Activity 1 - What was the Cold War?

  1. Think, Pair, Share - What do you know about the Cold War? Note down some facts about the conflict that you know already. Discuss these with a partner before sharing.
  2. Examine - Read and make notes from Slides 1-5 of the Lesson Presentation. How many events from the timeline on Slide 5 do you recall?
  3. Watch - Watch this Crash Course Video about the Cold War and add details about events to your notes. What questions do you have about the Cold War after watching the video?

Activity 2 - How significant was ideology?

  1. Discuss - What is capitalism? What is communism? As a class discuss what you know about these political and economic ideologies. 
  2. Examine - Make a two-column research table, then read and make notes from Slides 6-11 of the Lesson Presentation on the differences between capitalism of and communism. 
  3. Explore - Explore these two presentations on what is capitalism and what is communism. Add factual details of the two ideologies to your research tables from task two.
  4. Extension - If you have time, try reading and making notes from these two articles:
    1. How Capitalism Works
    2. The Communist Manifesto
  5. Just a Minute! - Once you’ve completed your research tables, read over your notes. Then with a partner play just a minute. You each have one minute to explain what either capitalism or communism is without hesitating, deviating, or repeating yourself. If you do, then your partner gets to continue. Points are gained for speaking when the minute is up, correctly interrupting, or being wrongly interrupted. Explore some tips here then play!
  6. Discuss - Read Slide 12. How did ideological differences between the US and USSR manifest themselves?

Activity 3 - What was Stalinism?

  1. Examine - Read Slides 13-14 of the Lesson Presentation and make notes on how the ideology of the USSR changed under Stalin’s rule.
  2. Watch - Now watch episode one ‘Comrades’ of the CNN/BBC documentary series ‘The Cold War’. As you watch, answer the comprehension questions on this worksheet.
  3. Discuss - From what you’ve learnt so far, to what extent was the Cold War an inevitable conflict?

Activity 4 - What was the Grand Alliance?

  1. Identify - Read and make notes from Slides 14-22 of the Lesson Presentation on reasons why the Grand Alliance was formed.
  2. Examine - Read this copy of the Atlantic Charter. In your own words, explain the meaning of each of the eight points and why they were important to Churchill and Roosevelt in August 1941. What does this document tell us about their political and economic ideology?
  3. Research - Read the Declaration by the United Nations. Choose one of the other countries that signed the declaration and assess the extent to which that country adhered to terms 1 and 2 of the declaration. In particular, consider whether it used its ‘full’ economic and military resources against the Tripartite Pact. 
  4. Discuss - What role do you think ideology played in the formation of the Grand Alliance? Do you think the USSR was genuine in its commitment to the principles of the Atlantic Charter?
  5. Debate - Do you think that ideology or self-interest was a more important factor in motivating the USA and the USSR?

Further Reading

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Mamaux, A. (2015). Oxford IBDP Programme - The Cold War, pp. 12-16
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Gaddis, J.L. (2006). The Cold War - A New History, pp. 5-18
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Dukes, P. (2001). A Long View of the Cold War in History Today, Vol. 51, No. 1
  2. Gorodetsky, G. (1988). The Origins of the Cold War: Stalin, Churchill and the Formation of the Grand Alliance in The Russian Review, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 145-170
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