The Cold War: Problems of international relations after the Second World War

To pressure the USA into withdrawing all of its military forces from Western Europe entirely

Step 1: Recall Khrushchev's stated and implied motives — The chapter lists several reasons: regaining ICBM initiative, solidarity with Castro, countering American Jupiter missiles in Turkey, testing Kennedy, and potentially using missiles as a bargaining chip. Step 2: Identify what was actually mentioned — Khrushchev himself said the Americans had surrounded the USSR with military bases and now the Americans would 'learn what it feels like.' He also wanted to discourage further US attempts to overthrow Castro. Step 3: Identify what was NOT mentioned — The chapter does not state that Khrushchev

It relied on newly available archival documents and argued that both sides shared blame, with the USA using Marshall Aid for political influence and Stalin acting opportunistically rather than from a long-term expansionist plan

Step 1: Define post-revisionism — This school emerged in the 1980s and had access to previously closed archives and new documents. Step 2: Core post-revisionist argument — Both sides bear responsibility. American economic policies like Marshall Aid were designed to increase US political influence in Europe. Stalin had no long-term plan to spread communism but was an opportunist. Step 3: Distinguish from orthodox and revisionist views — Orthodox: blamed Stalin. Revisionist: blamed USA. Post-revisionist: shared blame based on more complex evidence. Step 4: Eliminate other options — Option B sugg

It demonstrated that a superpower dispute over an occupied country could be resolved through negotiation, as all occupying forces withdrew and Austria became permanently neutral

Step 1: Recall Austria's post-war situation — Like Germany, Austria was divided into four occupation zones after WWII, with Vienna split similarly. Step 2: Key distinction from Germany — Austria was treated as a liberated state, not a defeated enemy, so it had its own government with limited powers. Step 3: The 1955 agreement — The Russians were persuaded (partly fearing a merger between West Germany and western Austria) to allow all occupying troops to withdraw. Austria regained its 1937 frontiers and became permanently neutral — unable to join NATO or the EEC. Step 4: Eliminate wrong options

To demonstrate American atomic capability to Stalin as a warning against Soviet expansionism

Step 1: Establish the official reason — The USA officially dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan's surrender quickly and avoid a costly land invasion. Step 2: Identify the revisionist/alternative interpretation — Some historians (consistent with revisionist thinking) argued that Japan was already ready to surrender. The real purpose was to signal to Stalin. Step 3: The chapter's specific statement — The text notes that 'some historians believe that Truman's main motive for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan was not simply to defeat Japan, which was ready to surrender anyway, b