“The actions of individual leaders had a significant impact on the development of the Cold War.” Discuss with reference to two leaders, each from a different region.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement. The two leaders chosen must be from different regions but they may or may not have been contemporaneous with each other. Candidates may offer equal coverage of both leaders, or they may emphasize their discussion of one of them; however, both leaders will be a feature of the response. A comparative approach may or may not be used. Candidates may refer to the leaders’ roles in the establishment of a new pro-communist government, their involvement in proxy wars, or their promotion of the development of technology and/or armaments. Candidates may also refer to actions that led to divisions within one of the blocks, and the impetus this may have given to rapprochement with rival powers, their willingness to sign treaties, or to decrease military armament and/or involvement. Candidates may agree, partly agree or disagree with the statement.

The question required candidates to offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that the actions of individual leaders had a significant impact on the development of the Cold War. As examples, two leaders had to be chosen, each from a different region. This was a very popular question with most candidates demonstrating relevant knowledge. The most popular choices were Stalin and Truman and most candidates were able to discuss “significant impact” in relation to these leaders’ actions during the early stages of the Cold War. Other appropriate examples included Nasser and Sukarno with some knowledge demonstrated of their impact upon the emergence of the non-aligned movement as well as actions such as the nationalization of the Suez Canal that, arguably, led to an increase in Cold War tensions in the Middle East. Better responses made explicit links to the question by analysing the impact on the development of the Cold War rather than simply narrating the actions of each leader.