The focus question of the fourth unit in the CiE Option B Core Content is 'Who was to blame for the Cold War?' This unit investigates the breakdown of the relationship between the USA and USSR after the Second World War, and the impact of events between 1945 and 1949 on the development of the Cold War.

This unit focuses on international relations and the way in which different nation states interacted, and the change, continuity and significance of their relationships over time. You will study their priorities, agreements, disagreements and the key events that affected them.

This unit gives you the information you need to understand the following:

• ❖ Why the US-Soviet alliance had begun to break down in 1945.
• ❖ How the USSR gained control of eastern Europe by 1948.
• ❖ How the US reacted to Soviet expansionism.
• ❖ The consequences of the Berlin Blockade.
• ❖ Whether the US or USSR was more to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War.

Topics covered in this course include:

• ❖ The Grand Alliance of the Second World War.
• ❖ The Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam conferences.
• ❖ Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech.
• ❖ The Long Telegram.
• ❖ The Truman Doctrine.
• ❖ The Marshall Plan.
• ❖ Soviet expansion into eastern Europe.
• ❖ The creation of Cominform and Comecon.
• ❖ NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
• ❖ The Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
• ❖ The arms race.
• ❖ The question of blame in the start of the Cold War.

Key individuals studied in this course include:

• ❖ Franklin S Roosevelt.
• ❖ Harry S Truman.
• ❖ Winston Churchill.
• ❖ Joseph Stalin.
• ❖ George Kennan.
• ❖ George Marshall.

This unit usually appears as one of four possible questions in Option B Core Content International Relations Since 1919 on the Paper 1 exam, of which you must complete two. Therefore, you will answer one question on the causes of the Cold War, if this appears as an option on your exam paper. The question is comprised of 3 sections; a), b), and c). However, check with your teacher to find out whether this unit will appear on the Paper 2 source paper in your exam.

• ❖ On the Paper 1 exam, you may choose to complete a three-part question on this topic, which will be divided into sections a), b) and c).
• ❖ Question a is worth 4 marks. This question will require you to describe key features of the time period. You will be asked to recall 2 relevant points and support them with details or provide at least four relevant points without supporting detail.
• ❖ Question b is worth 6 marks. This question will require you to explain a key event or development. You will need to identify two reasons, support those reasons with relevant factual detail and then explain how the reasons made the event occur.
• ❖ Question c is worth 10 marks. This question will require you to construct an argument to support and challenge an interpretation stated in the question. You will need to have a minimum of three explanations (two on one side of the argument and one on the other side) in total, fully evaluate the argument and come to a justified conclusion. You will have the opportunity to show your ability to explain and analyse historical events using 2nd order concepts such as causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity and difference.
• ❖ If this topic appears on Paper 2, you will answer six questions on a range of source material about this topic. Check with your teacher to find out your Paper 2 topic.