The Origins of the Cold War

Unit: Cold War (1945–1990)

Lesson 1 Title: The Origins of the Cold War – Competing Worldviews and Ideologies

Teacher: Dr. Rosie Jayde Uyola

Grade: 9th – History of the Americas

Length: 40 Minutes

FFW (5 min; 10 sentences): Two leaders give you opposite advice about how to respond to a threat. One says to fight back hard. The other says to build trust and keep talking.  Which strategy is wiser. WHY?

After WWII, the U.S. and USSR went from allies to opponents. Today you will analyze two government voices from 1946. One believed confrontation was necessary. The other believed cooperation was still possible. Your job is to uncover the ideas behind each and decide which one better fits the goals of global peace.

Part I: Key Vocabulary (To Use While Reading)

Term	Definition (Write in your own words)	Use a phrase from a source that includes this idea
Ideology
Containment
Coexistence
Hegemony
Preventive war

Part II: Primary Source Excerpts (Read + Annotate)

Document A: George F. Kennan – The Long Telegram (1946) [Excerpt]

Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

At the bottom of the Kremlin's neurotic view of world affairs is a traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity... The USSR still lives in a world of 19th-century power politics.

It is impervious to logic of reason and highly sensitive to logic of force. In these circumstances it is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.

Document B: Henry Wallace – Letter to President Truman (1946) [Excerpt]

Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Russia has no intention of attacking the United States. As long as both countries continue to improve their military might, the danger of war grows. It is not international communism that threatens the United States, but fear. Fear and suspicion on both sides lead to increased armaments and preparation for war... We should keep clearly before us the fact that it is our national interest to see a peaceful and economically healthy world.

Part III: Annotation Guide (Write in Margins + Discuss with Partner)

Do this as you read each document:

• Paraphrase the main idea in your own words

• Circle any emotional or dramatic language (especially metaphors or fear-based phrases)

• Underline key claims or policy advice

• In the margin, answer:

  1. What is the author’s main fear?

  2. What solution or strategy is being proposed?

  3. What is left out or oversimplified?

Part IV: Cold War Policy Reasoning Map (Complete with a Partner)

Step	Your Response
Policy Recommendation	The U.S. should _______________________________
Evidence from Kennan	According to Document A, ______________________________________
Evidence from Wallace	According to Document B, ______________________________________
Reasoning	These sources reflect opposite views about ____________________________
Your Judgment	I believe ________________________ offered the better strategy because ______

FFW: What should the U.S. do about the USSR in 1946?

Part V: Written Claim Paragraph (Independent Work)

FFW:  Imagine you are a U.S. advisor to President Truman. Write a short paragraph recommending which position the president should take in 1946.

Your paragraph must:

1. Take a clear position (containment or cooperation)

2. Use at least one quote from each document

3. Explain how the quote reflects a larger worldview

4. Defend your reasoning clearly

Sentence Starters:

• I recommend that the United States adopt a policy of ________________

• George Kennan warned that __________________________________ which suggests…

• On the other hand, Henry Wallace argued that _______________________________ showing that he believed…

• Between these two views, I believe __________ is more realistic because…

Part VI: Exit Reflection

1. What did Kennan think would happen if the U.S. failed to act?

2. What did Wallace think would happen if the U.S. acted too aggressively?

3. Whose prediction do you believe history proved correct? WHY?