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 PolandandotherEasternE