Examine the influence of two leaders, each chosen from a different region, on the development of the Cold War.

The question requires that candidates examine the interrelationships between the influence of two chosen leaders and the development of the Cold War. The two leaders may or may not be contemporaries, but they must be from different regions. Candidates may examine the influence of Stalin and Truman, for example, upon the early years of the Cold War attributing its origins either to one or to both. Other appropriate examples of superpower leaders would be Nixon and Mao or Reagan and Gorbachev whose relationship did much to change the trajectory of the Cold War. The influence of Non-Aligned leaders such as Sukarno and Nasser may be examined, and links made to how they were able to impact the Cold War policies of the US and/or the USSR. Similarly, the influence of Castro or Ho Chi Minh may be examined to demonstrate how the leaders of client states were able to impact the development of the Cold War. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required candidates to examine the interrelationships between the influence of two chosen leaders and the development of the Cold War. For this popular question, many candidates chose to examine the roles of Reagan and Gorbachev, linking their actions to the development of the Cold War during the 1980s and prior to its demise. The level of accurate knowledge demonstrated was often very good, as was the analysis of their respective contributions. Other popular examples included Truman, Stalin, and Khrushchev. For the most part, knowledge was relevant although candidates did tend to confuse Stalin's policies with those of Khrushchev, especially with regard to events in Berlin.