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Edexcel History A2: Unit 3E: Superpower Relations (Cold War) Help

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Original post by edkenny
It will almost certi be peaceful coexistence and sino-soviet relations. If its not then i'm gonna be vexed.
Looking over past questions, I think theres a chance that for the peaceful coexistence question might be something specific, like Khrushchev and Malenkov's New Course and how it impacted on peace, or summit diplomacy. The last couple of ones have been quite broad, or on Eisenhower.


I'd love peaceful coexistence.
Reply 21
Original post by Redmonds
Detente is probably the hardest one to write about, I'll try and put some ideas down if it helps

Why did detente develop: Soviet economic problems (Money needs to be directed to changing the economy from geared towards military production to consumer goods); US economic problems (Vietnam war left a big budget deficit, and 1973 oil crisis causes economic problems); Domestic US problems (Military spending is too high, needs to be spent on social programs to stop civil unrest); Diplomacy (Helsinki accords in 1975, SALT 1 & SALT 2, nuclear parity is reached, mutual acknowledgement that nuclear was has to be avoided); Increased Soviet-US trade ('Grain deal' of 1973, trade grows from 1.95 billion to 2.3 billion from 1974-75); Apollo-Soyuz link up (major feat of cooperation, sharing of technology) and the needs of Europe (Willy Brandt's 'Ostpolitik', forging of relations between East and West Germany)

Why did detente break down: Soviet violation of the Helsinki accords (house arrest of Czech leader Vaclav Havel etc); Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 (USA respond by refusing to ratify SALT 2); Proxy wars in Angola and El Salvador (USSR and USA back opposite sides); Growing domestic US opposition to detente (Belief that Carter and Ford had been too soft on communism); Incompetent Soviet leadership (Brezhnev's ill health makes his decision making pretty terrible)


Thank you very much for this! I will use this to try and get a grasp on detente, i just really hope sino-soviet relations or the thaw comes up.
My teacher made a comment yesterday that he doubts Edexcel will mess up their pattern by not doing a Sino-Soviet or Peaceful Coexistence question as they want to make the exam 'easier' for us so our results are good which will prove the fact that the new system for sixth formers is good as the current system is to easy. Whats everyones opinions on that? I'm praying for sino-soviet to come up
Original post by chlostannard
My teacher made a comment yesterday that he doubts Edexcel will mess up their pattern by not doing a Sino-Soviet or Peaceful Coexistence question as they want to make the exam 'easier' for us so our results are good which will prove the fact that the new system for sixth formers is good as the current system is to easy. Whats everyones opinions on that? I'm praying for sino-soviet to come up


I'd agree that it is not in Edexcel's interest to not keep to the pattern certainly
Original post by Redmonds
I'd agree that it is not in Edexcel's interest to not keep to the pattern certainly


Let's just hope and pray they're kind to us then!!
Original post by chlostannard
Let's just hope and pray they're kind to us then!!


I am hoping for Sino-Soviet, it has the most clearly defined essay structure as well (national interest, ideology and personal rivalries). I looked back at all the questions for that topic and national interest and personal rivalries have come up, hopefully we'll have ideology this year!
Original post by Redmonds
I am hoping for Sino-Soviet, it has the most clearly defined essay structure as well (national interest, ideology and personal rivalries). I looked back at all the questions for that topic and national interest and personal rivalries have come up, hopefully we'll have ideology this year!


Yeah no doubt, their seems to be three possible questions for that one, and you basically write the same essay for each.

Was reading a funny thing earlier about how Mao gave Khruschev some cute little armbands to annoy him on a trip to China.
Reply 27
Original post by Redmonds
I am hoping for Sino-Soviet, it has the most clearly defined essay structure as well (national interest, ideology and personal rivalries). I looked back at all the questions for that topic and national interest and personal rivalries have come up, hopefully we'll have ideology this year!


can you give some examples of specifics you would put under those 3 interpretations? :smile:
Original post by MouseyBrown
Yeah no doubt, their seems to be three possible questions for that one, and you basically write the same essay for each.

Was reading a funny thing earlier about how Mao gave Khruschev some cute little armbands to annoy him on a trip to China.


How are you feeling about the source based question?

Yeah I saw that somewhere too! I think that Khrushchev had problems with swimming, which is why on a visit to China, Mao invited him to his pool! Kissinger's friendship with Zhou Enlai is beautiful
Original post by heym8
can you give some examples of specifics you would put under those 3 interpretations? :smile:


Personal rivalries- Mao challenged Khrushchev to the position of 'leader' of world communism after Stalin died, emphasised by the nationalism of the 1966 Cultural revolution. Also, the bad relationship between Brezhnev and Mao, when Zhou Enlai visited Moscow in 1964 he accused Brezhnev of not righting the wrongs of the previous administration which leads to Brezhnev's refusal regarding negotiating with China over border disputes. Mao also accuses Khrushchev in his 'letters' of being a 'Treacherous revisionist'.

National interest- Sino-Indian war (1962) Soviet Union backs India against China, and during the Soviet-Albania split, China encourages Albania to become more independent of the SU (Which infuriates Moscow as this is an infringement of their sphere of influence). You also have the fact that China detonates it's first atomic bomb in 1964 which is obviously confrontational. Furthermore, you have the Ussuri river dispute (1969) which involves physical confrontation and battle between the Soviet and Chinese forces over Damansky/Jinbao island.

