Cold War

In the United Kingdom

Paradigms
Scientific: During the Cold War, the British Government used the general public as
unwitting biological and chemical warfare guinea pigs on a much greater scale than
previously thought, according to new historical research.

1947 Britains plans

Britain was the first country to investigate the development of nuclear
weapons. Work by Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peierls in February 1940 and
the MAUD Committee
Britain was the first country to investigate the development of nuclear weapons. Work by Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peierls in Febuary 1940, and
the MAUD Committee (a code name chosen from the first name of one member's nanny) report showed the feasibility of fission weapons.
British scientists, known as "the British Mission," later made major contributions to the Manhattan Project. In January 1947, plans were formed
to develop a British nuclear weapon. In 1954, Churchill decided that Britain should go ahead with hydrogen bomb development. Britain's first
successful hydrogen bomb was detonated on November 8, 1957, over Christmas Island in the Pacific. The test had a yield of 1.8 megatons.

Religious: Questioning of God, as superpowers can capabilities to fire

weapons of mass destruction

Paradigm
Economic: Britain begins loosing connection with its colonies
(decolonisation and decline) began to lost India in 1945, less influence.
Suez crisis suggested British power was weak, reliance on America. Brit
Philosophical: Suez Crisis scarred British pride, suggesting America is
now powerful mother figure. Israel (kinda british/french) attacked
Egypt (armed by the Soviets), the US, unwilling to fight a major war,
forced British withdrawal, suggesting superiority and authority

10 Events
Iron Curtain March 1946
Winston Churchill describes that there is a divide between communist and capitalist nations in Europe ranging
from Germany to Bulgaria
Rubric: understanding of economic and philosophical paradigms. Political ramifications
Marshall Plan June 1947
It was an American plan to aid Western Europe. Worth more than $130 billion today, it aided many countries;
however, the USSR refused its benefits to many of the Eastern Bloc countries. It aimed to stop the spread of
communism.
Rubric: up to the collapse of the Soviet Union, experimentation with ideas (communism was a new concept for
America, hence the ways of combatting it were new),
Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia February 1948
In response to the Marshall plan, the communists quickly took over Czechoslovakia, establishing further Cold War
attitudes and the USSRs attitudes towards the US. It prompted the US
Rubric: political ramifications, a climate of Cold War anxiety,

10 Events
NATO Pact signed April 1949
This agreement united many nations, and therefore separated the communists from the non-communists. Not
signing this agreement suggested communist backing, conversely signing it suggested US backing.
Rubric: climate of Cold War anxiety, ways of thinking, philosophical and economic paradigms at the time.
Warsaw Pact May 1955
In response to the NATO Pact, the USSR responded with their own parallel. This created a united enemy of the US,
and heavily influenced the Cold War climate.
Rubric: A climate of Cold War anxiety, political ramifications, ways of thinking, economic paradigms
Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962
This event was probably the closest the USSR and the US got to a full scale nuclear war. Basically, America
discovered that the USSR had placed nuclear missiles close to home in Cuba. What followed was tense
negotiations that calmed the situation.
Rubric: reflect the personal and political concerns of the post-war concerns, political ramifications, economic
paradigms, Cold War anxiety

10 Events
Apollo Landing on moon July 1969
Although the US didnt beat the USSR to space, the US did beat them to the moon, which was broadcasted
(propaganda?) to many TVs. It meant that the US had showed their superiority and dominance to the USSR.
Rubric: Cold War anxiety, questioning of humanity and human beliefs and values, scientific paradigms
The Dissolution of the USSR December 1991
The USSR collapsed, dividing into many separate countries. Some historians believe this event was the end of the
Cold War, as it demonstrated US and capitalist triumph over the USSR and communism.
Rubric: up to the collapse of the Soviet Union
Berlin Wall falls November 1989
The wall dividing communist east Berlin and capitalist west Berlin collapses, foreshadowing the collapse of USSR
and their control over the Eastern Bloc.
Rubric: the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, Cold War anxiety
Korean War June 1950
The first proxy war involving South Korea (backed by the UN and the US) against the North Koreans (backed by the
USSR) at the 38th parallel. It created the first of the Cold War tensions, especially so soon after World War 2
Rubric: an understanding of the philosophical or economic paradigms relating to the period from the dropping of
the atomic bombs. Japan had control during WW2 of Korea, however, somewhat left a vacuum of power after their exit
from WW2

Outbreak of the Cold War

1.
2.
3.

The outbreak of the cold war was due to the belief that Communism or Capitalism was spreading and would
eventually dominate all governments
Western allies believed that the Soviet Union would use its influence to expand in Europe, but even more
concerned that Soviet agents had obtained information on making the Atom Bomb after the war.
Spying and espionage were common practices during the Cold War, and extremely significant to its outcome

In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin died and Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev took his place. Later, however,
Kruschev took over and was solely in charge of the USSR. Khrushchevs Secret Speech, held to denounce Joseph Stalin
after his death, was a significant step in De-Stalinization to undo Stalins politics and his heroic images created
through propaganda . At the same time he tried to rid everything that Stalin did, such as the Gulag prison camps.

Outbreak of the Cold War continued

After WW2, Englands relationship with the USSR quickly deteriorated. Winston Churchill analysed the start of the Cold
War with his Iron Curtain speech.
The Soviet spy agency, the KGB, was suspected of the murder of Georgi Markov in London in 1978. A High ranking
KGB official, Oleg Gordievsky, defected to London in 1985.
British prime minister Margaret Thatcher pursued a strong anti-communist policy in concert with Ronald Reagan
during the 1980s, in contrast with the dtente policy of the 1970s, although relations became warmer after
Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985.
The main influence of England siding with the US was their assistance in WW2. Furthermore, Soviet spy and other
covert activities on England didnt help. If you think about it, France wouldnt make a good ally (after WW2), the USSR
was severely weakened, but the US was stable, reliable, and most importantly wealthy and influential.

Texts
James Bond (Text) -> From Russia with Love (1963)
Involves stealing complex technology from Soviets, spies and
SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion)

The Berlin Wall

The wall dividing communist east Berlin and capitalist west Berlin
collapses, foreshadowing the collapse of USSR and their control
over the Eastern Bloc.
Rubric: the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, Cold War anxiety

Creative Writing Scaffold

Needs to show obedience to US and loss of power/control
Needs to clearly distinguish something (e.g. a character) to represent
UK
An idea could be business related, or a social setting (playground,
meeting etc)

Important Personality Margaret Thatcher

was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and the Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to
1990. She was the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century and is currently the only woman to have held
the office. A Soviet journalist called her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising
politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies that have come to be known as Thatcherism.
Trade unions
Promoted privatisation
Thatcher's first foreign policy crisis came with the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. She condemned the invasion,
said it showed the bankruptcy of a dtente policy, and helped convince some British athletes to boycott the 1980
Moscow Olympics. She gave weak support to American President Jimmy Carter who tried to punish the USSR with
economic sanctions. Britain's economic situation was precarious, and most of NATO was reluctant to cut trade ties

IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES
Winston Churchill led Great Britain in the Second World War
He was one of the first leaders to raise the spectre of the Iron
Curtain, which was a physical boundary dividing Europe into two
separate areas (until the end of the Cold War)