How the Cold War ended, 1980-1990

Question 1

When did Yuri Andropov become the Soviet leader?

Answer 1

1982.

Question 2

When did Konstantin Chernenko become the Soviet leader?

Answer 2

1984.

Question 3

When was the Reykjavik summit between Reagan and Gorbachev?

Answer 3

October 1986.

Question 4

When and where was the INF agreement signed?

Answer 4

Washington, December 1987.

Question 5

What was the INF agreement?

Answer 5

An arms control treaty.

Question 6

When did the Berlin Wall fall?

Answer 6

November 1989.

Question 7

When was Germany reunified?

Answer 7

1990.

Question 8

When was the USSR formally dissolved?

Answer 8

December 1991.

Question 9

When did Mikhail Gorbachev become the Soviet leader?

Answer 9

1985.

Question 10

What foreign policy did Reagan introduce?

Answer 10

Militarised counter-revolution.

Question 11

What made Reagan’s approach different from Carter’s?

Answer 11

He was much more hard-line and was willing to pursue a ‘second Cold War’ on all fronts.

Question 12

What were the key features of the Militarised Counter-revolution?

Answer 12

-Increased nuclear arms
-The Reagan Doctrine
-

Question 13

What was the Star Wars program?

Answer 13

Reagan’s attempt to develop anti-ballistic missile systems in space. It wasn’t taken very seriously by the Soviets because they believed it was a bluff.

Question 14

Why did Reagan increase nuclear arms again?

Answer 14

Because he knew that the Soviets couldn’t keep up. It was a way to get meaningful concessions from the USSR through a position of strength.

Question 15

What was the Reagan Doctrine?

Answer 15

A policy designed to undermine soviet influence in the Third World. The US supported anti-communist governments and anti-communist rebels, even if they were extremist and violent. Covert methods were used more often than direct action.

Question 16

What was Solidarity?

Answer 16

A Polish independent trade union. It later became a political party that won the 1989 democratic elections in Poland.

Question 17

Who made Reagan’s approach more effective? Why?

Answer 17

Margaret Thatcher. They had a shared view of the USSR and pressured it on both fronts. She agreed to have US nuclear missiles based in Britain.

Question 18

Who was Erich Honecker?

Answer 18

The East German leader from 1971-1989.

Question 19

What were the two main pressures on the USSR during this time?

Answer 19

Economic problems and calls for political reform in Eastern Europe.

Question 20

Why was Soviet leadership ineffective regarding international relationships in 1980-85?

Answer 20

The gerontocracy.

Question 21

Which three domestic policies did Gorbachev introduce?

Answer 21

Glasnost, Perestroika, Democratisation

Question 22

What was the name of Gorbachev’s foreign policy?

Answer 22

New Political Thinking.

Question 23

Name the 5 summits of 1985-89.
In order, ideally.

Answer 23

Geneva - 1985
Reykjavik - 1986
Washington - 1987
Moscow - 1988
Malta - 1989

Question 24

What happened at the Geneva Summit of 1985?

Answer 24

Reagan and Gorbachev met. The foundations for future negotiations were laid, even if nothing concrete was agreed upon.

Question 25

What happened at the Reykjavik Summit of 1986?

Answer 25

Gorbachev was willing to make concessions, which surprised Reagan. Gorbachev wanted the withdrawal of the American Strategic Defense Initiative Programme, but Reagan wasn’t ready to give it up so nothing happened.

Question 26

What happened at the Washington Summit of 1987?

Answer 26

The INF agreement was signed. The first time the superpowers agreed to arms reduction instead of arms control.

Question 27

What happened at the Moscow Summit of 1988?

Answer 27

Agreements on more complex details of the INF.

Question 28

What happened at the Malta Summit of 1989?

Answer 28

Bush and Gorbachev met. No new agreements were made but both agreed that the Cold War was over.

Question 29

What was Perestroika?

Answer 29

A restructuring of the economy that involved private enterprise to promote production, efficiency and higher quality goods.

Question 30

What was Glasnost?

Answer 30

A policy of openness that encouraged the population to express their ideas and show initiative.

Question 31

What was Democratisation?

Answer 31

An attempt to get more people involved in the communist party and political debate.

Question 32

What key policy did Gorbachev abandon?

Answer 32

The Brezhnev Doctrine.

Question 33

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 33

A policy of intervening whenever there were any uprisings or reforms in the Eastern Bloc that Moscow didn’t like.

Question 34

Why did Gorbachev abandon the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 34

-Growing disillusionment with Soviet intervention.
-It was expensive.
-He believed that socialism would be renewed with a degree of liberalisation.
-He believed that military intervention was morally wrong in most cases.
-No need for control over Eastern Europe without Cold War tensions

Question 35

Which countries were affected by the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 35

Poland
East Germany
Hungary
Czechoslovakia
Romania