Afganistan

Question 1

1st KU and analysis points

Answer 1

KU
•The Afghan war drained the Soviets economy as it was not strong enough to support the war which resulted in the living standards of the people of Russia being reduced.

Analysis
• Protests questioning the government about the war in Afghanistan in Russia which put pressure on them to hold the arms talks with the USA.

Question 2

2nd KU and analysis points

Answer 2

KU
• the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988 showed that the USSR army was not all powerful and stories of the hardship the solider’s faces while fighting damaged the reputation of military and political leaders.

Analysis
• The Soviet army was the glue holding the union together and now it could be seen that it could be beaten it gave hope to the satellite states that they could revolt against the regime that had oppressed them, which would have led to the break up of the Soviet Union therefore ending the Cold War.

Question 3

Analysis plus

Answer 3

However, it could be argued that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to further tensions between the USA and the USSR as it ended the period of detente between the two superpowers and the president then denounced the Soviet Union as the ‘Evil Empire’.

Question 4

Evaluation

Answer 4

The evidence shows that Afghanistan was probably as significant as Gorbachev because of the USSR did not invade Afghanistan then it would not have caused the large economic problems in the Soviet Union which led to improved relations with the west.