7.2

Question 1

When did Brezhnev die?

Answer 1

1982

Question 2

When did Andropov die?

Answer 2

February 1984

Question 3

When did Chernenko die?

Answer 3

March 1985

Question 4

When was Gorbachev appointed?

Answer 4

March 1985

Question 5

What was the impact of the Cold War on the Soviet Union’s economy?

Answer 5

The Cold War was draining much of the USSR’s wealth that it could not continue to develop economically

The falling standard of living was creating unrest in the country

Question 6

What radical plan of reform did Gorbachev introduce?

Answer 6

‘glasnost’ also known as ‘new thinking’

He did not intend to abandon the Communist Part or communism

Question 7

What were the 3 main strategies of new thinking?

Answer 7

• Initiating sweeping reforms in the Communist Party and Soviet system - perestroika(restructuring) and glasnost (openness)
• Ending the arms race with the USA and signing various arms reduction agreements
• Abandoning the Brezhnev Doctrine and stopping Soviet interference in Eastern Satellite states

Question 8

Other developments in the USSR under Gorbachev:

Answer 8

• Dissidents were released from jail
• Banned books were published
• Soviet people learned of Stalin’s atrocities

Question 9

Why was glasnost a double-edged sword?

Answer 9

The more freedom people gained, the more they openly criticised Gorbachev and the Communist Party

Question 10

What was uskoreniye?

Answer 10

Acceleration of economoic development

Question 11

When was the summit meeting in Geneva?

Answer 11

November 1985

Question 12

What was the Geneva(1986 Accord?)

Answer 12

• Speed up arms talks
• Work towards the abolition of chemical weapons
• Be more active on issues of human rights

Question 13

What were the highlights of Geneva 1985?

Answer 13

• The 2 leader broke convention and met without advisers
• Reagan refused to give up the SDI ‘Star Wars’ program
• The 2 men had an amicable relationship

Question 14

When was the Reykjavik summit meeting?

Answer 14

1986

Question 15

Why did the Reykjavik summit collapse?

Answer 15

The talks had broken down over the fundamental differences between the superpowers on the SDI and the ABM treaty

Question 16

What was the INF treaty and when was it?

Answer 16

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

December 1987

Question 17

What happened at the the INF treaty?

Answer 17

Reagan was still insistent upon SDI

Gorbachev changed his mind and accepted he would sign

Question 18

Why did Gorbachev change his mind?

Answer 18

• He was convinced that nuclear weapons would not guarantee Soviet Security and they were far too expensive
• Reagan convinved Gorbachev that the US did not intend to invade the USSR
• Gorbachev realised that the Soviet economy would never recover as long as it was spending so much money on nuclear weapons
• Believed the disarment would win him popularity in the West- so better trade deals with the West

Question 19

What did the INF treaty do?

Answer 19

• Eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-lauched ballistic missiles with ranges of 500km to 5500km
  
  • By 1991, 2692 of these weapons were destroyed
• Both countries were also allowed to inspect each other’s military installations

Question 20

What treaties followed the INF treaty and when were they signed?

Answer 20

Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)

in 1989

Treaty for the Reduction and Limitation of Stategic Arms (START I)

signed in 1991