Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)      

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?        
My impression of source 26 is that this is a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on the facts. As the source states, "not only is the soviet government prepared to co-operate with any non- communist controlled government in eastern Europe"  I find this to be an accurate statement; based on this quote, it is obvious that Stalin wouldn't let the countries in Eastern Europe just have their own government, because that's not what Stalin stands for. What Stalin would really like is for the countries to be communist like his, that way he wouldn't have to deal with other government types that he's not a fan of. 
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?      
Seeing as America and Britain were more so on the same page and closer bonded compared to the Soviet Union with either of them, it would make sense that America was producing similar documents like source 26. In addition, there's no doubt that these types of things were discussed amongst both America and Britain, which would also imply that documents like this were being produced in America too. 
3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. Explain how each factor helped.     

One of three actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe was that communists became the biggest party in 1947 elections, as well as imprisoning opposition politicians. This was helpful in achieving power in eastern Europe because if communism was leading in power, then everyone would be more willing to listen to Stalin as well as his ideas. Another step the communists took in order to take control of eastern Europe was that the communists took over Albania right after the war, therefore helping them by giving them one more country and more land. Lastly, in 1945 in Romania a communist prime minister was elected and y 1947 the monarchy there was abolished. This was helpful because it turned the country into a communist country just like Soviet Russia as well as getting rid of the monarchy making the country only communist.