How far was the Cuban Missile Crisis the most important event during the period 1945 to 1965?

Name: Valerie Makumire Centre Id: 17703 Candidate Number: 8157 How far was the Cuban Missile Crisis the most important event during the period 1945 to 1965? Introduction The Cuban missile crisis was an important even during the period 1945 to 1965, which was the period of the Cold war. A cold war is a war without fighting. However, I do not think it was the most important event during this period. There are many other events that are also quite important during this period. Such events are the Yalta, Korean War, Truman doctrine, Berlin wall, the Berlin blockade, NATO and the sputnik project. However, in this essay I have chosen to evaluate three events, which I consider to be significant to the Cold war. With each event I will come to a conclusion on whether it is more or less important than the Cuban missile crisis. The events I will evaluate are Yalta, Korean War and the Truman doctrine. Main body Cuban Missile crisis The Cuban missile crisis is an event that began in 1962 .To begin with, Cuba became communist. America stopped trading with them. This led them to begin trading with the USSR. Then the USSR places missile in Cuba. The American spy plane spotted in 1962. This made the Americans feels anxious because they were in danger. President Kennedy of the USA had quite a few choices. To avoid a cold war, Kennedy

  • Word count: 2037
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis: By Daniel Koffi Nana-Klouvi, 10S October 1962, saw the world on the brink of a Nuclear War which was thankfully avoided. One of the consequences of this was that both sides wished to get that close again, and it left Kennedy and America as the winners in the eyes of most independent spectators. Hence, both powers played key roles prior and after the Cuban Missile Crisis however, Kennedy and America superficially came out the crisis better whereas in contrast to Soviet Premiere Khrushchev; things didn’t seem to come out with the result what he exactly wanted. Firstly Russian Missiles were removed from Cuba on 28th October 1962. This had been the ‘’crux’’ of the whole incident. America felt vulnerable with The Soviets having missile based on a friendly country that were in striking range of nearly all American cities. Thus it helped America and its people feel safer. It appeared to the world that Khrushchev had backed down and had conceded all the key points to Kennedy. Another example of American victory was Kennedy’s ability to keep the agreement that would remover her missiles in Turkey. As a result it appeared to the world that Kennedy had conceded nothing. In the absence of any actual fighting between America and the Soviet Union the ability to win prestige was doubly important. Although Kennedy superficially came out of

  • Word count: 409
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Do you agree with the assessment that Mao was nothing other than a ruthless dictator?

Do you agree with the assessment that Mao was nothing other than a ruthless dictator? There are many contrasting views on Mao; some say he was a great leader who brought China forward however some see him as a ruthless dictator. There are many ways in which he was just a ruthless dictator. Mao did many things to increase his control and make China a one party totalitarian state. Firstly as soon as he came to power, Mao immediately started his own ‘cult of personality’ to have more power of China and set himself up as a legitimate ruler. The party officials were sent to spread the word of Mao and keep the people in check. He did allow free speech for a short period of time in 1956 with ‘The Hundred Flowers’ however it was abruptly stopped and the critics were sent arrested. Even his first Five Year Plan from 1953 was used as a major tool to have more control. He reorganised farms higher stage cooperatives. These created much bigger farms but the government took control of the land so the peasants no longer owned it. In this system family life was reduced as Mao wanted people to work hard for the party and minimise other aspects of life. This also carried on in the ‘Great Leap Forward’. Here he united cooperatives into big communes which controlled every activity of people’s lives they even ate together in communal eating halls. The plan also made them so busy

  • Word count: 873
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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The Importance of East Germany in the Cold War

