IB CORE CONCEPTS
The focus of this section is superpower rivalries during the second half of the 20th century, and how leadership, economic factors, ideological beliefs and crises involving client states influenced this period of history. This section aims to provide an international perspective on this conflict, exploring its impact in different regions of the world. The main topics in this section are:
Rivalry, mistrust and accord:
Leaders and nations:
Cold War Crises:
Additionally, the HL students have the opportunity to conduct a more in-depth study of the history of a particular region, with one of the units including "The Cold War and the Americas". This unit focuses on Cold War developments in the region, including the alliances of countries with the United States, their reluctance to do so and the establishment of socialist governments in the Americas. Main topics in this unit include:
IB CONCEPTS
Rivalry, mistrust and accord:
- The breakdown of the grand alliance and the emergence of superpower rivalry in Europe and Asia (1943-1949): role of ideology; fear and aggression; economic interests; a comparison of the roles of the US and USSR
- The US, USSR and China - superpower relations (1947-1979): containment; peaceful co-existence; Sino-Soviet and Sino-US relations; detente
- Confrontation and reconciliation; reasons for the end of the Cold War (1980-1991): ideological challenges and dissent; economic problems; arms race
Leaders and nations:
- The impact of two leaders, each chosen from a different region, on the course and development of the Cold War
- The impact of Cold War tensions on two countries (excluding the USSR and the US)
Cold War Crises:
- Cold War crises case studies: detailed study of any two Cold War crises from different regions: examination and comparison of the causes, impact and significance of the two crises
Additionally, the HL students have the opportunity to conduct a more in-depth study of the history of a particular region, with one of the units including "The Cold War and the Americas". This unit focuses on Cold War developments in the region, including the alliances of countries with the United States, their reluctance to do so and the establishment of socialist governments in the Americas. Main topics in this unit include:
- Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on domestic and foreign policies of the United States; social and cultural impact of the Cold War
- Korean War, the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments; diplomatic and political outcomes
- Eisenhower and Dulles: New Look and its application; characteristics and reasons for the policy; repercussions for the region
- United States' involvement in Vietnam: the reasons for, nature of, the involvement at different stages; domestic effects and the end of the war; Canadian non-support of the war; Latin American protest against the war
- United States' foreign policies from Kennedy to Carter: the characteristics of, and reasons for, policies; implications for the region: Kennedy's Alliance for Progress; Nixon's covert operations and Chile; Carter's quest for human rights and the Panama Canal Treaty (1977)
IB CONCEPTS
- Change: The change the Cold War era brought in its wake was that it replaced the WWII world with a bipolar one, dominated by the rivalry of the capitalist and communist superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, in an indirect struggle to dominate the world order with their influence
- Continuity: The continuity that remained as a result of the Cold War is that, in several countries influenced by the superpowers' struggle, the political scenario is still dominated by heirs of the Cold War era
- Causation: Even though the Cold War crises were evidently influenced by the ideology of the bipolar world formed after WWII, they were not limited to that, given that some had remaining colonial tensions involved as their causation, for instance
- Consequence: There are still many conflicts that remain as a legacy of the Cold War era: North Korea, for instance, remains as one of the few Communist states of the world and its conflict against its southern counterpart echoes from the dawn of the Cold War
- Perspective: During the Cold War era, the world was dominated by two rival perspectives that competed for the ideological domination of the global: in one side, there was the democratic capitalist model defended by the United States, whereas the Soviet Union advocated for an authoritarian socialist world order. Perspective is also relevant for this particular time period because, while local conflicts can simply be seen as an extension of the existing tensions between the superpowers, thus being nothing more than proxy wars, they can also be interpreted as having their own local origins and causes, with the Cold War framework just exacerbating their material destruction and/or their significance
- Significance: The Cold War and its bipolar world is extremely important for the world today, since the actions of both superpowers in what they deemed their sphere of influences are still visible nowadays: for instance, the Mujahideen, who greatly influenced the politics of Afghanistan, were directly aided by the United States, taking over after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union left a power vacuum in the region
GALLERY OF ASSIGNMENTS
Breakdown of the Grand AllianceAs a class, we created a mind map in Prezi about the three major peace conferences (Tehran, Yalta, Potsdam) and how they shaped the political and economic scenario of the world, influenced the polarization of the Cold War and mutual distrust between the superpowers. Afterwards, we presented the mind maps to the whole class, explaining each concept we addressed with them.
Class Prezi |
Historiography, Pt. 1: RevisionismIn this assignment, we learned about Historiography and Orthodox, Revisionist, and Post-Revisionist historical analysis, which are used by some historians as a way of reviewing and revising the historical analysis of events. After learning these concepts and answering a few questions about them, we applied them in our assignments throughout this Cold War Unit.
Example - Carol L Example - Julia |
US Choices after WW2, part 1As we read the material prepared by the CHOICES Program, we were asked to answer the reflection questions.
Example - Carol S and Gui Example - Carol L |
US Choices after WW2, part 2
In groups, we read the Background Briefings for Great Britain, the USA, the USSR, and France. After, as a class we put together a quick slideshow presentation that summed up the security concerns for the Big Four. Each group completed six slides for their one country, then presented in class.
Class Presentation |
Choices After WW2We were divided into four groups, and each group was given an option plan which represented US Policy after World War II. Each group had the goal of persuading President Truman (which was represented by one student) in adopting their respective option.
Class Presentation |
Truman vs. MolotovWe read the chapter 1.3 of our textbook and took class notes on the early policies of the Cold War. Afterwards, our task was to compare the influence of the United States’ and Soviet Union’s expansionist policies, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Molotov Plan.
