Cold War
Key topic Content Summaries Useful websites and historian Example essay titles
perspectives
Western policies in Yalta and Potsdam Yalta- 4 to 11 Feb 1945, Roosevelt, https://www.historyextra.com/
Post-War Asia Churchill and Stalin to discuss how period/second-world-war/guide-
to bring WWII to an end and plan yalta-potsdam-facts-when-date-
post war reorganisation of Europe why-what-happened-churchill-
and USSR promised to enter war stalin-roosevelt/
with Japan to support JJ. Agreed to
a Soviet-US-British-Chinese George F. Kennan- “illusions
trusteeship of Korea. Promised USSr were entertained at Yalta, and
easier naval access to Pacific, joint mistakes were made”. “A
control of MAnchurian rail and Port common war effort no longer
Arthur, major footholds in NE Asia. existed” at Potsdam- led to
Potsdam-17 July to 2 August 1945, “inhibit the airing of political
Atlee, Truman, Stalin, VE day differences”
discussed. Truman rejected Stalin’s
proposal to work on trusteeship and Origins of Cold war- orthodox
refused inclusion in Japan historians attribute this to USSR,
occupation. The USSR kept its Revisionists attribute to US, Post
promise to enter war with Japan. revisionists= middle ground
https://alphahistory.com/
coldwar/cold-war-historiography/
#:~:text=Broadly%20speaking
%2C%20Orthodox%20historians
%20attribute,control%20over
%20Europe%20and%20Asia.
Kennan’s Long Telegram Kennan was a US diplomat leading https://
State Dept, wrote warnings as early courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-
as 1944 but not acknowledged till hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/the-
1946. Asian post war policy was long-telegram/#:~:text=In%20the
based on his advice, containment %20%E2%80%9CLong
and “rollback” and model %20Telegram%2C
states.Telegram was 8000 words %E2%80%9D,communist
Soviet antagonism not result of US %20expansion%20around
, actions, but as USSR needed to %20the%20globe. (X article
maintain domestic legitimacy mentioned in here)
through exaggerate external threats. Walter Lippmann criticised X
The USSR didn't see the possibility article/ L.T stating the strategy of
for long term peaceful coexistence containment= “strategic
with capitalism. monstrosity”
NSC-68 and Defensive NSC-68 (US national security NSC-68- John Lewis Gaddis: Which was more
Perimeter Strategy council review document)- proposed “Nothing less than an attempt to important in
tripling of US defence budget to build set down… what US national determining US policy
up a signif. US presence to combat security policy should be” in Asia during the
USSR advance. THis would support early 1950s?
Acheson’s speech that the US were Steven Casey-“Gov. was going to (i) The Defensive
to set up a “defensive perimeter”. need assistance in getting public Perimeter Strategy
DPS- Pacific area provided the US support for the national effort that 1949 (ii) NSC 68 in
with raw materials such as rubber would be called for” 1950
and tin and the US saw it as an https://www.jstor.org/stable/
economic crossroad. It involved a 24915065
line of military bases in Okinawa,
Philippines, Australia, NZ, British
and Dutch Islands. CIA stressed the
importance of keeping offshore
islands out of “hostile hands”
Model states in Japan Japan- transformed from an enemy https://www3.gmu.edu/programs/ To what extent did the
and Philippines to a valued US ally that promoted icar/ijps/vol5_2/oh_grbi.htm US successfully create
democracy in a capitalist society, (useful context on Japan) model states in Japan
showed that DPS=working. However and Philippines in
the promotion of the emancipation of 1942-52?
women and equal rights could not
immediately overcome the centuries Which was the more
of discrimination. Offering land successful model state
distribution, education system for the United States
improvement, economy boost and in the period
industry boost. SCAP (admin run by 1945-52? i) Japan ii)
MAcArthur) tasked with making Jp a The Philippines
model state. Emperor Hirohito
became a figurehead and stepped
, down as he was excused from being
tried as a war criminal. Which of the following
Philippines- 1934 Roosevelt was of more
promised Filipino independence in importance to the USA
‘46 as congress considered it a before 1950? i) Roxas
burden and wanted to stop ii) Jiang Jieshi (Chiang
immigration to America and free Kai-shek) Explain your
importation of Ph. products (sugar) answer with reference
that threatened US producers. Failed to both i) and ii)
as a model state as money was
used to aid extremist groups, caused
social instability, and supported the
puppet leader Manuel Roxas who
signed the bell trade agreement
1946. Sparked rebellions from the
huks and WC. Communism was
prevented but the nation was
exploited by the USA. Quirino(pm
from ‘48 to ‘53) and Magsaysay(sec
of defence) failed to deal with the
Huk rebellion so Magsaysay
persuaded increased US economic
aid and he was the main reason for
decline in the Huk rebellion after
1950. He became president 1953-7.
US and China/ fall of 1911 Xinhai Revolution- overthrew https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/ ‘The Truman
China to Communism the Qing Empire. Second Sino- education/presidential-inquiries/ administration’s failure
Japanese War (1937-45) and who-lost-china to fully support Jiang
second wave of Chinese Civil War Jieshi (Chiang Kai-
(1945-50). This context led to the Shek)
division of post war China between was the main reason
the Communist People’s Republic of for China’s fall to
China in the mainland and the Communism.’ How far
Nationalist party led Republic of do you agree? (20)
China in Taiwan. Consistent
instability, exploitation by warlords.
