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The End of the Cold War

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why did the superpowers seek to ease tension in the 1970s, and how successful was detente?

Explain the reasons for detente in the 1970s and assess how successful it was in easing Cold War tension
A focused answer to the O-Level History dot point on detente. Why the superpowers eased tension in the 1970s, the arms-control agreements and improved relations, the limits and breakdown of detente, and how successful it was.
9 min answer →

How did Gorbachev's reforms change the Soviet Union and help bring the Cold War to an end?

Explain Gorbachev's reforms (glasnost and perestroika) and how they contributed to the end of the Cold War
A focused answer to the O-Level History dot point on Gorbachev's reforms. The problems facing the Soviet Union, the policies of glasnost and perestroika, the new thinking in foreign policy, and how these changes helped end the Cold War.
9 min answer →

Why did the Soviet Union itself break up in 1991, bringing the Cold War to a final end?

Explain why the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and how this marked the end of the Cold War
A focused answer to the O-Level History dot point on the collapse of the Soviet Union. The economic and political failures, the effect of Gorbachev's reforms, the rise of nationalism, the failed 1991 coup, and how the break-up ended the Cold War.
9 min answer →

Why did communism collapse across Eastern Europe in 1989, and why was the fall of the Berlin Wall so significant?

Explain why communism collapsed across Eastern Europe in 1989 and the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall
A focused answer to the O-Level History dot point on the revolutions of 1989. Why the Berlin Wall was built, why communism collapsed across Eastern Europe, the fall of the Wall in 1989, and the significance for the end of the Cold War.
9 min answer →