Think I Blew It

Wrote a history midterm the other day.  I was so confident immediately after that I felt certain I would get an A+ on it.  I mean, I knew every single question well, and while there were choices, I could have answered any of them.  The short essays were a breeze.  The long essay?  Hell, I wrote four single-spaced pages (letter size).

A day later, I wasn't so sure any more.  I think I might have over-done one part at the expense of another.  Let me explain.

The long essay is:  Explain and analyze how the US and the Soviet Union, allies in WW2, became such bitter enemies by the 1950s.

(In hindsight, because this subject is so broad, I would have been better off if I had chosen the other essay question, which needed a narrower answer.  But that's another story). 

Well, I said to myself, I know this shit.  So I dove into it.  I mean, I REALLY knew this shit.  If I had three hours I would have written 15 pages or something.  Anyhow, seeing that I only had 80 minutes for the whole exam, and half of it for this one essay, I started with the situation before WW2, and essentially stopped around 1950.

Bitter enemies by the 1950s, right?  I felt that would do it.

Now? Now I am not so sure.  Shit happened in the 1950s that made things worse as well.  Should I have  talked about them?  I mean, like Korea?  Like Indochina?  Latin America? I mean, a lot of shit happened in the 1950s.

I don't know.  My initial thoughts were that well, by 1950-ish they were quite bitter enemies, and so that was enough.

Damn.  Maybe I spent too much time on the 1940s!  Will let you know how things go.

BTW, thanks to those who comments on my term paper dilemma.

I decided to say Truman was not responsible (well, not solely responsible).
AND
for the other history class,  my paper is on Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech which many maintain was the start of the Cold War.  Haha, I say it's actually a message of peace, that Churchill was trying to be a peacemaker.  Let's see how that goes down!