Ideology- Mao accuses Soviet Union of 'Appeasing capitalism' after they sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty and Moscow-Washington hotline. Also, Mao's cultural revolution moves China away from Marxism-Leninism towards a distinct form of communism (Maoism) based on agricultural production rather than industrial output.

Hope this helps
Reply 30
how many paragraphs do you write for controversy b ???
Reply 31
Original post by Redmonds
Personal rivalries- Mao challenged Khrushchev to the position of 'leader' of world communism after Stalin died, emphasised by the nationalism of the 1966 Cultural revolution. Also, the bad relationship between Brezhnev and Mao, when Zhou Enlai visited Moscow in 1964 he accused Brezhnev of not righting the wrongs of the previous administration which leads to Brezhnev's refusal regarding negotiating with China over border disputes. Mao also accuses Khrushchev in his 'letters' of being a 'Treacherous revisionist'.

National interest- Sino-Indian war (1962) Soviet Union backs India against China, and during the Soviet-Albania split, China encourages Albania to become more independent of the SU (Which infuriates Moscow as this is an infringement of their sphere of influence). You also have the fact that China detonates it's first atomic bomb in 1964 which is obviously confrontational. Furthermore, you have the Ussuri river dispute (1969) which involves physical confrontation and battle between the Soviet and Chinese forces over Damansky/Jinbao island.

Ideology- Mao accuses Soviet Union of 'Appeasing capitalism' after they sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty and Moscow-Washington hotline. Also, Mao's cultural revolution moves China away from Marxism-Leninism towards a distinct form of communism (Maoism) based on agricultural production rather than industrial output.

Hope this helps


Thank you! Could you also say for national interests about China wanting Mongolia from USSR as they considered it a part of their sphere of influence. And that Khrushchev ignored China's plea to expand its influence into North Korea? And also the fact that in 1967 Brezhnev organised 15 Soviet army divisions to be stationed along the Soviet and Chinese border due to Red Guards.

And for Ideology can you mention Mao's hatred for peaceful coexistence and the secret speech of 1956 and the great leap forward?

You have helped a lot thank you.
Original post by Redmonds
How are you feeling about the source based question?

Yeah I saw that somewhere too! I think that Khrushchev had problems with swimming, which is why on a visit to China, Mao invited him to his pool! Kissinger's friendship with Zhou Enlai is beautiful


I feel ok about the source based ones. I'd rather do the end of it all than how it developed, just cause it's a bit easier to talk about how all the factors link together. But generally the questions seem to be straight forward. Two hours is pretty nice, gives you loads of time on the second essay to get a good plan set out.

What about you? You doing history at uni?
Original post by heym8
Thank you! Could you also say for national interests about China wanting Mongolia from USSR as they considered it a part of their sphere of influence. And that Khrushchev ignored China's plea to expand its influence into North Korea? And also the fact that in 1967 Brezhnev organised 15 Soviet army divisions to be stationed along the Soviet and Chinese border due to Red Guards.

And for Ideology can you mention Mao's hatred for peaceful coexistence and the secret speech of 1956 and the great leap forward?

You have helped a lot thank you.


You certainly could yes, no problem :smile:
Original post by MouseyBrown
I feel ok about the source based ones. I'd rather do the end of it all than how it developed, just cause it's a bit easier to talk about how all the factors link together. But generally the questions seem to be straight forward. Two hours is pretty nice, gives you loads of time on the second essay to get a good plan set out.

What about you? You doing history at uni?


Yeah same, and the problem with the start of the cold war is that ideology and national interest seem to overlap on most issues (Capitalist encirclement, dollar imperialism, buffer zones etc). I'm doing Politics at Uni, what about you?
Original post by Redmonds
Yeah same, and the problem with the start of the cold war is that ideology and national interest seem to overlap on most issues (Capitalist encirclement, dollar imperialism, buffer zones etc). I'm doing Politics at Uni, what about you?


Exactly, it's kind of harder to separate all that stuff out about how it developed.

History and politics at uni hopefully. Can't believe the exams to get me in are actually here.

Good luck man, smash it.
Reply 36
Does anyone know how important it is to talk about a critical opinion in the exam? Like mention the opinion of a historian or whatever.
Does anyone know the factors for the first controversy- so why the cold war developed?
Original post by Ciacaldi
Does anyone know how important it is to talk about a critical opinion in the exam? Like mention the opinion of a historian or whatever.


Not important at all, went to a conference for the exam and that's what they said. My teacher usually says as well if you don't really know/not to confident you don't really have to mention it, it is not required.
Reply 39
Original post by Redmonds
I am certain it will be Sino-Soviet relations and Peaceful Coexistence. There has been a pattern from 2010 where Detente always comes up with Arms race, and Sino-Soviet always comes up with Peaceful Coexistence. Detente and Arms race came up last year, so I am 90% sure it will be the alternate pair this year. Of course the source based question is always on the same two topics so no need to worry there.


I echo this I did the A2 exam last year and it followed the pattern exactly. Part A was the Arms race ( a small reword of the exact question in my mock!) and Detente. I'm glad I had that rotation as I hated Sino-Soviet and wasn't a huge fan of peaceful coexistence.

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