Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)     

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?               
I do agree with the statement that it was a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. I agree with that because the things said in this document were true. In line 2 he says that the Soviet Union were not willing to co-operate with the other sides, that was true. The Soviets didn't want to co-operate with the other sides because they didn't the other sides didn't have the same ideals about communism. Also when he says that the Soviet Union wanted to extend their control into continental Europe is true. He wanted the whole world to be red(communist) and to get that he would have to start near him in Europe and then spread.



 
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?   
Yes it does seem likely that the American government was producing the same sort of documents. It seems that way because they were allies and we had the same viewpoints on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to take over the world and that the Soviet Union was the enemy.




3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. AND Explain how each factor helped.  
1. In Bulgaria a left-wing coalition won the government in 1945, the Communists then killed all the leaders in the opposing parties. This factor helped because when you get rid of all your competitors, you are the only one left and they have to give it to you. So they got control of the government by killing off everyone else.
2. In Hungary the Communist party became the largest party by imprisoning leaders of the other parties and attacking church officials. This factor helped in that when you kill off the opposition you win, like they did in Bulgaria, and when you attack people they are less likely to speak up against you. 
3. In Poland they forced the non-communist into exile. Again when you get rid of the other side you have won outright. That is what the did in Poland except they didn't kill them this time. They just forced him into exile, a lot better than killing him :).