Cold War And Collapse Of USSR

Question 1

The world before 1989

Answer 1

1970s: Cold War
Nixon called back troops from Vietn. 1972
Détente: Strategic Arms Limitation (SALT) (both agreed to limit nuclear weapons) Nixon v Brezhnev agreed that nukes would destroy both of them =shift from cold war

Question 2

Impact of Cold War

Answer 2

1. Political Ideology
2. Foreign and domestic policies of countries
3. Personal lives of people
4. Presidency of USA
5. Collapse of Iron curtain in Eastern Europe
6. Reunification of Germany
7. End to the Cold War = New World Order

Question 3

New World order

Answer 3

1. Dramatic change in world political thought and balance of power.
2. It was supposed to be based on independence, detante and end of cold war to show superpower co-operation to ensure political liberty, self determination and non intervention.
3. = United States emerged as “the single greatest power in a multipolar world”

Question 4

Significance of the Collapse of the USSR

Answer 4

1. Balance of Power has changed in the world

Question 5

USA vs USSR

Form of gov

Answer 5

1. States VS Republics: 15 republics w/ Russian S(f)SR + joined at diff times willingly and annexation. Ethically based.
2. Structure: Top structures of gov determined candidates. Unsettled succession. Executive and leg power overlap.
3. Central Gov = Kremlin, Moscow Power flowed from central gov + controlled republic executive (dictatorial) =power was hierarchal enforced by KGB
4. Economy: State own businesses and expects quotas. Wealth is shared. Individual freedoms are not important

Question 6

Significant things about the Collapse of the USSR

Answer 6

1. Balance of power in the world has changed: A new world order with different dynamics eg: Globalisation, technological adv
2. The ideological struggle between capitalism and communism (1945-1989) was now over and it seens capitalism basically won
   = New kinds of conflict arose between North and South of religious fundamentalism vs Secularism

Question 7

Causes of The collapse of the USSR

Answer 7

1. Political and Economic Weaknesses in the USSR: Faults in the system of Centralised Planning + Perestroika + Corruption *check table
2. The effects of the invasion of Afghanistan: loss= economic, social effects —>future reforms
3. Effects of Ronald Reagan and new Arms race: Development of technology + SDI + Détente + reforms
4. Other economic drainage: Supporting lib struggles in cuba, sa, angola, running SSRs

Question 8

Background of the collapse of comm

Answer 8

1. Prior to 1989: Cold War and End of Cold War

2. Talks about limitations on Nuclear weapons (SALT): détente+arms race

Question 9

Causes of coll of comm: Political and Economic Weakness

Answer 9

1. Political:
   No succession plan,
   Strained relationships (no strong ally, bad rep for invasion)
   Effects of Totalitarian gov (censorship, no freedoms),
2. Economic:
   Military Spending,
   Effects of Centralised Economy,
   Corruption,
   Cold War,
   relied too much on exports
3. Social:
   Effects of centralised econ. (Out of touch with socio political reality, no incentive)
   Dissatisfaction (drinking⬆️ :. prohibition)

Question 10

Causes of Collapse of USSR: economic

Answer 10

1. Corruption and Effects of Planned Economy:
   - Corruption in gov: 1950s-1960s=nomenklatura (influences posts for major pos in gov) —>1980s
   - Bandaid revealed in Perestroika: functionaries rendered unfit from limited training and prep (mismanagement + immediacy of perestroika)
   - Wasteful system of comm:
   Functionaries would lie in order to avoid wrath of the totalitarian state. Relied too much on exports (steel and coal) and avoided consumer goods=when you buy cheap, you buy expensive
   e.g 1974 apartment blocks were poorly designed w/ insufficient insulation
2. Dramatic military spending:
   threat of arms race and invasion of Afghanistan (late December 1979) 15-20% gov funds spent on military when US used half.

= late 1980s: This lowered USSR standard of living (health +growing AIDS crisis etc)

Question 11

Causes of Collapse in Soviet Union: Invasion of Afghanistan

Answer 11

Reasons: Strategically NB (counterbalance proUS states Turkey, Pakistan, NATO, CENTO), threat of Islamic rev (Ayatollah Khomeini)

Background: Muhammed Daud Khan overthrown by comm—> Hafizullah Amin hostile to SU= made SSRs vulnerable to Islamic rev and civil war

Invasion:
85K SU in kabul, December 1979. Amin=executed—> Babrak Karmal
US: fuelled war by proxy: funded Mujahidin fighters

Effects:
US cut off grain sales, US and Pro-west countries boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympic
USSR’S bleeding wound: deepened economic challenges and caused condemnation (lasted 2x WW2)
SU troops spread thin (didnt help with Poland)

