How to Revise The development of the Cold War — AQA GCSE History
The development of the Cold War is a topic in the AQA GCSE History specification. This guide covers learning objectives, examiner tips, common mistakes, and key terminology to help you revise effectively.
Examiner Tips for The development of the Cold War
- Ensure you can construct a structured analytical narrative account of key events.
- Practice evaluating the utility of sources by considering their purpose, audience, and context.
- Focus on second-order concepts like causation and consequence when explaining why conflicts occurred or were difficult to resolve.
- Be prepared to evaluate interpretations of Cold War events.
Common Mistakes in The development of the Cold War
- Failing to link specific events to the broader ideological struggle between the USA and USSR.
- Neglecting the role of key individuals (e.g., Khrushchev, Kennedy, Nixon, Brezhnev) in shaping events.
- Confusing the causes and consequences of specific crises like the Berlin Blockade versus the construction of the Berlin Wall.
- Over-generalizing the 'Thaw' without referencing specific events like the Hungarian Uprising.
Key Marking Points
- Understanding of the origins of the Cold War (Yalta/Potsdam, division of Germany, ideologies, atom bomb).
- Analysis of the Iron Curtain and East-West rivalry (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cominform, Comecon, Berlin Blockade).
- Understanding of the Cold War in Asia (Mao Tse-tung, North Korea, Vietcong).
- Knowledge of military rivalries (arms race, NATO, Warsaw Pact, space race).
- Analysis of the 'Thaw' (Hungary, U2 Crisis).
- Understanding of the transformation of the Cold War (Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, Czechoslovakia/Prague Spring, Détente, SALT 1).