Study sources A and B in this question. Source A The following table shows the size of the Soviet armed forces and the number of countries under Soviet infl...

This is a source utility question worth [8 marks]. You must evaluate what the source reveals about whether Soviet actions caused the Cold War, then identify its limitations.

Analysing the source content [up to 4 marks]:

The source presents two sets of data side by side: Soviet armed forces personnel and the number of Soviet-aligned states in Eastern Europe between 1945 and 1950.

• The number of Soviet-aligned states rose from zero in 1945 to seven by 1948 and eight by 1950. This rapid expansion of Soviet influence across Eastern Europe supports the view that Stalin was aggressively extending communist control, which alarmed the Western powers and helped cause the Cold War.
• The states brought under Soviet influence included Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, and Albania. In each case, communist governments were installed through a combination of rigged elections, political intimidation, and the suppression of opposition parties.
• By 1950, Soviet forces had risen again to 5.8 million, coinciding with the outbreak of the Korean War, suggesting renewed military preparedness.

Evaluating limitations [up to 4 marks]:

• Provenance: The source comes from Western intelligence estimates, declassified in 1998. Western intelligence during the Cold War had a tendency to overestimate Soviet strength to justify Western military spending and alliance-building. The figures may not be entirely accurate.
• Alternative interpretation: The demobilisation from 11.4 million to 2.9 million between 1945 and 1948 actually suggests the Soviets were not preparing for war. This dramatic reduction is often overlooked but is significant evidence against the claim of Soviet aggression.
• Defensive framing: The creation of aligned states can be interpreted as defensive rather than aggressive. The Soviet Union had been invaded twice through Eastern Europe in the twentieth century (1914 and 1941) and suffered approximately 27 million deaths in the Second World War. Stalin's desire for a buffer zone can be understood as a security response rather than expansionism.
• Missing context: The source shows only Soviet actions and omits American actions during the same period, including the Truman Doctrine (1947), the Marshall Plan (1948), and the formation of NATO (1949), all of which the Soviet Union viewed as threatening encirclement. Without both sides, the source cannot prove who was responsible for the Cold War.

Exam technique: When data appears to support one interpretation clearly, always ask what alternative explanation the same data could support. Here, the same numbers that suggest Soviet aggression (more aligned states) also suggest restraint (massive demobilisation). The best answers explore both readings.