The Berlin Crisis of East Germany was a defining period of the Cold War, during which both superpowers fought for control over the most highly contested nation in Europe. It can be seen that the major factor in this crisis was the division of Germany into two sectors; East and West Germany and the subsequent attempts by the two superpowers to control both. Following the rapid spread of the Soviet grip over Europe, it was in the interests of the USSR to gain control of Germany in its entirety; that is East and West Germany. Their interests were parallel to the desires of Capitalist America which also sought a degree of control over Germany. This resulted in the divisions of Berlin becoming the ground on which the Communist-Capitalist struggle was most profound and the region over which control would seemingly determine the outcome of the Cold War. Another important factor was the Berlin Blockade and the subsequent Berlin Airlift which was a turning point in Soviet control over East Germany. With the shift in Soviet control over East Germany, so too, came the shift in Soviet control over the Cold War. The Cold War was a twentieth century ideological conflict between the two world superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as their respective allies over political, economic and military issues; often depicted as the struggle between capitalism and communism.

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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How successful were the PLO in promoting its cause between 1960-1980?

Joshua Dale How successful were PLO in promoting its cause between 1960-1980? Palestinians hoped that cooperating Arab states would destroy the state of Israel. People looked up to and were inspired by Nasser of Egypt, there was much expectation of a successful campaign to destroy Israeli power and establish the state of Palestine as their own. In 1964 an organisation named PLO (the Palestine Liberation Organisation) was setup by governments to represent the Palestinian people and their cause. However, soon in 1968, Fatah fighters accompanied by the Jordanian army managed to resist an attack on a village in Jordan. The success and reputation of the Fatah, lead by Yasser Arafat, soon encouraged more recruits and was later dominant in the PLO. The PLO was now no longer controlled by Arab governments but by the independent voice of the Palestinian people. This in affect helped the Palestinians in getting their point across about by the Israelis. However, this taking over of the PLO was soon to be put to the test and the outcome was negative. Since the PLO was now run by the Palestinian people, the structure was somewhat disconnected. This was due to other smaller organisations such as the PFLP (the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) not being run as well by Arafat. This often meant that were a difference in opinion over policies. Fragility started to appear amongst

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Key figures in the Hungarian and Czech Uprisings

BY MOHAMMAD AHMED Khrushchev - presided over a period of the Cold War in which the USA and the USSR tested each others resolve by a tit for tat foreign policy of "brinkmanship." Each side pushed each other to the edge of war to see who would blink first. It calumniated in the Cuban Missile Crises in which both sides almost failed to blink at all. It was also a period when the USSR was arming and encouraging North Vietnam to launch its War of National Liberation against South Vietnam which resulted in the shooting war we call the Vietnam War. Matyas Ragosi - Approximately 350,000 officials and intellectuals were purged under his rule, from 1948 to 1956. Rákosi imposed totalitarian rule on Hungary — arresting, jailing and killing both real and imagined foes in various waves of Stalin-inspired political purges – as the country went into decline. In August 1952 he also became Chairman of the Council of Ministers. However, on 13 June 1953, to appease the Soviet Politburo, he accepted the Soviet model of collective headership. Imre Nagy - During Imre Nagy's leadership in 1953, he tried to implement his "New course". this new course included the abolishment of collectivization and allowing more individual rights. This gave Hungarians a sense of freedom, one they have imagined for so long. However, he was undermined and soon quickly replaced by hardliner Stalinist Rakosi once

  • Word count: 549
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Edexcel Cold War 1943-1991 Revision (Detailed)

The origins of the Cold War During 1939-45 the alliance of the three superpowers (USA, Britain and SU) was due to necessity. Once Germany had been defeated, differences began to emerge between Stalin and the Soviet Union. This is, largely, where the capitalist vs communism shebang comes into place. The cold war is a conflict in which actual fighting takes place by ever means short of war itself. The only time the war seemed to get hot was during Korea in 1950-53 ad Vietnam (60s) Its main features, and what made it so prominent throughout the world, was: . Spying 2. Propaganda 3. Arms Race 4. Space Race 5. Loans and Aid Pre-1941 Rivalry Superpower rivalry was not new. The differences go back to the 1918-21 revolution where America defended Russia against the Bolshevik uprising. Differences intensified after 1933 when Hitler became leader of Germany. Stalin, who became leader of the Soviet Union in 1928, was very suspicious of an attack from the west and encouraged Hitler to invade. Task 1a) What message is the cartoonist trying to put across in Source B? Source B shows three fat, greedy and typically selfish old men in suits looking down at a pile of bodies. These three men, each wearing a different hat with the flag of France, America and Great Britain on them have totally no remorse and are simply smoking cigarettes. The source tells us that such people were

