Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 is the period study that investigates the causes of the Cold War, three of its key crises and the reasons it ended. You will study the role key individuals played during the Cold War, as well as how it impacted specific countries. You will focus on crucial events during this period, and study the political, economic and military changes that occurred.

This study will enable you to understand the complexities of the Cold War. You will investigate themes such as communism, capitalism, sphere of influence, satellite states, containment and the arms race. This course will help you develop the historical skills of explanation and analysis of key events to demonstrate your understanding of how they are connected.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91, is divided into 3 key topics:

• ❖ Topic 1 looks at the origins of the Cold War and the reasons for increasing tension between 1943 and 1956. You will investigate how and why the divisions between the superpowers grew, politically, economically and militarily.
• ❖ Topic 2 looks at the three key Cold War crises between 1958 and 1970. You will investigate the causes, main events and consequences of the Berlin crisis (1958-61), the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Prague Spring.
• ❖ Topic 3 looks at the end of the Cold War between 1970 and 1991. You will study how far tension was eased during the period of détente and the reasons why it ended with the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan. You will investigate the roles of President Reagan and Premier Gorbachev in bringing the Cold War to an end. The topic culminates with the collapse of the USSR.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ President Roosevelt.
• ❖ Prime Minister Churchill.
• ❖ Premier Stalin.
• ❖ President Truman.
• ❖ Premier Khrushchev.
• ❖ Premier Brezhnev.
• ❖ Fidel Castro.
• ❖ President John F Kennedy.
• ❖ President Ronald Reagan.
• ❖ Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.

Some of the key events you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The three wartime conferences.
• ❖ The Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
• ❖ The Arms Race.
• ❖ The Cuban Missile Crisis.
• ❖ Détente.
• ❖ The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• ❖ The Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91, forms part of paper 2 which you have a total of 1 hour 45 minutes to complete. You should spend approximately 50 minutes on this section, booklet P, of the paper. There will be 3 exam questions which will assess what you have learnt on the Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91. For Question 3, you will have to select two from three options.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 8 marks. This question will require you to identify two consequences of an event. You will need to support the identified consequences with facts and explain how they occurred.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 8 marks. This question will require you to write an analytical narrative account of an event or time period. You will need to describe what happened as well as explain how and why events are connected.
• ❖ Question 3 is worth 8 marks. This question will require you to explain the importance of two events, people or developments in relation to specific situations. You will need to explain what difference the event made to the specific situation.