The end of the Cold War (1970-1991)

Question 1

Which event ended the period of Detente?

Answer 1

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979)

Question 2

Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

Answer 2

To stop the Communist government from being replaced

Question 3

What was the name of the group that resisted the USSR?

Answer 3

The Mujaheddin

Question 4

How did the USA react to the invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 4

They refused to sign SALT 2
President Carter declared that the USA would now be more aggressive to the USSR (known as the Carter Doctrine)
They began to arm the Mujaheddin with modern weapons to fight the USSR (known as a proxy war)
They refused to send athletes to the Moscow Olympics (1980)

Question 5

What were the consequences of the invasion of Afghanistan for the USSR?

Answer 5

It cost them $8 billion a year (for 10 years)
They lost more than 15,000 soldiers
It increased tension between the USSR and the USA

Question 6

Who replaced Carter as US President in 1980?

Answer 6

Ronald Reagan

Question 7

How did Reagan impact on the Cold War?

Answer 7

He increased tension by being even more confrontational with the USSR (he referred to them as an “Evil Empire” in 1983
He is seen as beginning the ‘Second Cold War’

Question 8

How did Reagan increase the power of the USA in the 1980s?

Answer 8

He increased defense spending by 13%

He supported the development of new technology like nuclear submarines and stealth bombers

Question 9

What was the Reagan Doctrine?

Answer 9

Reagan announced that the USA would support any group that wanted to fight against communism with money and military support.
This included the US invasion of Grenada to remove a communist government

Question 10

What was the SDI?

Answer 10

The Strategic Defense Initiative (nicknamed Star Wars)
The USA began to try to develop satellites that carried high powered lasers that could shoot down nuclear missiles.
Reagan announced to the world that this technology was ready to be used when in reality it was not.

Question 11

What was the impact of the SDI on the USSR?

Answer 11

The USSR now believed that its nuclear missiles were useless
The USSR attempted to increase its spending on weapons but this made its economy even weaker
It showed how much weaker their technology was

Question 12

Who became leader of the USSR in 1985?

Answer 12

Mikhail Gorbachev

Question 13

What problems did Gorbachev face when he became leader?

Answer 13

The USSR was heavily in debt because of the arms race
The standard of living in the USSR was poor
There was a lack of freedom of speech
Ordinary people had begun to realise how poor they were compared to the USA
Countries in Eastern Europe were beginning to challenge their Communist governments

Question 14

How did the Chernobyl disaster impact on the USSR?

Answer 14

The explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station humiliated the USSR as it showed their nuclear power stations were unsafe.
The Soviet leadership also tried to lie about the explosion but were found out.

Question 15

What was the policy of Perestroika?

Answer 15

It was a process of restructuring the economy of the USSR

It allowed businesses to make a profit and for private individuals to own their own businesses

Question 16

What were the consequences of Perestroika for the USSR?

Answer 16

People became happier in a system that was more capitalist and began to demand more freedom.
This led to more people challenging Communism in order to become capitalist

Question 17

What was the policy of Glasnost?

Answer 17

It means openness and was the allowing of freedom of speech.
It allowed people to speak out against the government and to travel between countries.
Some opposition groups could now also stand in elections

Question 18

What were the consequences of Glasnost?

Answer 18

TV channels could now show the difference between life in the USSR and the USA confirming that the standard of living in the Soviet Union was much worse.
People now wanted democratic elections and could protest against the government to get them

Question 19

How did Gorbachev deal with the Soviet Union being involved in Afghanistan?

Answer 19

He decided to withdraw the Red Army in order to save money and not suffer any more casualties.

Question 20

What were the consequences of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan?

Answer 20

The USSR looked weak as they had been defeated
The Communist government in Afghanistan collapsed
The USA looked strong as they had armed the Mujaheddin who had defeated the USSR and stopped communism from spreading

Question 21

Why did Gorbachev reduce spending on the arms and space races?

Answer 21

Because the USSR could not match the spending of the USA because their economy was much weaker.
Gorbachev hoped this would allow the USSR to spend the money improving living standards
However it ended up making the USSR look weak

Question 22

Why did Gorbachev end the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 22

Because he no longer believed that it would be possible to use Warsaw Pact troops to put down anti-communist rebellions

Question 23

What were the consequences of ending the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 23

Without the threat of an invasion or attack by the USSR people could now openly oppose communism

Question 24

What was Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’

Answer 24

That he wanted to create a better relationship with Western Europe and the USA.
Also that he wanted to reduce the number of nuclear weapons

Question 25

What happened at the Geneva Summit (1985)

Answer 25

Gorbachev and Reagan met for the first time.

No agreements were made but a good working relationship was formed between them.

Question 26

What happened at the Reykjavik Summit (1986)

Answer 26

Gorbachev wanted to reduce the number of weapons the USSR had (this was post Chernobyl) and wanted the USA to stop the SDI.
The USA refused but despite this the relationship remained positive.

Question 27

What happened at the Washington Summit (1987)

Answer 27

Both sides signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Force Treaty (INF)
Both sides agreed to abolish (get rid of) nuclear missiles with a range of less than 5,000 km)

Question 28

What happened at the Moscow Summit (1988)

Answer 28

The INF Treaty was added to and made stronger.

Also Gorbachev agreed to reduce the number of troops the Warsaw Pact had and to remove soldiers from Afghanistan

Question 29

What happened at the Malta Summit (1989)

Answer 29

Gorbachev met US President George Bush and agreed to never start a ‘hot war’ against the USA.
This was seen as the end of the Cold War

Question 30

Why did the Berlin Wall fall in 1989?

Answer 30

Encouraged by the USA people living in Berlin began to march in protest in East Berlin and attempt to cross the border.
Gorbachev ordered the soldiers guarding the wall not to fire at the people.
This allowed East Germans to cross into West Berlin and soon people on both sides of the wall began to demolish it/

Question 31

What were the consequences of the fall of the Berlin Wall?

Answer 31

East Germans began to move freely to West Germany in large numbers
Germany became a united country
Because the soldiers hadn’t fired at the protesters other Eastern European countries felt like they could now safely protest for their freedom.

Question 32

When did other Eastern European countries break free from Soviet control?

Answer 32

November 1989 the border fence between Communist and non Communist Hungary is broken down and free elections are held
November 1989 a free election is held in Czechoslovakia and the Communist government is overthrown
December 1989 the Communist leader of Romania is executed after protests communism

Question 33

When was the Warsaw Pact disolved?

Answer 33

1990

Question 34

What were the consequences of the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact?

Answer 34

There were no longer two armed groups in Europe
Eastern European countries were now free to choose their own governments
Europe was no longer divided into Capitalist West and Communist East

Question 35

What happened to Gorbachev?

Answer 35

He was removed from power in 1991 by hardline (strict_ communists on 25th December 1991
The fall of the satellite states and dissolution of the Warsaw Pact had made the USSR look weak

Question 36

When did the USSR cease to exist?

Answer 36

26th December 1991