IB History Notes: Cold War

Detailed notes (PDF) of key information about the Cold War case study for IB History Paper 2 World History Topc 12: The Cold War: Superpower tensions and
rivalries (20th century) and Paper 3 for the History of the Americas route.

This includes all the relevant background knowledge and events outlined in the subject guide which students will need to answer questions on the following for Paper 2:

• Rivalry, mistrust and accord
• Leaders and nations (Truman and Stalin + China and Cuba)
• Cold War crises (Invasion of South Korea and Cuban Missile Crisis)

The document also includes notes for History of the Americas Topic 16: The Cold War and the Americas (1945–1981) for Paper 3:

• Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on domestic and foreign policies of the United States; social and cultural impact of the Cold War on the Americas
• Korean War, the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments; diplomatic and political outcomes
• Cold War in one country of the Americas (except the US): reasons for foreign and domestic policies and their implementation
• …and more

This notes document has been used by a student who scored a level 7/7 in IB History HL in the May 2020 session.