Using Pictorial Sources.

Look at the cartoon below and then read the question.

QUESTION: This cartoon called 'The Bird Watcher' shows Stalin preparing to shoot down the birds flying over Berlin. What event is this referring to and how is Stalin being represented in it?                                                                                                      (6 marks)

Well we should begin with noting down very quickly the key things that we can see. Source work is about our observations, but it also requires subject knowledge to give meaning and understanding.

a) Stalin has a shotgun to shoot down the storks flying overhead.

b) The birds are bringing food, coal and general supplies to Berlin.

(the two above are the simple ones -now add some more knowledgeable observations)

c) Stalin is not actually shooting -but threatening.

d) The birds are storks-in folk-law, they bring babies. This could be suggesting the re-birth of Germany?

e) The event this is referring to is the Berlin Airlift of 1948-9

f) If you look at the scenery in the background Germany is in tatters. This is an attack at the fact that the Soviet Union has done nothing to help its people- in direct comparison with the help the Americans are giving the  West-Berliners.

So now you have all the background to attempt the question.

Remember to be focused on what is being asked. Try and split the question up.

This question has two very distinct parts.

part 1 is asking you to tell the examiner what you know about the Berlin Airlift (this means you need to briefly outline the background to the division of Germany and Trumans policy towards the Russians).

part 2 is asking you to use the source to describe Stalin's response (what did he do, what was his thinking and what was the outcome).

Now look at the answers below

1) This cartoon is about the Berlin Airlift. It shows Stalin getting angry about the American sending food in. He is going to shoot them. The people of Berlin were starving and the Americans said they would help but Russia said it was nothing to do with them and it took months to get it sorted out. Stalin was not happy but couldn't do anything about it. (2 marks as it is a very patchy and brief effort. It has identified key players and shows some subject knowledge)

2) The Cartoon is showing the Berlin Airlift. The birds are representing the Americans, who flew in thousands of tons of food and supplies from April 1948 until May 1949. It shows Stalin is angry with this and is preparing to shoot down the birds. It also shows that Stalin is not actually putting the threat into practice as he is holding the gun down. During the Airlift Stalin made threats that he would attack American planes that went over East German airspace. The fear of a nuclear war was so strong however, that it was soon clear that the threat was empty. Stalin hoped that the amounts needed to keep the city alive would not get in. It did and eventually Stalin gave up with the blockade of Berlin. The relations between Stalin and Truman were made a lot worse by this event. (4 marks as it covers many key elements of the topic but is sketchy and brief)

3) This cartoon is about the Berlin airlift. From April 1948 until May 1949 the Russians, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin attempted to blockade supplies to West Berlin. Stalin was angry about the way that the Americans, French and British had introduced a new currency in the rest of Germany. He believed this was against the agreement that the four nations had reached and that they were plotting against him. As Berlin was situated in the middle of East Germany Stalin could control the road and rail networks. If he could starve Berlin he thought this would force the USA into negotiations. The cartoon shows that the USA had different ideas and they flew food and supplies in. Stalin threatened to shoot down these planes, but was not actually willing to go this far. He simply did not believe this issue was worth a nuclear war. As you can see in the picture, Stalin has not actually shot anything down and is really just bluffing.

The cartoon is clearly a western cartoon and against Stalin as it shows Stalin as being unreasonable. He is concerned with what is going overhead and doing nothing about the state of East Germany in the background. The stork is a bird that is associated with birth and the storks here are helping with the re-birth of a modern Germany.

The airlift ended in defeat for Stalin and proof to Americans that Truman's policy of actively helping in the fight against communism worked. This event certainly made the cold war even colder. (full marks 6 points)