History: The Cold War

• What is the main topic of Question 2 in the study material?

  The usefulness of Sources B and C to a historian studying the Berlin Blockade
• What does Source B claim about the actions of America and Britain regarding Germany?


  It claims they are backing out of agreements made at Yalta by combining their zones into Trizonia.
• Why did the Soviet Government start the Berlin Blockade according to Source B?


  To remove the Allies from Berlin and create East Germany, as the combination of zones weakened their economy.
• What is the purpose of the letter in Source B?


  To explain to the Western governments why the Soviets started the Berlin Blockade.
• What does Source C depict regarding the Berlin Airlift?


  A cartoon showing Stalin trying to catch planes while Soviet politicians block rail access into West Berlin.
• What does the title "NO GO JOE!" in Source C imply?

  It mocks Stalin's inability to stop the Berlin Airlift and highlights Western pride.
• How does Source C reflect the relationship between the USA and the USSR during the Berlin Blockade?


  It shows the USA's dominance and the USSR's failure to respond effectively to the airlift.
• What are the key points about Source B and Source C regarding the Berlin Blockade?


  • Source B explains Soviet reasons for the blockade.
  • Source C depicts the failure of the Soviets to stop the airlift.
  • Both sources provide different perspectives on the blockade's impact.
• What was the Truman Doctrine announced in March 1947 aimed at?


  To provide military and economic assistance to Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of communism.
• What is the Domino Theory as mentioned in the context of the Truman Doctrine?


  It is the idea that if one country falls to communism, others will follow.
• How much financial assistance did Truman request for Greece and Turkey?

  $400 million
• What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan announced in 1948?


  To provide economic aid to recovering countries in Europe to strengthen capitalism.
• How did Stalin respond to the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?


  He restricted Eastern Bloc countries from receiving aid and created COMINFORM and COMECON.
• What was the Iron Curtain as mentioned in the context of the Truman Doctrine?


  It refers to the division between the Western capitalist countries and the Eastern communist countries.
• How did the Truman Doctrine contribute to the start of the Cold War?


  It declared the USA's commitment to containment, increasing tensions with the USSR.
• What significant event occurred on August 6 and 9, 1945?


  The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• What was the impact of the atomic bomb on the perception of the USA as a superpower?


  It shocked the world and established the USA as the dominant superpower.
• How did the atomic bomb influence Stalin's actions after World War II?


  It prompted him to develop the Soviet atomic bomb to compete with the USA.
• What was the Berlin Blockade and Airlift?


  The Berlin Blockade was a Soviet attempt to push the Allies out of Berlin, while the Airlift was the Allies' response to supply West Berlin by air.
• How much aid was delivered to West Berlin during the Airlift?


  More than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel, and supplies.
• Why did Stalin not shoot down the planes during the Berlin Airlift?


  He could not risk starting a physical conflict with the USA due to the lack of atomic weapons.
• What was the significance of the Berlin Blockade's end in May 1949?


  It was humiliating for the Soviets and triggered the creation of NATO.
• How did the Berlin Blockade affect the ideological conflict between the USA and USSR?


  It transformed the conflict from ideological differences into a military-based confrontation.
• What does MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) imply about the relationship between the USA and USSR?


  It implies that both sides had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, which decreased direct conflict.
• What were the main causes of tension between the USA and USSR from 1945 to 1949?


  • The atomic bomb and the arms race.
  • The Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
  • The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
  • The ideological divide between capitalism and communism.