Cold War: The Berlin Blockade 1948-9 Return to the case study menu
Worksheets Big Question Print Source (this will open a PDF file containing images used in this case study)  

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Comprehension
4a According to the letter, how has President Truman been stupid?
4b How does the writer describe Stalin?

Analysis and Interpretation
4c Make a list of the ways which show you that the writer is a critic of Truman.
4d Is there any evidence that the writer is pro-Stalin or the USSR?
4e How do we know this writer is genuinely afraid that there will be a war?
4f How reliable is this source to the historian as:
  • a guide to the events of the Berlin Blockade?
  • a guide to how people in the USA felt about the events of the Berlin Blockade?


Case Study Question
Look at your answers to the questions on source 4.
Which category / categories does it fit in your worksheet?.

The Big Exhibition
Do you think you will use this source in your exhibition?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
 Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5Source 6

Letter from an American citizen to President Truman
(Project Whistlestop and National Archives and Records Administration)
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Letter from an American citizen to President Truman