How do I answer a source analysis question? An explanation of what makes a good answer with an example on the Early Cold War.

Source B also provides evidence which suggests Stalin’s desire to expand Soviet influence led to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance. The source states the ‘USSR had special interests in Poland’ from which it can be inferred that the Soviets had a great deal of influence in Poland. This can be seen to be a cause of the breakdown of the Grand Alliance as the USA and Britain particularly wanted a democratic Poland, as Britain went to war over Poland and the USA had seven million Polish descendants. The fact that Stalin recognised the Lublin Committee in 1945 and cut ties with the exiled government in London shows the inference from source B can viewed as accurate and Stalin was expansionist. However, influence in Poland was merely a protective measure. Many times in history Poland had attacked the USSR and it was used as the Nazi route for invasion in World War Two too. Therefore, it was necessary for the USSR to have a pro-Soviet government in Poland to act as a buffer zone. However, whatever the motive Stalin’s actions broke the Declaration of Liberated Europe which undoubtedly caused tension in the Grand Alliance and led to its breakdown. The above extract is taken from an A* graded response to the A-level exam question; the breakdown of the Grand Alliance in 1944 45 was essentially due to Stalin’s desire to expand Soviet influence in Europe, especially Eastern Europe: using sources A- C and your own knowledge to what extent do you agree with this assessment? The response highlights how to address a source style question well. Firstly, the response engages directly with the source by quoting and most importantly deciphering what the source is suggesting. What makes this response especially good is that it does not just take the source information at face value but uses the author’s own knowledge to confirm that the source is reliable. The response is also well structured thanks to its use of PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link). The first sentence of the paragraph states the argument being made, the source analysis then deals with the issue evidence and explains this evidence and the concluding sentence links the explanation back to the question. This formula ensures that the response remains focused on the issue at hand and answers the question asked of them thus, avoiding a common mistake at all levels of studying which is to not answer the question.