Jan 2012 Q1, 2 and 3

1. January 2012 ColdWar Section
You shouldn’tgeta c) question withthree criteria, butyou might getone with two! Scarecrow
representingthe US
policyof
Vietnamisation
Crowsare clearly
flockinginandnot
scaredof the
scarecrow.These
crows representthe
Communistforces.
The US policyof
Vietnamisation wasnot
working,althoughthe US
were meanttobe
preparingthe South
Vietnamease todefend
themselves.Thiswas
Nixon’spolicy(Nixon
came intopowerin
1968) andthe cartoonist
clearlythinksthatitis
failing/will fail.

2. 1)a) The cartoonistis criticising Nixon’spolicyof Vietnamisation,suggestingthatitisgoingto fail
(cartoonist viewpoint).We can tell thisbecause Vietnamisation isshownasascarecrow whichisin
tatterswhilstthe crows(representingthe Communistforces)are circling.Since the crows
(Communists)are notscaredof the scarecrow (Vietnamisation),we cantell thatthe policyisnot
working(CV+ source 6 marks). Vietnamisationwasthe policyof PresidentNixonwhocame into
powerin1968 and triedto getAmericaoutof the VietnamWarby trainingupthe South Vietnamese
troopsto fightfor themselves.Nixonwanted‘peace withhonour’ –toget US troops outof the
VietnamWarwithout surrenderingorlosingSouthVietnamtothe Communists (CV+source + ck – 7
marks). However,the cartoonistisclearlysuggestingthatthisisnotgoingto work.
b) The mainreasonthat US involvementinVietnamincreasedbetween1954 and 1964 was because
of the DominoTheory.ThistheorystatedthatCommunismwouldspreadfromone countryto
anotherand the US wantedto stopthis.Asa result,whenNorthVietnambecame Communist,the
US wantedto supportthe Southto preventitbecomingCommunisttoo.Theysuppliedthe South
withmoneyandweaponstostart with,andthenput advisorsin,asthe SouthernPresidentDiem,
failedtodeal withthe Communistthreatfromthe VietCong.The USwere determinedtostopthe
Southfrom becomingCommunist(One reasonexplainedindetail – 6 marks).
In 1964 the Gulf of Tonkinincidentenabledthe USto become more activelyinvolvedinVietnam.
NorthVietnamesepatrol boatswere thoughttohave openedfire onUSshipsinthe Gulf of Tonkin
and thisresultedinthe passingof the Gulf of TonkinResolutionbyCongress.ThisResolutiongave
Johnsonthe rightto wage a full scale waron VietnamandleaddirectlytoOperationRollingThunder
inan effortto deal withthe threatof the VietCongandNVA.Thisthenledtothe full use of US
groundtroopsas the US continuedtostruggle tostop the spreadof Communism (Secondreason
explainedindetail – 8 marks).
2)a) It wasagreedthat Germanyshouldbe dividedupintofoursections,one foreachof the allies(1
mark).It was alsoagreedthatBerlinshouldalsobe dividedupintofoursections,despite beingdeep
inthe Easternsectionof Germany(1 mark).The alliesalsoagreedthatGermanywouldpay
reparations(1mark) andthat German war criminalswould be hunteddownandpunished(1mark) –
Maximumof 4 marks
b) The alliesdisagreedoverexactlywhatwasmeantbyallowingStalina‘Sphere of Influence’in
EasternEurope (includingPoland). Stalinwantedtomake sure thatPolandhada Communist
governmentandinstalledhisownsupportersinPoland.Thiswasdislikedbythe allieswhowanted
to see free electionsinPoland,andhadhopedtopreventPolandfrombecomingCommunist. (One
reason explained- 3 marks)
The allieswere afraidof the growingpower of the CommunistUSSRandhopedtopreventthe USSR
frommakingtoo manyalliesinEasternEurope.However,Stalinwantedtouse Polandasa ‘buffer’to
defendagainstfuture invasionsfromGermany(orEurope) andwasunwillingtonegotiate withthe
alliesoverthis.Asaresult,Polandbecame akeyissue forthe twosides. (Tworeasons explained –5
or 6 marks)
c) The SovietexpansionintoEasternEurope wasa keyreasonforthe increasingtensioninEurope
priorto 1950. By 1948 Stalinhadmade many countriesinEasternEurope Communist,directly
againstthe agreementatYalta to provide ‘free elections’toall of these countries.Infact,Stalinhad

