AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials Afternoon For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2R.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R 3 Key areas: 1. Origins of the Cold War (1945–1949):  Yalta and Potsdam Conferences (1945): Key decisions about post-war Europe, tensions between the USA (capitalism) and USSR (communism).  Division of Germany: Creation of East Germany (Soviet-controlled) and West Germany (American, British, French zones).  The Truman Doctrine (1947) and Marshall Plan (1948): US policy of containment to stop the spread of communism, particularly in Europe. 2. The Early Cold War (1949–1953):  The formation of NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955): Military alliances representing the Western bloc (capitalism) and Eastern bloc (communism).  The Berlin Blockade (1948–1949) and the Berlin Airlift: Tensions over Berlin, leading to a symbolic division of the city.  Korean War (1950–1953): Proxy conflict, with North Korea (backed by China/USSR) vs. South Korea (backed by the USA). 3. The 1950s and 1960s – Escalation of Tensions:  The Hungarian Uprising (1956): Soviet crackdown on anti-communist protests.  Cuban Revolution (1959): Rise of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war.  Space Race: The USSR's launch of Sputnik (1957) and the USA's subsequent Apollo mission to the moon (1969). 4. Détente and the 1970s:  Nixon's visit to China (1972): The thawing of relations between the USA and China.  SALT I (1972) and Helsinki Accords (1975): Attempts at arms control and reducing tensions.  Vietnam War (1955–1975): The USA's failure to stop the spread of communism, leading to the fall of Saigon and the unification of Vietnam under communist rule. 5. The 1980s – Renewed Tensions and the End of the Cold War:  Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979–1989): A major conflict that drained Soviet resources and worsened relations with the USA.  Reagan’s policies: Strategic Defense Initiative (1983), strong anti-Soviet rhetoric, and military build-up, alongside negotiation efforts with Gorbachev.  Gorbachev’s Reforms: Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) led to internal reforms in the USSR and a more cooperative stance towards the West. 6. The Fall of the Soviet Union (1989–1991):  Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989): Symbolized the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe.  The end of the Cold War: Negotiations between Gorbachev and Bush (USA) led to the reduction of nuclear weapons.  Dissolution of the USSR (1991): Gorbachev resigned, marking the official end of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. Turn over ► IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E2 7042/2R Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From a speech to the American people, broadcast on American radio and television, by Leonid Brezhnev, 24 June 1973. Brezhnev was the first Soviet leader to address the American public. I would like to convey the feelings of the Soviet people who are looking forward to the summit meeting between myself and President Nixon and hoping it will make a fruitful contribution to better relations between our countries. I came to this country anticipating negotiations about major questions, and these hopes were satisfied. Agreements have been signed to broaden the sphere of peaceful cooperation. You Americans are aware that in the past, relations between our countries developed very unevenly. There were periods of stagnation and there were ups and downs. A lot has been done to develop Soviet-American relations. Yet we are still only at the beginning of a long road. Constant care is needed to develop the new shoots of good relationships. I believe those who support a radical improvement in relations can be optimistic, for this objective meets the vital interests of both our nations. Mankind has outgrown the rigid restrictions of the Cold War. People want to live peacefully and breathe freely. 5 10 Source B From a diplomatic report to the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko from Anatoly Dobrynin, 11 July 1978. Dobrynin was Soviet Ambassador to the United States. Soviet-American relations since Carter took office in 1977 have been characterised by instability. American beliefs in support of détente are associated with a simple conviction: détente lessens the threat of confrontation and nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The Carter administration has developed a half-hearted conception of détente. Détente is seen as important and necessary in support of the national interests of the US, such as problems associated with war and peace, limitation of strategic weapons and a total ban on nuclear tests. Carter has come to realise a deterioration in relations would cause deep alarm amongst the American population and for him it would be a political loss, representing a catastrophe in the 1980 presidential elections. A different concept of détente is applied to other issues, such as human rights, and in other areas, such as in Africa and the Middle East, however much the Carter administration denies that it is supporting a return to the Cold War. 5 10 3 Source C From a private letter to Leonid Brezhnev from President Jimmy Carter, 29 December 1979. I want to ensure that you have fully considered the results of Soviet actions in Afghanistan, which we regard as a clear threat to peace. You should understand that these actions could mark a fundamental turning point in our relations as they constitute a clear violation of the Basic Principles Agreement which you signed in 1972. We note with great concern that this is the first time since the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia that the Soviet Union has taken direct military action against another country. In the present instance, the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan obviously represents an unsettling, dangerous and new stage in your use of military force, raising deep apprehension about the general trend of Soviet policy. Unless you draw back, this will inevitably harm the course of US-Soviet relations. I urge you to take prompt action to withdraw your forces and stop interference in Afghanistan. Many years of promoting more stable relations between our countries could be undermined if this situation is not resolved promptly. 5 10 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying relations between the USA and USSR in the years 1972 to 1979. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R Turn over ► 6 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2R Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘American economic interests were the main reason for the creation of East and West Germany by 1949.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 ‘The USA’s policy of containment in Asia was a failure in the years 1949 to 1954.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 4 To what extent was the Soviet Union and its leadership of the Eastern bloc weakened by the crisis in Czechoslovakia in 1968?