Question 12

Causes of Coll of SU: Ronald Reagan and new Arms Race

Answer 12

Came into pres: 1980
Window of Vulnerability: SU had military advantage :. uS should design advanced weaponry (B1 bomber, Trident Submarine) =Cowboy +Strategic Defence Initiative =broke détente
= SU had economic issues and lacked tech—> Gorbie’s reforms to restore détente= ref to repress Eastern European dissidents

Question 13

Causes of the coll of soviet union: Gorbachev’s reforms

Answer 13

Background of Gorbie: Gen secretary 1985, younger in 50s, newer thinking 
Reasons for reform: 
1. War in Afghanistan
2. Weapons production 
3. Strained relationships with the west
Basically @ brink of collapse

Perestroika
Glastnost
Democratisation

Question 14

Causes of Coll of Soviet Union:

Gorachev’s reform: Perestroika

Answer 14

Restructuring of planned economy to be more dictated by market forces:. The ppl could decide production marketing
= Enterprise Law (30 June 1987) small businesses allowed to operate
= Greater comp allowed: decide production, prices etc. Gov didn’t support ineffect businesses (realistic prices) =incentive

HOWEVER:
Still gov control: 50-70% of produce is bought at lower price by gov
No history of free market: Didnt solve inefficiency itself. As they received limited training. Recived crit from mathematicians
Hardships increased: Inflation amd Shortages. Lowered incentive increased press on workers. “Treatment of men as machines”

Question 15

Causes of Coll of Soviet Union:

Gorachev’s reform: Glastnost

Answer 15

Open crit

Question 16

Poland: Solidarity

Background-Poland by 1980

Answer 16

1980: trenches
SU disliked by Polish citizens
- lack of political, religious, labour freedoms
-illegal TU forming
-poor economic situation: unable to buy daily necessities, inflation w/o increase in wages= last straw.

This helped stimulate the Solidarity movement.

Question 17

Poland: Solidarity

Anna

Answer 17

Anna Walentynowicz
Coastal Worker = Samizdat newspaper
WZZ w/ Walesa

Question 18

Martial law

Answer 18

13 Dec 1981

Question 19

• To what extent were the actions of the United States of America the only factor that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union by 1991?

Question 20

Were Mikhail Gorbachev’s reform policies contributing factors to the collapse of the Soviet Union by 1991?

Question 21

• To what extent was the failing Soviet economy after 1985 responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Question 22

Discuss the reform process initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev from the mid 1980s and assess whether he was successful in achieving his aim of the economic and political reconstruction of the Soviet Union.

Question 23

economic and political reconstruction of the Soviet Union.

• To what extent was Gorbachev responsible for the collapse of communism and the USSR by 1991?

Question 24

Gorbachev’s reform policies led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1989 which had a direct impact on South African politics.’

To what extent is the above statement valid with specific reference to the disintegration of theUSSR and the impact it had on South Africa.

Question 25

Critically assess the relative importance of Gorbachev’s reforms as opposed to the rise of nationalism in contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Bloc.

Question 26

By the time of the 1985 rise to power of Mikhail Gorbachev, the country was already in a situation of severe economic stagnation*, with deep economic and political problems which sorely needed to be addressed and therefore he cannot be held solely responsible for the dissolution of the USSR”.

Critically discuss the validity of this interpretation of the collapse of communism

Question 27

Perestroika began as a policy of renewal and acceleration. Perestroika ended up, however, simply precipitating the crisis and collapse of the Soviet regime.”

To what extent were Gorbachev’s reforms responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union?

Question 28

To what extent did the people of Poland and East Germany’s desire for autonomy play a more significant role than Gorbachev’s reforms in the events of Eastern Europe between 1985-1989?

Question 29

ECONOMIC WEAKNESS

Answer 29

• Centralised economy
• All land and industries nationalised
• Central planning/ top down → mismanagement of resources
• Works for large industries → but not for small
• Communism → no profit incentive to innovate
• Corruption, wastefulness
• Lying about quotas
• Poor management
• Outdated equipment
• Housing
• Cold War
• Cost of proxy wars/ arms race/ space race etc

Question 30

POLITICAL PROBLEMS

Answer 30

• One Party state/ dictatorship no freedom of speech -suppressed democratic rights – people scared to criticize poor management (see Economic Problems)
• Communist party losing support (econ problems). Needed reform (greater freedoms/ democratisation)
• Relations with West strained - invasion of Afghanistan
• Relations with China strained – no strong ally.
• Leadership: Khrushchev (‘55-’64); Brezhnev (‘64–‘82); Andropov (‘82‘84); Chernenko (‘84-’85); Gorbachev (‘85-’91)

Question 31

USSR presidents

Answer 31

Khrushchev (‘55-’64); Brezhnev (‘64–‘82); Andropov ( ‘84); Chernenko (‘84-’85); Gorbachev (‘85-’91)