OCR · GCSE · History

    Course version: J410 · Version from Mar 2026

    The changing international order 1918–1975 - The Cold War in Europe…

    Full specification wording

    International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975 - The Cold War in Europe 1945–1961: Rising Tensions: The division of Germany; the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan; the Berlin Blockade and Airlift.

    This topic covers three linked developments in the early Cold War.

    Checked against the OCR J410 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 3 of 5
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    This topic covers three linked developments in the early Cold War. First, the division of Germany: the wartime Allies split Germany and Berlin into zones, and the Western zones moved towards a separate West German state while the Soviet zone became East Germany. Second, the Truman Doctrine (1947) committed the USA to containing communism by supporting threatened states, and the Marshall Plan (1948) gave economic aid to rebuild Western Europe. Third, the Berlin Blockade (1948–49), when Stalin cut land routes to West Berlin, was answered by the Berlin Airlift, in which Western aircraft supplied the city until the blockade was lifted. Learn what each event was, who acted, and how each raised East–West tension.

    What earns the marks

    • Identifies the division of Germany into Western and Soviet zones, with Berlin also divided, as a key source of early Cold War tension.
    • Explains that the Truman Doctrine committed the USA to containing communism by supporting states under threat.
    • Describes the Marshall Plan as American economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and reduce the appeal of communism.
    • Explains that the Berlin Blockade was Stalin's attempt to force the Western powers out of West Berlin and that the Airlift supplied the city until the blockade ended.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Confuses the Truman Doctrine with the Marshall Plan.

      Put it right: Keep the Doctrine as political and military support and the Marshall Plan as economic aid.

    • Places the Berlin Blockade before the division of Germany.

      Put it right: Keep the division of Germany first, then the Doctrine and Plan, then the Blockade and Airlift.

    • Treats the Airlift as a Soviet action.

      Put it right: Keep it as the Western response that supplied West Berlin.

    Exam tips

    • Match each option to one named event and check the date and the actor before choosing.
    • Reject options that swap the roles of the USA and the USSR.
    • Use the wording of the question to decide whether it asks what happened or why tension rose.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975 - The Cold War in Europe 1945–1961: Rising Tensions: The division of Germany; the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan; the Berlin Blockade and Airlift. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    At the Potsdam Conference in 1945, the victorious Allies agreed to divide defeated Germany into how many occupation zones?

    Listen

    This topic covers three linked developments in the early Cold War. First, the division of Germany: the wartime Allies split Germany and Berlin into zones, and the Western zones moved towards a separate West German state while the Soviet zone became East Germany. Second, the Truman Doctrine (1947) committed the USA to containing communism by supporting threatened states, and the Marshall Plan (1948) gave economic aid to rebuild Western Europe. Third, the Berlin Blockade (1948–49), when Stalin cut land routes to West Berlin, was answered by the Berlin Airlift, in which Western aircraft supplied the city until the blockade was lifted. Learn what each event was, who acted, and how each raised East–West tension. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identifies the division of Germany into Western and Soviet zones, with Berlin also divided, as a key source of early Cold War tension. Explains that the Truman Doctrine committed the USA to containing communism by supporting states under threat. Describes the Marshall Plan as American economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and reduce the appeal of communism. Explains that the Berlin Blockade was Stalin's attempt to force the Western powers out of West Berlin and that the Airlift supplied the city until the blockade ended. Exam tip: Match each option to one named event and check the date and the actor before choosing.

    See it

    A top-down flowchart. The first node, the division of Germany and Berlin into zones, branches into two: the Western zones moving towards a separate West German state, and the Soviet zone becoming East Germany. From the Western zones node an arrow leads to the Truman Doctrine of 1947, in which the USA contains communism by supporting threatened states. This leads to the Marshall Plan of 1948, American economic aid to rebuild Western Europe. That leads to the Berlin Blockade of 1948 to 1949, when Stalin cut land routes to West Berlin. The next node is the Berlin Airlift, in which Western aircraft supplied the city, and the final node is the blockade being lifted.
    It shows the sequence from the division of Germany through the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan to the Berlin Blockade and the Western Airlift that supplied the city until the blockade was lifted.

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Division of Germany and Berlin

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Truman Doctrine

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Marshall Plan

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Berlin Blockade and Airlift

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    Division of Germany and Berlin
    The wartime Allies split Germany and Berlin into zones, and the Western zones moved towards a separate West German state while the Soviet zone became East Germany.
    Truman Doctrine
    Committed the USA to containing communism by supporting threatened states.
    Marshall Plan
    Gave economic aid to rebuild Western Europe and reduce the appeal of communism.
    Berlin Blockade and Airlift
    Stalin cut land routes to West Berlin, and Western aircraft supplied the city until the blockade was lifted.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. The first node, the division of Germany and Berlin into zones, branches into two: the Western zones moving towards a separate West German state, and the Soviet zone becoming East Germany. From the Western zones node an arrow leads to the Truman Doctrine of 1947, in which the USA contains communism by supporting threatened states. This leads to the Marshall Plan of 1948, American economic aid to rebuild Western Europe. That leads to the Berlin Blockade of 1948 to 1949, when Stalin cut land routes to West Berlin. The next node is the Berlin Airlift, in which Western aircraft supplied the city, and the final node is the blockade being lifted.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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