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Read about events in Czechoslovakia in 1948 & take notes on

how the Communists assumed control.   Extension: why was the

West so shocked by events in this country?

 starter activity

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Czech Crisis, 1948

Communists mounted a coup d’état

Police force taken over by communists

Non-communist personnel removed Non-communists removed from govt

Fear & coercion used to remove remaining

opponents, e.g. Jan Masaryk defenestrated President Benes forced to resign & replaced by

communist Gottwald

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 What shocked West

Symptomatic of Soviet aggression in Eastern

Europe & communist expansionism

Last remaining democratic country in Eastern

Europe

Memories of WWII –  failure of appeasement &

Nazi expansionism

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What impact did the Czechoslovakian Crisis of 1948 have on

Western attitudes towards the USSR?

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How did the blockade of

Berlin increase Cold War

tensions?

 To be able to explain how the communists

took control of Czechoslovakia

 To identify at least 5 major causes of theBerlin Blockade (1948-9)

 To assess the impact of the crisis

 LOs

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Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin. Why was Berlin so

important during the Cold War?

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Reasons why Berlin was so

important

Capital of Germany - cause of two world wars

Place where East met West, communism v.

capitalism

Focus of world events at Yalta & Potsdam

(1945), Berlin Blockade (1948-9), Berlin Wall

(1961, 1989)

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What does this photo

tell us about Berlin after

WWII?

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8/10/2019 Czech Crisis & Berlin Blockade - Powerpoint Introduction

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 Your task

Read p.31 and in your notes summarise the main

reasons why the Berlin Blockade occurred in

1948.

 Which reason was the most important?

Extension: Why did the US not fear a revived

Germany, whilst the USSR did?

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Causes of Berlin Blockade

Divisions over future of Berlin dating back to

 Yalta & Potsdam

 Tensions of economic differences –  West zones

benefited from Marshall Aid

Differences in living standards

Failure of Council of Ministers Introduction of new currency –  Deutche Mark

Merger of Western zones

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 Your task

Read p.31-2 and list the major consequences of

the Berlin Blockade.  Extension: Who in your opinion came out as

the winners as a result of this crisis?

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 What were the consequences?

1st major flashpoint of Cold War

1949, Western allies estd. Federal Republic of

 West Germany

1949, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty

Organisation) founded

End to US isolationism Divisions between East & West Germany

became permanent

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Watch the extract from the

Channel 4 series, ‘Cold War’ and

answer the questions that follow.

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Why were Truman & Stalin so determined to

make an example of Berlin?

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 Extension

Produce a presentation and factoid on Lucius D

Clay. Did his attitude help to increase tensions

or avert the threat of a conflict with the USSR?

General Lucius D Clay,

Governor of Berlin

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 Plenary

 Why was Berlin so important?

 Why did Stalin order the blockade?

 What were the long-term consequences of theBerlin Blockade?

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 Debate

 Work in small groups. Your task is todemonstrate that your given event was the mostsignificant turning point in the development of

Cold War in the period 1945-48? Yalta & Potsdam conferences (1945)

Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe (1945-7)

Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech (1946)  Truman Doctrine & Marshall Aid (1947)

Berlin Blockade (1948-9)

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Homework

Please read the extracts from Cold War at

Source on the Berlin Blockade and complete

questions 1-5

Extension: See previous task on Lucius D

Clay