These tasks have been broken down into smaller pieces to help you practice dealing with complex sources. The questions do not reflect the structure of the examination paper source-based questions, but will give you good basic training.
Examine the sources and then answer the questions that follow.
Source A
"The Cold War was a state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scale war, especially that which existed between the United States and Soviet Union following World War II." - source: www.answers.com
Look at Source A and answer the following questions:
1. Name the two post World War II conferences and explain how they contributed to the development of the Cold War.
2. Why did political tension exists specifically between the USSR and the United States at the start of the Cold War?
3. What is meant by the military rivalry mentioned in this source?
4. Name and briefly describe one incident during the Cold War where a full-scale war almost broke out between the USA and USSR.
Source B
Khrushchev, the leader of the USSR, referring to the Berlin Wall said:
"It will keep the wolf out." Source: en.wikiquote.org
Look at Source B and answer the following questions:
1. Name the two post World War II conferences and explain how they contributed to the development of the Cold War.
2. Why did political tension exists specifically between the USSR and the United States at the start of the Cold War?
3. What is meant by the military rivalry mentioned in this source?
4. Name and briefly describe one incident during the Cold War where a full-scale war almost broke out between the USA and USSR.
Source C
President Kennedy was critical of the Wall, but he pointed out that:
'A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war'. Source: en.wikiquote.org
Look at Source C and answer the following questions:
1. How does Kennedy's statement refer to the nature of the Cold War?
2. Under Kennedy's presidency, a different rivalry between the USA and USSR emerged. Explain what this rivalry was and what the consquences were for the Cold War.
Source F
This list of differences between communism and capitalism during the Cold War was created by British learners on a revision website called projectgcse.co.uk
USA (capitalism)Free elections
World's wealthiest country
Many people in USA opposed to Communism
Important to them that people were free of control by government
American's believed other countries should be run their way
Individual rights of people very important
Industry privately owned
One party dictatorship
Standard of living lower than in Capitalist countries
Society was important
Soviet leaders believed other countries should be run their way
Individual rights of people were not important
Industry state owned
1. Look at Sources D and E. Which images belong the East side of the wall and which belong to the West side of the wall? Motivate your reasons and explain how these different sides of the wall reflect the opposing ideas of the USA and USSR.
2. Look at Source F. Explain why the Cold War was a war of ideologies.
Look at Source G and answer the following questions:
1. Which side does the description of the photograph support, capitalist or communist?
2. Which words in the description tell you this?
3. How would you rewrite the description of the photograph so that it represents the view of the other side?
Look at Source H and answer the following questions:
1. What was Kennedy's intention by stating 'Ich bien ein Berliner' (I am a citizen of Berlin)?
2. What was the United State's interest in empathising with the East Berliners?
Source H
The Wall was a great backdrop for speeches too. American President John F.Kennedy visited Berlin in June 1963, and expressed his solidarity with the walled-in people of both West and East Berlin. His speech contained the memorable phrase, "Ich bin ein Berliner", which produced astounding cheers from the tens of thousands who came to hear him. There are a few German-to-English translators who argue that some of the reaction was due to the fact that "Berline" is also an idiomatic phrase in Berlin for a bakery confection like a jelly doughnut - so Kennedy's words were a double entendre that could mean either "I am a citizen of Berlin,"or "I am a jelly doughnut." - Quoted in: timpanogos.wordpress.com
Source I
Experts say Kennedy's grammar was flawless when he uttered those words in German near the Berlin Wall on June 26, 1963. The phrase had been translated for him by a professional interpreter.
Linguist Jürgen Eichhoff laid decades of misinformation to rest with a concise grammatical analysis of Kennedy's statement in the academic journal Monatshefte in 1993. "'Ich bin ein Berliner' is not only correct," Eichhoff wrote, "but the one and only correct way of expressing in German what the President intended to say." - Source: urbanlegends.about.com
Look at Source I and answer the following questions:
1. Source I suggests that the 'jelly doughnut story' in Source H is an urban legend. How would you go about finding out which source is more reliable or trustworthy?
2. Identify the possible biases in both Source I and Source H and state which source you would consider to be most objective and reliable. Motivate your reasons.