Historical Question: 'Mutual fears and the search for security were the reasons for the breakdown

of East-West relations between

1945-1949.' With specific reference to developments in this period, to what extent do you agree with this statement?' (15 marks)

Thesis
Write 1 or 2 sentences with multiple, distinct, parts that directly answers the question stated in the box at the top of the page.

Claim Label
Claim Sentence
Write a topic sentence that
summarises one claim from the
thesis. As claims are added, the
topic sentence should reference the
previous claims.

Evidence (Example) and

Logic (Explanation)
Present and explain a piece of
specific evidence (people, place,
event, idea, trend, etc.) to illustrate
the claim.

1: Need for security

for West

2: Need for security

for USSR

3: US actions

The US had fears due to

the expanding of
communism in Eastern
Europe and was worried it
would spread to rest of
the world
George Kennans Long
Telegram:
George Kennans Long
Telegram described
dealing with Soviet
Communism as
undoubtedly greatest
task our diplomacy has
ever faced and probably
greatest it will ever have
to face

USSR had the idea that

the West was ganging up
on them and with the
heavy

USSR feels threatened as

US is targeting the USSR
and trying to contain
communism

US atomic bomb:
The use of atomic bombs
by USA in 1945 really
pressured the USSR into
stepping up their own
national security in case
the US ever use it against
them.

Truman Doctrine:
Although the doctrine was
concerned with events
happening in Greece and
Turkey, underneath it also
promised the total
eradication of communism,
in which Truman said, ...it
must be the policy of the
United States to support
free people who are
resisting attempted
subjugation by armed
minorities or by outside
pressures.

Bizonia and Trizonia:

The West formed Bizonia
and Trizonia and that
seemed like they were
ganging up on the USSR.
The USSR felt cornered
as the Allies were trying
so hard to contain
communism in Germany.
The formation of

Truman Doctrine

Marshall Plan:
The US inaugurated the
Marshall Plan in 1948, and
this was seen by the

Berlin Blockade Flyover:

USA and West trying to
stop communism at full
cost.

Created a misconception in
which the USSR was
highly aggressive

Evidence (Example) and

Logic (Explanation)
Present and explain a piece of
specific evidence (people, place,

Churchills Iron Curtain

speech:
Warn the world about the
Communist takeover of

4: Berlin Blockade

event, idea, trend, etc.) to illustrate

the claim.

What are the different

Europe. Churchill called

out Stalin as a bad leader
and Stalin replied angrily
and compared him to
Hitler. ThisHistoriography
led to the
eventual downfall of the
historical
interpretations
grand alliance.

Interpretations/Historians
Evidence (Example) and
Logic (Explanation)

Present and explain a piece of

specific evidence (people, place,
Theory
event, idea, trend, etc.) to illustrate
the claim.
1

Evidence (Example) and

Logic (Explanation)

Present and explain a piece of

specific evidence (people, place,
event, idea, trend, etc.) to illustrate
the claim.

Theory
2

surrounding your

Explanation

Communist victories in
France and Italy:
Post war struggles gives
European countries an
incentive to join
communism
Communist Coup in
Czechoslovakia:
Communist Party assumed
undisputed control of the
government.

Bizonia and Trizonia

USSR as an ambitious plan

to win support and
strengthen Capitalist
influence in Europe. Stalin
introduced both the
COMINFORM and
essay
question?
COMECON as a response
to the Marshall Plan.

Key Quotes

Post WW2 losses:

USA had a huge GDP
growth and the economy
threatened that of USSR,
who had suffered
miserably and had the
most casualties during the
war (26 million)

COMECON &
COMINFORM set up as
response to US actions

Notes/Bibliography

Can the assumptions of the question be

challenged?

Theory
3

Thesis:

Theory
4