This introductory lesson sets the scene for post-war Europe in 1945 and begins to explore the origins of the Cold War.

Students investigate the dramatic final days of Nazi Germany before examining how wartime cooperation between the Allies quickly gave way to suspicion and rivalry.

The lesson opens with an enquiry into Hitler’s death. Students analyse and summarise source material using key headings before developing their historical writing skills by producing a narrative account of the events surrounding the collapse of the Third Reich.

Students then turn their attention to the aims of the Big Three – Roosevelt-based reasoning, students decide what each leader may have said and thought during negotiations.

They then complete a suspicions grid, allowing them to explain and justify the growing tensions between the wartime allies.

A key enquiry question runs throughout this lesson and the wider unit: Why did civilians fear for their lives during the Cold War? As students progress through the next ten lessons, they will explore how disagreements, mistrust and ideological differences between the USA and the USSR escalated into a global conflict of nerves, culminating in the ever-present threat of nuclear war.

Included in this lesson:
Fully resourced PowerPoint lesson
Differentiated activities and tasks
Narrative account writing practice
Source analysis and interpretation activities
Big Three conference investigation
Suspicions grid to develop analytical thinking
Suggested teaching and learning strategies
Suitable as preparation for GCSE History

This lesson forms part of a comprehensive Cold War unit and is ideal as an engaging starting point for the topic.

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