Read excerpts from Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech and Truman Doctrine. Students will answer some question about what they believe was being talked about in the documents. Students can form a hypothesis about who started the cold war. The class can share answers and further expand on their findings.
Questions to ask are Who was Winston Churchill?
Why would Americans trust what he has to say about the Soviet Union? and What does Churchill claim that the Soviet Union wanted?
Why did Truman believe Greece needed American aid in 1947?
What does Truman mean when he claims, “Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East”?
Does Truman present American policy as offensive or defensive? What words or phrases does Truman use to present policy this way?
Pass out documents regarding telegram sent by Soviet Ambassador Nikolai Novikov to Soviet leadership in 1946 and a letter to Harry S Truman, President of the US from Henry A Wallace, Secretary of Commerce. Again, the class can discuss findings and share views. Again, from another Hypothesis based on these documents.