The changes after 1985

Question 1

Who was Gorbachev?

Answer 1

Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until its collapse in 1991.

Question 2

What were Gorbachev’s 3 thoughts on Communism in Russia?

Answer 2

1. Gorbachev understood that Communism in Russia faced many problems.
2. The Soviet economy wasn’t nearly as efficient as the American economy. While Americans in the 1980s enjoyed an excellent standard of living, everyday life in Russia was dominated by shortages.
3. Also, many of the Soviet people had lost faith in the Communist Party.

Question 3

What were Gorbachev’s 3 plans for reviving Communism?

Answer 3

1. Gorbachev’s plan for reviving Communism involved a radical programme of reform.
2. Perestroika – meant reconstructing; it was about economic reforms designed to make the Soviet economy more efficient.
   Glasnost – meant openness; it was the idea that censorship of the press would be relaxed.
3. Gorbachev assumed that his reforms would strengthen the power of the Soviet Communist Party.

Question 4

What state was the US economy in during 1985?

Answer 4

Booming.

Question 5

What state was the Soviet economy in during 1985?

Answer 5

Failing.

Question 6

What kind of technology did America have in 1985?

Answer 6

Excellent computer and space technology.

Question 7

What kind of technology did the USSR have in 1985?

Answer 7

Old-fashioned technology.

Question 8

Who was America allies with in 1985?

Answer 8

NATO.

Question 9

Who was the USSR allies with in 1985?

Answer 9

Warsaw Pact.

Question 10

Who had more nuclear missiles in 1985, the USA or the USSR?

Answer 10

The USSR.

Question 11

What was the USA’s international reputation in 1985?

Answer 11

Leaders of the free world.

Question 12

What had ruined the USSR’s reputation by 1985?

Answer 12

The Chernobyl crisis.

Question 13

What was the state of America’s military forces?

Answer 13

Highly equipped and conventional.

Question 14

Where was money mainly being spent on for the USSR’s military forces?

Answer 14

An expensive war in Afghanistan.

Question 15

When was the Geneva Summit?

Answer 15

November 1985.

Question 16

What was Reagan’s aim at the Geneva Summit?

Answer 16

To persuade Gorbachev that he sincerely desired peace between the two superpowers.

Question 17

What were Gorbachev’s 2 aims at the Geneva Summit?

Answer 17

1. To persuade Reagan to drop his plans for SDI.
2. To establish a working relationship with Reagan. He showed this by sacking the long serving Soviet foreign minister, Gromyoko and appointing Shevardnadze as his replacement prior to the summit. This signalled an end to the aggressive foreign policy that had been pursued by Gromyoko.

Question 18

What were the 2 effects of the Geneva Summit?

Answer 18

1. The two leaders were able to speak face to face and develop a personal friendship.
   Reagan didn’t agree to drop SDI.
2. No formal agreement on arms control was reached.

Question 19

When was the Rekjavik Summit?

Answer 19

October 1986.

Question 20

What did Reagan propose at the Rekjavik Summit?

Answer 20

To scrap all ballistic nuclear missiles.

Question 21

What were the effects of the Rekjavik summit?

Answer 21

Gorbachev was unwilling to agree because Reagan hadn’t agreed to drop SDI.

Question 22

What was the INF Treaty?

Answer 22

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty removed all medium-range nuclear weapons from Europe.

Question 23

When was the INF Treaty agreed?

Answer 23

In December 1987, after several meetings.

Question 24

Where was the INF Treaty agreed?

Answer 24

Washington.

Question 25

For what 3 reasons was the INF Treaty agreed?

Answer 25

1. Although Reagan refused to drop SDI, Gorbachev signed the treaty because:
   He believed that this would increase his popularity in the West.
2. The Soviet economy could not recover due to the amount being spent on nuclear weapons.
3. Reagan told Gorbachev that he had no intention of invading the USSR.

Question 26

What were the 3 significant effects of the INF Treaty?

Answer 26

1. It was the first treaty to reduce the number of nuclear weapons that the superpowers possessed.
2. It went further than SALT I, which only limited the growth of Russian and American stockpiles.
3. Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to eliminate nuclear and conventional ground–launched ballistic and cruise missiles with specific ranges. Within four years the two sides were to destroy hundreds of these missiles and there were stringent procedures whereby inspectors checked the treaty was being followed. The treaty was a great breakthrough.

Question 27

What were Gorbachev’s 3 attitudes towards Eastern Europe?

Answer 27

1. In December 1988, he announced that ideology should play a smaller role in Soviet foreign affairs. This meant that the USSR would no longer favour trade with Communist states over capitalist countries.
2. Gorbachev was keen for Eastern European states to enjoy perestroika and glasnost.
3. Gorbachev withdrew Soviet troops from Eastern European bases in order to save money.

Question 28

Describe the 6 key features of the breakup of the Eastern Bloc.

