Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
2. At Cuba, the Cold war almost blew hot and the confrontation is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. Examine. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s veiled threat of using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine marked the first prospect of nuclear “armageddon” since the Cuban missile crisis. A day later, his administration said there was no evidence for this claim.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about Cuban missile crisis and its impact on Cold war.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by giving context of the Cuban missile crisis.
Body:
First, write about the events leading to the Cuban missile crisis.
Next, write about how the Cuban missile crisis could have led to outbreak a full-fledged nuclear war and its possible ramifications.
Next, write about the steps that were taken to diffuse Cuban missile crisis and emphasise on diplomatic solutions.
Conclusion:
Conclude by mentioning the key lessons learnt from the crisis.
