Topic study hub
BC Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-1972
Study superpower ideologies, revolutionary movements, Cold War events and attempts to resolve tension.
9
Objectives
45
Flashcards
45
Questions
90 min
Study time
AQAGCSEHistoryPaper 1 Section B: Wider world depth studies
Choose a revision tool
Start revising BC Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-1972
Syllabus checklist
What you need to know
9 objective pages available
Part one: The origins of the Cold War2 objectives
- Study the end of the Second World War, including Yalta, Potsdam, division of Germany, contrasting USA and USSR ideologies, Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, Attlee, Truman and the atom bomb's effect on superpower relations.
- Study the Iron Curtain and East-West rivalry, including Soviet expansion in East Europe, US policies, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Stalin's reaction, Cominform, Comecon, Yugoslavia, Berlin Blockade and Airlift.
Part two: The development of the Cold War3 objectives
- Study the significance of events in Asia for superpower relations, including USSR support for Mao and Communist revolution in China, North Korea's campaigns against the UN and Vietcong campaigns against France and the USA.
- Study military rivalries, including the arms race, NATO, Warsaw Pact and the space race including Sputnik, ICBMs, Polaris, Gagarin and Apollo.
- Study the Thaw, including Hungary, protest, Nagy's reforms, Soviet fears and reaction, effects on the Cold War, the U2 Crisis, Paris Peace Summit and the peace process.
Part three: Transformation of the Cold War4 objectives
- Study the Berlin Wall, including reasons for its construction and Kennedy's response.
- Study tensions over Cuba, including Castro's revolution, Bay of Pigs, missile crisis, Castro, Khrushchev, Kennedy, USA fears, reaction to missiles, dangers and results.
- Study Czechoslovakia, including Dubcek, Prague Spring, USSR response, effects on East-West relations, the Warsaw Pact and Brezhnev Doctrine.
- Study easing of tension, including Soviet human-rights records, reasons for détente and SALT 1, and the roles of Brezhnev and Nixon.
Key terms
YaltaPotsdamTruman DoctrineCominformChinaKoreaNATOWarsaw PactHungaryNagyBerlin WallKennedy
Exam tips
- Exam focus: Yalta: Support each point about Yalta with precise historical evidence.
- Exam focus: Truman Doctrine: Support each point about Truman Doctrine with precise historical evidence.
Common mistakes
- Avoid confusing Yalta: Anchor the answer to Part one: The origins of the Cold War, use precise evidence, and state whether Yalta is a cause, consequence, change, continuity or significant development.
- Avoid confusing Truman Doctrine: Anchor the answer to Part one: The origins of the Cold War, use precise evidence, and state whether Truman Doctrine is a cause, consequence, change, continuity or significant development.
Practice preview
Continue by objective
Objectives are grouped by subtopic so students can jump straight to the exact skill they want to revise.