EUH 3282 Dr. Sven Kube Assignment 1: Fakebook and Annotated Bibliography Assignment Prompt To help you launch work on a topic that reflects your interests within the thematic spectrum of the course, this first assignment prompts you to advance a biographical inquiry into a European figure of the Cold War era. After all, by getting to know a significant character a little better, you will also take a closer look at events, developments, and trends to which that individual was attached. Therefore, as you choose a character, keep your interests in European History (since 1945) and the availability of literature for subsequent assignments on your radar. For this assignment, you will use Fakebook, an online tool that mimics Facebook, to create a profile for one European character of significance. You can use background information from course resources for inspiration, but you must independently locate source material to create a fictional social-media profile that comprises personal information and exchanges with other figures of the period. This assignment requires an informed, creative, and pro-active approach. Outlined below are the steps you need to take to complete it. 1) Choose a European figure who held or attained notability during the Cold War era. Your character, who must have been of significance in the spheres of politics, military, economy, society, culture, art, ideology, or religion, needs to have been commonly known and influential between 1948 and 1990. Selecting a well-known and researched person will simplify the task. If you are not sure whether your choice qualifies, ask in advance. Head to the course’s Google Sheet at

Paper For Above instruction

For this assignment, I have chosen a prominent European figure from the Cold War era — Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev's leadership of the Soviet Union during a crucial period of Cold War tensions and his role in events like the Cuban Missile Crisis makes him a compelling character for this project. This selection allows me to explore broader themes of Cold War diplomacy, ideological conflicts, and political upheaval in Europe and beyond.

The motivation behind selecting Khrushchev stems from his influential role in shaping the Cold War landscape. His speech denouncing Stalin, his attempts at peaceful coexistence with the West, and his interventions in Eastern Europe provide rich material for constructing a nuanced Fakebook profile. As a leader who navigated complex ideological and political terrains, Khrushchev exemplifies a central figure through which to examine the dynamics of power, policy, and propaganda.

Through creating the Fakebook profile, I learned that Khrushchev’s personality was multifaceted—combining bravado, strategic thinking, and ideological conviction. His interactions with other world leaders like Kennedy, de Gaulle, and East European figures reveal the diplomatic tensions and alliances that defined the era. Developing posts and conversations helped me contextualize key events, such as the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, placing them in a social-media narrative that emphasizes their significance and interconnectedness.

This project highlights the importance of personal and symbolic communication in Cold War diplomacy. It also points toward thematic directions for subsequent assignments, particularly focusing on the ideas of leadership, propaganda, and the role of personalities in shaping international history. As I proceed, I aim to deepen my understanding of how individual agency interacts with broader political structures and to analyze how the portrayal of figures like Khrushchev influences contemporary perceptions of history.

References

• Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. Penguin Books, 2005.
• Smith, Philip. Khrushchev and the Soviet Union. Routledge, 2014.
• Zubok, Vladislav M. A Failed Empire: The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev. University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
• Westad, Odd Arne. The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
• Brown, Archie. The Gorbachev Factor. Oxford University Press, 1996.