Activity 1 - Who or what is to blame?

  1. Discover - Read and make notes from the Lesson Presentation on the different perspectives on who was to blame for the Cold War.
  2. Examine - Explore the five perspectives on this worksheet then answer the ten questions. Organise each of your historians perspectives into either: orthodox, revisionist, or post-revisionist. 
  3. Evaluate - Complete this summary worksheet to review the different perspectives on the origins of the Cold War. Summarise the main arguments of each perspective, then identify which events they might refer to to support their arguments. Finally, note the strengths and weaknesses in their perspectives. 
  4. Discuss - In your view, which is the most accurate perspective for assessing the origins of the Cold War?

Activity 2 - Which events should we revise?

  1. ​Mind-Map - Create a concept-map using Padlet, Mindmup or any other similar mind-mapping tool (or create a sketchnote by hand!). In the middle write ‘Why did the Grand Alliance breakdown?’.
  2. Summarise - Now fill in your mind-map with key historical information and facts about the main events of the unit. Use this timeline, review your notes and summarise using the following headings:
    1. Ideological Differences
    2. Wartime Disagreements
    3. Soviet Expansionism
    4. US Exceptionalism
    5. Events in Asia
    6. Tensions over Germany
  3. Revise - Use your mind maps to help you revise the historical content for your upcoming assessment and final exams. Make sure you store a copy with your other revision materials.

Activity 3 - What was our inquiry?

  1. Recall -  Examine the statement of inquiry for this unit again and consider how it applies to what you’ve studied:
    1. Common ideologies and interests can help to form relationships, or if absent, cause them to break them apart
  2. Analyse - With a partner, discuss how this statement of inquiry could be applied to the origins of the Cold War. Consider the following questions:
    1. Connect - How is the SOI connected to what you have studied?
    2. Extend - Does the SOI extend your thinking about the Cold War in any way?
    3. Challenge - What is challenging or confusing about the SOI?
    4. Discuss - Does the SOI apply to the Cold War? What other events in history might it also apply to?
  3. Evaluate - The key concept of this unit was causation. Analysing the causes and effects of an event is a key conceptual skill of historians. Consider the following criteria we can use to organise and analyse causes. For each category, decide how we could apply that to the origins of the Cold War:
    1. Content - Social, Political, Economic, Relations, Military
    2. Time - Long-term (precondition), Short-term, Trigger (catalysts/precipitant)
    3. Role - Precondition, Precipitant (Catalyst), Trigger
    4. Importance - Necessary (absolutely/relatively), Sufficient 

Activity 4 - How might we be assessed?

  1. Essay Plan - Try practicing for your end of unit review by essay planning previous questions on this topic. Use this essay mark-scheme to help:
    1. “Superpower rivalry in Europe and Asia between 1943 and 1949 led to the breakdown of the grand alliance.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? - Nov 2018
    2. ​To what extent did economic interests rather than ideology lead to the breakdown of the grand alliance between 1943 and 1949? - May 2017
    3. “The struggle to establish spheres of influence destroyed the wartime alliance.” Discuss with reference to US–Soviet relations up to 1950 - Nov 2016
    4. ​To what extent did the Sovietisation of Eastern and Central Europe contribute to the emergence of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949? - May 2016
    5. “Mutual fears and the search for security were the reasons for the breakdown of East–West relations between 1945 and 1949.” With specific reference to developments in this period, to what extent do you agree with this statement? - May 2013
    6. To what extent were the policies of the United States responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949? - May 2010
    7. “An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common enemy.” To what extent does this statement explain the origin of the Cold War? - May 2006

Further Reading for Revision

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Mamaux, A. (2015). Oxford IBDP Programme - The Cold War, pp. 49-52
recommended reading
  1. Rogers, K., & Thomas, J. (2015). Pearson Baccalaureate: History the Cold War, pp. 45-55
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War, pp. 64-66
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