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Chronology of WW2

Chronology of WW2 939 * Hitler invades Poland on 1 September. Britain and France declare war on Germany two days later. Hitler was confident that Britain and France would not actually do anything to defend Poland and he was right. He also thought that he could get Britain and France to agree to a peace deal with him rather than continue the war. So he took no action against them. Although there was small scale and cautions fighting, this period from September 1939 to March 1940 is known as the ‘Phoney War’. Hitler pioneers his new tactic of Blitzkrieg, or lighting war. This involved shock tactics and its aim was to paralyse the enemy by using up-to-date technology and high mobility. 940 * Rationing starts in the UK. * German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland. This provided Hitler naval bases to ensure that Germany couldn’t be hemmed in by the British navy as in WW1. * Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain. * Hitler invaded France, however instead of going through Belgium, the main part of his army cut through the Ardennes forest. This was meant to be impassable but the German tanks could get through. Hitler tricked the Allies that he was going through Belgium and even managed to get them to advance into Belgium. The Allied forces were surrounded and facing total defeat. However, Hitler, for a number of reasons, seemed to let them evacuate and the BEF

  • Word count: 507
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Describe the Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis Essay It is ironic how Russia and America came so close to a full blown war over the small island of Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. Cuba had long been an American ally and most businesses on the island were US owned. The US also had a huge naval base at Guantanamo. Initially there was peace in Cuba under the US backed dictator Batista. US businesses profited and Cuba exported a large amount of sugar to America. However, the situation in Cuba became less stable as Batista became increasingly brutal toward his people and following a 3-year Guerrilla war in 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Batista. Initially, Castro was not communist but a nationalist who wanted to ensure Cuba’s independence. Castro therefore began to take over businesses and industries that had been owned by the Americans but allowed the US to keep its base in Guantanamo. As a result, hostility between the two countries increased, and trade declined. Castro began to receive assistance from the USSR, trading Cuba’s sugar and oil for machinery from Russia. Russia soon became Cuba’s main trading partner and in 1961, Castro announced he had become communist. Since Castro became Cuba’s dictator, relations and communication between the US and Cuba had deteriorated and in January 1961, all diplomatic relations between the two nations had been broken off. However, it wasn’t

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Why did relations between the USA and USSR change in 1962-63? (12 marks)

Why did relations between the USA and USSR change in 1962-63? (12 marks) Relations between the USA and USSR were tense during the cold war, and during 1962-63 began to change. The most important reason for the change in relationship between the USA and USSR was the Cuban Missile crisis, which cause increased tensions in relations, followed by the setup of the “hotline” and the policy of détente which represented the improving relations afterwards. The most important reason for the change in relations between the USA and USSR was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis came as a result of the Cuban revolution, causing the USA to lose an ally which the USSR took advantage of by placing missiles on Cuba. As a result of the Cuban revolution both the USA and USSR had equal ability of being able to launch nuclear missiles at each other, and lead to heightened tension in the “Thirteen Days”, where B2 nuclear bombers with nuclear missiles were deployed by the USA and USSR missile bases deployed in Cuba, increasing the risk of war as the USSR issued a statement saying that it was willing to go to war with the USA, further increasing tensions in the relations between them. The Cuban Missile Crisis ended with secret negotiations between the USA and USSR, and lead to the setup of the “hotline” between the US president and First Secretary of Moscow in

  • Word count: 566
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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