Example - Julia Example - Alice |
Counterfactual Analysis and the Causes of the Cold WarWe were divided into groups, with each one being responsible for identifying the themes that led to the outbreak to the Cold War. Groups were also divided into the Capitalist and the Socialist Society. The end goal was to either create a recipe or a movie trailer for the causation of the Cold War, in order to support a general argument for the reasons leading to the “bipolar world” after World War II.
Example - Bruno, Gui, Julia and Giulia (Recipes) Example - Bruno, Gui, Julia and Giulia (Notes) Example - Gabriel, Charles and Rodrigo (Superhero trailer) |
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Fear & Communism Ideology
In this assignment, we watched a video about the Hollywood Ten, answering questions as we watched the video. Then, we discussed in class the video and two articles: Where to Look for a Communist and the Sinews of Peace.
Example - Carol L Example - Julia |
Crisis in Korea, 1950Using Google Search Operators, each of us had to search for the best quality source that presented a biased view of the Korean invasion. We chose either an American, South Korean, Soviet, Chinese or North Korean perspective. Also, we supported our statements with quotes and phrases. Later in class, we compared and contrasted our research according to our views.
Example - Julia, Charles, Gabriel and Rodrigo (North Korea perspective) Example - Alice and Carol S (South Korea perspective) |
Korean War: Causes and ConsequencesWhile we read chapter 1 of Gaddis' The Cold War: A New History, we were asked to answer some questions about the reading in partners. Later, we read three other articles including, Truman’s Address to the Nation about the Situation in Korea, Truman Explains the Firing of MacArthur and Colombia’s Legacy with Korea. After reading the articles and answering the questions, we debated with a partner taking opposing viewpoints and then performing in front of the class.
Example - Ixchel and Carol L Example - Giulia and Julia |
Non-Aligned MovementIn groups, we were asked to complete three different activities in which we answered questions from articles regarding the Non-Aligned Movement. After that, we shared our analytical responses with the class in a concise and accurate manner.
Example - João Example - Alice, Carol S, Carol L and Ixchel |
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NATO/Warsaw Pact ComparisonWe were asked to analyze content from excerpts of the North Atlantic Treaty and the Warsaw Pact. We "translated" these articles into short sentences in a creative way. For example, we could use a different "dialect", such as Shakespearean English, Spanglish/Portenglish, etc. Later, we annotated an article which compared and contrasted the origins, purpose/nature and the future impact on the Cold War of both NATO and the Warsaw Pact. We were encouraged to add any connections between both of them and to provide historical context.
Example - Charles, Gabriel, Giulia, Julia and Rodrigo Example - Ixchel, Carol L, Carol S, Bruno, Alice, Gui |
Impact of the Hungarian Uprising
After a presentation about the Hungarian Uprising, we were asked to complete some note boxes that summarized this historical event. Also, we created a timeline with the key moments in the Hungarian Uprising, focusing on its causes and consequences.
Example - Carol S Example - Giulia and Julia Example - Julia (Timeline) |
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Hungarian Uprising: Primary Source Analysis
We were asked to read some primary sources regarding the Hungarian Uprising and answered some questions that were going to be used later in a debate.
Example - Charles Example - Rodrigo Example - Julia |
Berlin Reading Crisis
We used Taylor’s The Berlin Wall: A Secret History, Segal’s The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Berlin Crisis, 1958-1961, NATO, East-West Divide Remains and our textbook to make notes and be able to discuss the Berlin Crisis in a Harkness Discussion in class.
Example - Gabriel Example - Julia |
Berlin Crisis Propaganda CampaignWe created propaganda campaigns of 3-5 items reflecting either a Western or an Eastern perspective of the Berlin Crisis.
Class Folder with posters |
Historical Heads, DEFCON timeline, YouTube PlaylistIn this assignment, we were asked to do three things:
Example - Bruno and Gui (Kim Il Sung)
Example - Gui Example - Carol S |
PPresentation on 1950s Crisis (outlines)We were asked to divide ourselves into groups of a maximum of three participants and each group presented on one of the 1950s Cold War crisis, creating a timeline with the key events of each of those crises.
Class Outlines Folder |
Crisis in the CongoAfter watching a video about Congo's "conflict minerals" and reading an article about the crisis in Congo, we discussed the questions "To what extent do you agree with Lumumba’s view of why western powers opposed him?" and "Would you define the Congo Crisis as a Cold War crisis or of an older imperial age? Does this distinction matter, in your opinion?"
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Cuban RevolutionAfter watching a video on the Cuban-American situation and reading an article on the role of the urban working class during the Cuban Revolution, we had a discussion in which we talked about what we learned by combining both of these sources as well as evaluating the written one with regards to its purpose, content and origins.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
We watched the movie Thirteen Days, whose plot revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis and John F. Kennedy. As we watched, we were asked to take notes on the key events in the escalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the interactions between the President and his military chiefs and the influence of the non-military advisors on the President.
Example - Gabriel Example - Ixchel |
CHOICES Cuban Missile Crisis
The CHOICES Program is often used in our history classes, and this time we employed it to evaluate the different possible courses of action that could have been taken by the US in relation to the Cuban Missile Crisis, basing ourselves on the global perspective and how each of the choices would impact not only in internal affairs but also America's reputation worldwide. We were divided into four groups, three options and the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy.
Example - Carol L, Carol S and Bruno Example - Ixchel, Julia and Rodrigo |