End Of Cold War

Question 1

4 long term & 1 short term Reasons for End of Cold War

Answer 1

Long term
1. American Strengths
Egs:
- Econ superiority
- Military superiority
———
2. Weakness of Soviet econ
Egs:
- Weakness of Command Econ
- Lack of Consumer Goods and Low Quality of Life
——
3. East Europe as Burdens
——
4. Increased Resistance In Communist Bloc
________
Short Term
1. Gorbachev’s policies
Egs:
- Glasnost (Domestic Pol)
- Perestroika (Domestic Pol)
- Foreign policy reforms

Question 2

Glasnost leading to End of CW / Fall of Comm (Short term)

Answer 2

• Opened up SU to new ideas and suggestions
• Ordinary Soviets could suggest how to make econ better
• Leas censorship & govt control on media
• Media and press allowed to tell the truth about Soviet system
• More freedom as corrupt officials were put on trial
  ———BUT
• This opened up a can of worms
• Soviets could see the flaws of the Soviet system
• Soviets lost faith in Soviet system
• Became disillusioned & support Soviet system less
• End of Cold War as Soviet Union began to decline

Question 3

~1981. USA’s Econ Superiority

Answer 3

• US Pres Ronald Reagan radical ideas for US domestic policy
• He Believed ppl and businesses need to be liberated from govt regulation
• Believed govt regulations restricted trade & innovation in businesses
• Regulation also held back econ expansion
  ———ACTIONS
• So Reagan Encouraged individual enterprises
• There was Less reliance on govt for goods and services
• Cut taxes to give ppl incentive to work harder & start businesses
• Restructuring of econ in USA & West Europe
• Caused econ growth in USA & W.E
  ———
  HENCE,
• USA econ superiorty let them renew arms raise
• This forced SU to compete w/ USA
• But SU did not have financial capacity for it
• Worsened SU’s econ problems
• SU’s decline

Question 4

USA Military Superiority Eg: Star Wars Programme

Answer 4

• USA spending more on military defence
• Increased USA defence budget by $32.6 billion
• NEW WEAPONS. B1 nuclear bomber intro
  ———
• launched Strategic Defence Initiative aka Star Wars Programme
• SWP was a $1 billion project
• Made new weapons that used satellites & lasers to destroy missiles before they hit targets.
  ————
  HENCE,
• USA’s econ strength let them have all these expensive programmes
• SU started to panic
• SU felt pressured to engage in arms race with USA
• Even tho SU had limited financial capacity & stretched resources
• SU’s Increased spending on military to keep up with USA
• let to SU’s worsening econ
• Contributed to SU’s decline

Question 5

Reagan’s Role?

Answer 5

• 1981 Ronald Reagan as US Pres
• Radical ideas for US domestic policy
  ———
• Charismatic & popular
• aggressive towards USSR

Question 6

Weakness of Soviet Econ -> Weakness of Command Econ

Answer 6

• Soviet govt worked well when had a small number of very large industries
• Govt could easily implement decisions in these industries
• 1970s -> Expansion of Soviet econ
• Over whelmed by increasing demands
• SU govt struggled to cope
• Too many companies making diff goods
• Acted too slowly + poor decisions
• Slow to introduce new tech to industries
  ———
  HENCE,
• SU could not adapt to changes in growing
  econ
• SU econ downturn
• End if CW

Question 7

~1987. Perestroika (Short term Gotbachev’s policies

Answer 7

• Restructuring of econ
• Allowed for private ownership of businesses
• Managers encourage to innovate
• Factory managers now elected by workers
  ———PROBLEMS———
• Less govt control on production of goods
• Factory managers had to look into own funding & establish new trade relations
  -> Led to increased unprofitable businesses as factories were not producing what ppl wanted
  ——— EFFECT———
• No improvement in quality of life of Soviet’s
• Fewer basic goods
  -> Worsened by loss of jobs
• Longer queues to buy
• Less Soviets wanted to set up businesses
  ———
  HENCE,
  -

Question 8

East Europe as Burdens / Opposition to Commin E.E (Long term)

Answer 8

• SU had an annual subsidy to Warsaw Pact allies of $3 billion
• Soviet econ closely tied to E.E economies through Comecon
• USSR struggled bcuz econ in E.E dependent on SU
• 1970s. E.E heavily borrowed from Western banks
• West banks thought E.E was profitable market w/ SU’s support
• E.E accumulated world’s highest debts
  ———
  HENCE,
• E.E opposed comm
• Comm govts threatened by ppl power & resisted by organisations
• Only thing keeping comm tgt

Question 9

Gorbachev’s Foreign Policies

Answer 9

1. Reagan-Gorbachev summits
   - Reagan keen on nuclear disarmament
   - Keen to reduce arms race
   - So engaged Gorbachev in negotiations
   - Both wanted nuclear abolition
   ———
   - 1985-1988, 5 summit meetings
   - 1987. Signed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty
   - Agreed to reduce nuclear weapons
   - Reagan declared he no longer thought SU was an evil empire due to Gorbachev’s changes
   ———
   HENCE,
   - Warming of tensions