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)      
          Source 26 represents a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. Source 26 states that, "  physical control of Europe and Asia and eventual control of the whole World is what Stalin is aiming at". Stalin was slowly taking over as much as he could. At first eastern European countries were simply in "the Soviet sphere of influence". Then Stalin began to take over the countries' governments, for example in Poland, Stalin only allowed Communists to run for the leaders.  Stalin then turned on his portion of Germany, walling it off from the outside world. Stalin probably would have continued claiming countries but the United States stopped him, using containment. 
  
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?    
It is very likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government, because the United States also feared that the Soviet Union would take over the world, and wanted its people to fear and oppose Stalin taking over the world. Also, the United States was in the begging of the Cold War with Stalin and so, the United Sates would want to make Stalin appear to be "the bad guy". 




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.   
      Three different actions that the Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe was to execute leaders from other parties, ban other all parties other than Communism, and by severely punishing those who opposed the Communist party. By executing the leaders from other parties, the Communists created fear for opposing Communism, and ensured that the people who were the most vocal about their anti-communist views ( the leaders from other parties ) were killed. By banning all other parties except for Communism, Communists ensured that a Communist leader would be voted in. Finally, by severely punishing those who opposed communism, the Communists made many people be too afraid to oppose communism.