Assignment: The Soviet Union, Eastern and Western Europe
Introduction
The Second World War had a severe and lasting impact on the world that followed. The rise of the Cold War and the belief (especially in Washington) in the Cold War Consensus (the common view that Moscow was behind ALL the military and political problems in the world) created a worldview that was generally accepted by both superpowers and their allies.
Obviously, there were problems with this view, especially in third world countries, but because of its overwhelming support, this view influenced not just individuals, but governments and their leaders. Many of the decisions made by world leaders were a result of the outcomes of the Second World War.
Task
• What do you think was the most successful aspect of the Marshall Plan?
• In 1956, the Soviets invaded Hungary after the people protested and wanted more freedoms. Similarly, in 1968, they invaded Prague, after the "Prague Spring" opened up dialogue, culture, and freedom of expression. In both cases, the U.S. and Europe did virtually nothing. Despite our anti-Communist beliefs, the Truman Doctrine, which promised support for ALL oppressed peoples, the U.S. simply ignored the pleas of these countries. Is it right? What could the U.S. have done? In what ways are we willing to stand up for freedom and in what ways are we not willing? And how do these varying responses affect the U.S. both positively and negatively?
• Watch a film about Vladimir Putin. He is currently at the height (or near it) of his popularity in Russia, and yet, since the downing of flight MH17, Russia is also currently facing punitive sanctions. Furthermore, President Obama, while still in office, accused Russia of breaking the 1987 missile treaty. While relations with Russia, are nowhere near as bad as they were during the Cold War, it does appear that Putin is taking cues from the old Soviet playbook. Furthermore, there are now investigations into possible Russian "interference" in the recent election (to be clear, there is no current released evidence that there was actual tampering with voting, but that there may have been Russian involvement with propaganda, online posting, "fake" news, etc. Also, while this is certainly something that the U.S. has never been on the receiving end of before, these are the types of things that the U.S./CIA is often accused of.
- Now that you have played Prisoner's Dilemma, and have read a bit more on both the U.S. and Soviet perspectives of the Cold War, I have 2 questions: (i) How would you compare the current situation to the Cold War and; (ii) If you were to advise the President, what approach would you recommend that the U.S. take in its relationship to Russia and Putin?
- Had you heard of these allegations before? If so, did the information in the documentary change your impression of either Putin, Russia or these allegations.
• You just submitted your annotated bibliography. State what your favorite database was for finding good source material and what your favorite individual source was. If somebody came to you and said that they were starting a research paper, which sites would you recommend as being most helpful? How easy was it to discern bias in the sources? In what ways could there be a bias that you might not even recognize?
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the assignment, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Attachment:- Reading.rar