Jiang Jieshi (member of Chinese
Key topic Content Summaries Useful websites and historian Example essay titles
perspectives
Western policies in Yalta and Potsdam Yalta- 4 to 11 Feb 1945, Roosevelt, https://www.historyextra.com/
Post-War Asia Churchill and Stalin to discuss how period/second-world-war/guide-
to bring WWII to an end and plan yalta-potsdam-facts-when-date-
post war reorganisation of Europe why-what-happened-churchill-
and USSR promised to enter war stalin-roosevelt/
with Japan to support JJ. Agreed to
a Soviet-US-British-Chinese George F. Kennan- “illusions
trusteeship of Korea. Promised USSr were entertained at Yalta, and
easier naval access to Pacific, joint mistakes were made”. “A
control of MAnchurian rail and Port common war effort no longer
Arthur, major footholds in NE Asia. existed” at Potsdam- led to
Potsdam-17 July to 2 August 1945, “inhibit the airing of political
Atlee, Truman, Stalin, VE day differences”
discussed. Truman rejected Stalin’s
proposal to work on trusteeship and Origins of Cold war- orthodox
refused inclusion in Japan historians attribute this to USSR,
occupation. The USSR kept its Revisionists attribute to US, Post
promise to enter war with Japan. revisionists= middle ground
https://alphahistory.com/
coldwar/cold-war-historiography/
#:~:text=Broadly%20speaking
%2C%20Orthodox%20historians
%20attribute,control%20over
%20Europe%20and%20Asia.
Kennan’s Long Telegram Kennan was a US diplomat leading https://
State Dept, wrote warnings as early courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-
as 1944 but not acknowledged till hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/the-
1946. Asian post war policy was long-telegram/#:~:text=In%20the
based on his advice, containment %20%E2%80%9CLong
and “rollback” and model %20Telegram%2C
states.Telegram was 8000 words %E2%80%9D,communist
Soviet antagonism not result of US %20expansion%20around
, actions, but as USSR needed to %20the%20globe. (X article
maintain domestic legitimacy mentioned in here)
through exaggerate external threats. Walter Lippmann criticised X
The USSR didn't see the possibility article/ L.T stating the strategy of
for long term peaceful coexistence containment= “strategic
with capitalism. monstrosity”
NSC-68 and Defensive NSC-68 (US national security NSC-68- John Lewis Gaddis: Which was more
Perimeter Strategy council review document)- proposed “Nothing less than an attempt to important in
tripling of US defence budget to build set down… what US national determining US policy
up a signif. US presence to combat security policy should be” in Asia during the
USSR advance. THis would support early 1950s?
Acheson’s speech that the US were Steven Casey-“Gov. was going to (i) The Defensive
to set up a “defensive perimeter”. need assistance in getting public Perimeter Strategy
DPS- Pacific area provided the US support for the national effort that 1949 (ii) NSC 68 in
with raw materials such as rubber would be called for” 1950
and tin and the US saw it as an https://www.jstor.org/stable/
economic crossroad. It involved a 24915065
line of military bases in Okinawa,
Philippines, Australia, NZ, British
and Dutch Islands. CIA stressed the
importance of keeping offshore
islands out of “hostile hands”
Model states in Japan Japan- transformed from an enemy https://www3.gmu.edu/programs/ To what extent did the
and Philippines to a valued US ally that promoted icar/ijps/vol5_2/oh_grbi.htm US successfully create
democracy in a capitalist society, (useful context on Japan) model states in Japan
showed that DPS=working. However and Philippines in
the promotion of the emancipation of 1942-52?
women and equal rights could not
immediately overcome the centuries Which was the more
of discrimination. Offering land successful model state
distribution, education system for the United States
improvement, economy boost and in the period
industry boost. SCAP (admin run by 1945-52? i) Japan ii)
MAcArthur) tasked with making Jp a The Philippines
model state. Emperor Hirohito
became a figurehead and stepped
, down as he was excused from being
tried as a war criminal. Which of the following
Philippines- 1934 Roosevelt was of more
promised Filipino independence in importance to the USA
‘46 as congress considered it a before 1950? i) Roxas
burden and wanted to stop ii) Jiang Jieshi (Chiang
immigration to America and free Kai-shek) Explain your
importation of Ph. products (sugar) answer with reference
that threatened US producers. Failed to both i) and ii)
as a model state as money was
used to aid extremist groups, caused
social instability, and supported the
puppet leader Manuel Roxas who
signed the bell trade agreement
1946. Sparked rebellions from the
huks and WC. Communism was
prevented but the nation was
exploited by the USA. Quirino(pm
from ‘48 to ‘53) and Magsaysay(sec
of defence) failed to deal with the
Huk rebellion so Magsaysay
persuaded increased US economic
aid and he was the main reason for
decline in the Huk rebellion after
1950. He became president 1953-7.
US and China/ fall of 1911 Xinhai Revolution- overthrew https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/ ‘The Truman
China to Communism the Qing Empire. Second Sino- education/presidential-inquiries/ administration’s failure
Japanese War (1937-45) and who-lost-china to fully support Jiang
second wave of Chinese Civil War Jieshi (Chiang Kai-
(1945-50). This context led to the Shek)
division of post war China between was the main reason
the Communist People’s Republic of for China’s fall to
China in the mainland and the Communism.’ How far
Nationalist party led Republic of do you agree? (20)
China in Taiwan. Consistent
instability, exploitation by warlords.
Jiang Jieshi (member of Chinese
