoctrine&MarshallPlan).Kennanwantedto convincetheUSto bemoreactivelyinvolvedinEurope&toadoptatougherforeignpolicyagainsttheSovietUnion.This worsenedthe tensionsbetweenthe 2superpowersand intensifiedthe divisionand competitionbetweenthem.

7ConclusiontoATQ Inconclusion, SourceAonlyprovidesweaksupportingevidencethattheUSSRwasresponsiblefortheoutbreakoftheColdWar.Thebiasnessofthesourcemeantthatit couldnotbetrustedtoprovidea fairassessmentofblame. GeorgeKennanwashostiletowardstheUSSRandpaintedapicturethattheUSSRwasouttodestroycapitalism.HebelievedthattheUSshouldadoptapolicyofcontainmenttostopcommunismfromspreadingtootherpartsof the world.Thissourceis clearlybiasedandcannotbeaccuratelyusedtoexplainsovietaggression.ManyhistoriansbelievethattheconflictiscomplexasboththeUSandtheUSSRhadcompetedforinfluencein Europe.Actionstakenby eachcountryand the resultingresponsesled tomisinterpretationsof eachother’s intentionsin Europe. Hence,bothsuperpowerswerejointlyresponsiblefortheColdWarduetothelong-termclashofinterests,suspicions,anduncompromisingattitudes.

GP2:SOURCEB ExcerptfromWinstonChurchill’sIronCurtainSpeech,5March1946 FromStettinin theBalticto Triestein theAdriaticanironcurtainhasdescendedacrosstheContinent.Behindthatlinelieallthecapitalsof theancientstatesofCentralandEasternEurope.Warsaw, Berlin,Prague,Vienna,Budapest,Belgrade,BucharestandSofia,allthesefamouscitiesandthepopulationsaroundthemlieinwhatI mustcalltheSovietsphere,andallaresubjectinoneformoranother, notonlytoSovietinfluencebuttoaveryhighand,insomecases,increasingmeasureofcontrolfromMoscow. Athensalone--Greecewithitsimmortalglories--isfreetodecideitsfutureatanelectionunderBritish,American,andFrenchobservation.TheRussian-dominatedPolishGovernmenthasbeenencouragedto makeenormousandwrongfulinroadsuponGermany, andmassexpulsionsofmillionsofGermanson a scalegrievousandundreamed-ofarenowtakingplace.TheCommunistparties,whichwereverysmallin alltheseEasternStatesof Europe,havebeenraisedto pre-eminenceandpowerfar beyondtheirnumbersandareseekingeverywheretoobtaintotalitariancontrol.Policegovernmentsareprevailinginnearlyeverycase,andsofar,exceptinCzechoslovakia,thereisnotruedemocracy. “THEUSSRWASRESPONSIBLEFORTHEOUTBREAKOFTHECOLDWAR.”Howfardoesthesourceagreewiththestatement?Explainyouranswer.[10m] SOURCEB- ANALYSISBYGP2 5MARCH1946,IronCurtain WinstonChurchillvisitedWestminsterCollege,Fulton,Missouri,USAastheGreenLectureranddelivered"SinewsofPeace." NOTES Churchillsaid: -TheUSSRwasattemptingto spreadits influenceacrosstherestof Europe&increaseitspower -AninvisiblelinehadsplitEuropeinto2,betweentheEast&theWest.Hecalledthelinethe‘IronCurtain.’ Premise ThisassertionsuggeststhatitwasSoviet’saggressionwhichcausedthe coldwarwhilethe US wasmerelyactingtopreventtheSovietdominationofEurope.

Atfacevalue, SourceBtellsthoseEasternEuropeancountrieshadfallentoSovietinfluenceandwerecutoff fromopencontactwiththeWest. CONTENTEvidence SourceBtellsusthat,“FromStettinintheBaltictoTriesteintheAdriatican ironcurtainhasdescendedacrosstheContinent.”Furthermore,allthecapitalsinCentralandEasternEuropewere“notonlyunderSovietinfluencebuttoa veryhighand