Answer 28

1. Gorbachev had never intended to weaken Communist control over Eastern Europe.
2. However, once reform had started in the Eastern Bloc, Gorbachev was left unable to contain it.
3. In Poland, the Communist government was defeated in free elections held in June 1989.
4. In Hungary, the Communist government promised a new democratic constitution in summer 1989 and the first free elections were held in spring 1989.
5. In Czech Republic / Slovakia, popular protests lead to the overthrow of Communist rule in the ‘Velvet Revolution’ of November 1989.
6. In Germany, East Germans began leaving for West Germany via Hungary. The Communist Part of East Germany declared free elections. In November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the Communist were defeated in 1990 elections.

Question 29

When did the Berlin Wall fall?

Answer 29

November 1989.

Question 30

For what 8 reasons did the Berlin Wall fall?

Answer 30

1. East Germany was slow to embrace the reforms introduced by Gorbachev.
2. During the 1980s, the East German government even banned Russian publications as they were considered too liberal.
3. However, the Communist government was unable to contain its citizens’ desire for freedom once neighbouring states had abandoned Communism.
4. As soon as democratic elections were announced in Hungary, there was a mass movement of East German citizens through Hungary to West Germany.
5. As a result, the East German government was forced to announce much greater freedom of travel for East German citizens.
6. In October 1989, Gorbachev visited East Germany and openly said that he would not interfere with any political developments there.
7. There were demonstrations in East Germany for changes to the government just as in Hungary and Poland.
8. The East German government decided to allow some freedom of travel and allowed large numbers of people through the Wall.

Question 31

Describe the 7 key features of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Answer 31

1. The fall of the Berlin Wall came to symbolise the end of the Cold War. 2. However, it shouldn’t be mistaken for the end of the Cold War.
2. On November 9th 1989, the East German government announced that East Germans would be allowed to cross the border with West Berlin.
3. On hearing this news, thousands of East Berliners flooded the checkpoints in the wall, demanding entry into West Berlin and the border guards let them through.
4. Soon, people started to chip away at and dismantle the wall.
5. Ten new border crossings were created by the East German government in the following days.
6. The Berlin Wall had fallen.

Question 32

When did the Warsaw Pact end?

Answer 32

Military cooperation ceased in early 1990 and the Warsaw Pact was formally dissolved in July 1991.

Question 33

Why did the Warsaw Pact end?

Answer 33

As the Eastern Bloc disintegrated, it became obvious that the Warsaw Pact could not survive. It had been an alliance that united the Communist states of Eastern Europe against the capitalist states in the West. However, as first Poland, then Hungary and finally East Germany all rejected Communism, the Pact no longer served any purpose.

Question 34

Describe the 4 key features of the end of the Warsaw Pact.

Answer 34

1. The summit between Gorbachev and Bush in 1990 covered START talks and within one year agreements had been made.
2. The USA and USSR agreed to reduce their nuclear weapons and thus the threat of war receded.
3. There seemed no need for east–west alliances.
4. As the Soviet Union disintegrated and the countries of eastern Europe became independent, there was no need for the Warsaw Pact.

Question 35

How was Gorbachev viewed in the world?

Answer 35

1. In the West, Gorbachev was widely respected for his willingness to reform and the fact that his policies had led to the break-up of Eastern Europe.
2. At home in Russia, however, Gorbachev was treated with suspicion. Leading members of the Communist Party believed that his reforms had weakened Communism rather than reviving it.

Question 36

Describe the 7 key features of the coup that aimed to remove Gorbachev from power.

Answer 36

1. On August 19th 1991, a group of senior Communist government officials organised a coup to remove Gorbachev from power.
2. Initially, the coup was successful.
3. Gorbachev was abroad and they prevented him from returning to Moscow.
4. The new government declared a state of emergency and overturned the freedoms gained during perestroika and glasnost.
5. The new government’s goal was to restore the power of the Soviet Union and secure the future of the Communist government.
6. It lasted for three days.
7. Boris Yeltsin, the future president of Russia, played a crucial role in defeating the coup. He described the new government as “illegal” and called on the people of Moscow to resist the new regime.

Question 37

Describe the 7 key features of the fall of the Soviet Union.

Answer 37

1. On August 21st 1991, Gorbachev returned to Moscow and resumed his position as leader of Russia.
2. Immediately following his return, Gorbachev announced that it was still his intention to save Soviet Communism.
3. However, the coup had damaged Gorbachev’s authority, whilst making Yeltsin a popular hero.
4. Gorbachev’s final attempt to save the Soviet Union was the introduction of a new constitution, which was designed to give the Soviet republics much greater independence.
5. However, the leaders of these countries wanted full independence and so the new constitution was never accepted.
6. As a result, Gorbachev announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union and resigned as president on December 25th 1991.
7. This marked the end of the Cold War.

Question 38

Describe the 4 key features of the end of the Cold War.

Answer 38

1. American President George Bush had declared that the Cold War was over at the Malta Conference in 1989.
2. However, Communism was still undefeated and the coup of August 1991 raised the prospect of yet another stand-off between the East and the West.
3. It was the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991 that finally ended the ideological battle between the capitalist West and the Communist East.
4. The dissolution of the Soviet Union also ended the superpower conflict because once the USSR was dissolved, America became the world’s only superpower.