| Activities |
Resources |
| Read McAleavy (160-5) and J F
Aylett (38-45) before you begin. This will take longer than before
mainly because Aylett deals with this six-year period in quite some
detail. Other than at
the 1940s, at no point during the Cold War did so much happen in so
short a space of time. I was your age when Gorbachev became leader
in the Soviet Union at the height of the ‘Second Cold War’. My
specialist subject at university was communism. By the time I
graduated communism was over!
|
Tony McAleavy Cambridge
Modern World History pp.160-165 and J F Aylett The Cold War
and After pp.38-45 |
| Complete the Activity on page
160 of McAleavy using the heading ‘The long term causes for the
collapse of communism’. This is an important activity because it
suggests that there were causes for the collapse of communism before
Gorbachev became leader. Divide your answer into four sections:
a)
Economic
Causes. Use the section on the ‘standard of living’ in McAleavy
p. 160 and Aylett p.40. Include in your answer both the reasons for
and consequences of Soviet economic weakness. This is a very
important part of the explanation for the collapse of communism so
make sure your answer is detailed.
b)
Corruption.
Explain how the USSR failed to live up to the ideals of fairness and
equality expected in a communist country.
c)
The
end of Détente. Explain how the ‘Second Cold War’ created
problems for the USSR.
d)
Afghanistan.
You might have read about this last time. Explain how and why the
USSR became involved in Afghanistan (Aylett is good on this).
Explain how the war weakened the USSR. |
Tony McAleavy Cambridge
Modern World History pp.160-165 and J F Aylett The Cold War
and After pp.38-45 |
| Make a Timeline of the
Collapse of Communism. Begin with March 1985 – Gorbachev comes to
power and end with December 1991 – Gorbachev resigned as Soviet
President. In between, list the important events that led to the end
of the Cold War. |
Tony McAleavy Cambridge
Modern World History pp.160-165 and J F Aylett The Cold War
and After pp.38-45 |
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