3. startedto remove all oppositionfromsome of these countries,forexample,inCzechoslovakiaa
mainoppositionleader‘fell’fromawindow whichenabledthe Communiststobe saferin
government. (One side explained–6 marks)
The Marshall PlanandTruman Doctrine were bothcrucial in causingthe increase intensionin
Europe before 1950. Afterall,the Truman Doctrine aimedat reducingthe expansionof Communism,
and thisisexactlywhatwashappeningacrossEasternEurope at thistime.General Marshall visited
Europe and came back to tell Trumanthat ‘Communismthrivedinpoverty’,thisresultedinthe
Marshall planwhichaimedto give Europe $11 billionandcancel $11.5 billionof debtsinorderto
preventthemfrombecomingCommunist.Thiswasseenasveryanti CommunistbyStalinand
therefore helpedtoincrease tension.
The BerlinBlockade wasthe culminationof thistensionsince itsaw Stalintryto stopthe alliesfrom
supplyingWestBerlininordertoturnit Communists.He didthisbyblockadingthe Westernhalf of
the city andblockingoff all of the roads and rail links.Thisforcedthe US (andallies) toeither
sacrifice WestBerlin,ortake actionto stopthis.Truman decidedonanairlift,daringthe USSRto
shootthe US planesdown.1plane reachedBerlinevery30secondsduringthe heightof the crisis
showingthe US determinationtostopthe USSR takingover.Asa resultthe USA and USSR were both
competingtogain/keepcontrol of WestBerlin.The actiontakenbyeachleaderhadbecome
increasinglyextreme. (Bothsidesexplained- 8 marks)
Overall itisclearthat the disagreementsat Yalta andPotsdamledto the issuesof the 1940s.
Withoutthe SovietactionsinEasternEurope the USA wouldnothave feltssoconcernedaboutthe
spreadof Communism.Thiswouldhave meantthatthe Marshall Planwouldnothave been
necessary,andinturn the BerlinBlockade wouldnothave happened,since tensionswouldnothave
beensohigh.Asa result,itisclearthat it wasthe aggressive SovietpoliciesinEasternEurope which
setthe scene forthe increased tensions of the earlyyears forthe ColdWar. (Direct analysisin
conclusion– 10 marks)
3)a) The USA was veryworriedaboutthe CubanRevolutionandthe rise of Castrowhohad
Communistsympathies(1mark).TheyconsideredCubatobe ‘intheirownbackyard’ andthat they
shouldhave friendlyleadersthere (1mark).Inearly1960 the USA stoppedtradingsugarwithCuba
(1 mark),latertheystoppedall trade (1 mark).In fact the CIA plannedtoassassinate Castro(1 mark).
Eventuallythe USbackedthe Cuban Exilesinthe Bay of Pigsinan effortto overthrow Castro(1
mark). Maximumof 4 marks
b) On reasonKhrushchevputmissilesinCubawasto try and protectCubafrom a US invasion.Cuba
had become Communistandthiswasgoodforthe USSR since itmade the USA lookbad. Afterthe
Bay of Pigsinvasionthe USSRwere keentoprotectCubaand keepitCommunist.Thiswouldmake
goodpublicityforthe USSR and Communismglobally. (One reasonexplained4marks)
The main reasonthatthe Khrushchevputmissilesinto Cubawastoclose the ‘missilegap’thathad
developedbetweenthe USA andUSSR. The USA had missile all overEurope whichcouldreachthe
USSR, includingsome JupitermissilesinTurkey,the USSRhadfar fewermissilesthatcouldreachthe
USA. However, byputtingmissiles intoCubawhichwasonly160km fromFloridaSovietmissiles
couldhiteveryUS city exceptSan Francisco,LosAngeles andSeattle.Thismeantthatthe ‘missile
gap’ wouldbe closedandthe threatfromthe US missilesreduced.InfactKhrushchevusedthisto
negotiate the removal of the USmissilesfromTurkey. (Secondreasonexplained6marks)
c) The USA couldbe seentohave had the bestoutcomesfromthe CubanMissile Crisisbecause
Kennedywasseentohave stoodupto Khrushchevsuccessfully.He now looked‘tough’on

4. Communism,since he hadgotthe 68 missilesremovedwithoutgivinganythingpublicallyinreturn.
It was the fact that Khrushchevhadbeenpublicallyforcedtoremove hismissilesfromCuba(thus
reducingthe threatto the USA) thatmeantthat most people saw himina positive light.Thiswasa
great outcome forthe president.Kennedywasable tostandup to hisownhard liners(inhis
government) andtoprove tothemthat you coulddeal withCommunismwithoutresortingto
militaryforce.Asa resultKennedy’spositioningovernmentwasmade muchmore secure,thiswas
goodfor the USA as a whole since itmeantthatgovernmentwasmore stable. (One side explained–
6 marks)
On the otherhand,the USSR couldbe seentohave the bestoutcomessince Khrushchevgot
Kennedytopromise nottoinvade Cuba,whichmeantthatCuba wouldremainCommunistforthe
foreseeable future.Thismeantthatthere wouldbe aCommunistcountryinAmerica’s‘backyard’
makingCommunismlookbetteronthe internationalstage –thiswas certainlygoodforthe USSR.
The USSR hadalso seenKhrushchevgetthe USA toremove theirJupitermissilesfromTurkey.This
meantthat the ‘missile gap’hadbeenreducedandthiswasextremelyimportantforthe USSR.They
had notactually‘lost’anythingbyremovingtheirmissilesfromCuba,since theyhadonlyrecently
put themthere.However,the USmissilesinTurkeyhadbeenthere formuchlonger,sothe USSR
gainedmore fromthe crisis – the missile gapwasclosing. (Secondside explained –8 marks)
For Cuba the mostimportantoutcome wasthat itremainedCommunistandCastrostayedinpower.
In fact,Kennedywasforcedtopromise notto invade Cubawhichmeantthat theywouldbe safe
fromdirectAmericanaggressionforthe foreseeable future.Thiswasagreat outcome forCuba.
Overall,itisclearthat the USA gainedthe mostfromthe CubanMissile Crisissince Kennedywas
able to claimpublicvictory.Althoughthe USSRgotthe US missilesfromTurkeyremoved,theyhad
to do so secretly,andasa resultthe majorityof the worldpopulationsaw the USA as the victors.
Thiswas bestshownbythe fact that Khrushchevwasoverthrowninacoup shortlyafterthe crisis –
clearlyhe hadbeenseenastoo weak.Asa resultit,it isclearthat the USA hadthe bestoutcomes
fromthe crisis. (Directanalysisin conclusion – 10 marks)