Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils undergo a period study which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today: the Cold War. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the relationship between the USA and the USSR in this period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain why there was a sharp increase in Cold War tensions after Reagan was elected as US President.

Key Notes

• Reagan was strongly anti-communist and made it clear that fighting communism would be the focus of his foreign policy.
• Reagan's tougher approach to the USSR led to a period of increased tension and hostility known as the Second Cold War.
• Reagan inflamed tensions by describing the USSR as 'evil' and adopting an aggressive approach towards negotiations.
• Reagan's announcement of the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) in 1983 caused great alarm in the USSR.
• Reagan hoped that Soviet attempts to ensure they could compete in the arms race would cause their economy to collapse.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Cold War: a period between c. 1945 and c. 1991 of intense rivalry and tension between the USA and the USSR
• doctrine: a set of principles or beliefs
• deterrent: something that discourages or prevents an action or behaviour by creating fear of the consequences
• limited nuclear war: a scenario where nuclear weapons are used on a smaller scale than in a full-scale nuclear exchange
• trade union: a group set up to represent and advocate for the rights and interests of workers

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) was fully operational when it was announced by Reagan in 1983.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Berlin, 1958-61: increased tensions Study Guide
• Berlin, 1961-63: the Berlin Wall Study Guide
• Causes of tension between the USA and USSR by 1945 Study Guide
• Cold War crises, 1958-70 Study Guide
• Détente and SALT I Study Guide
• Gorbachev's 'new thinking' Study Guide
• Soviet influence over Eastern Europe by 1948 Study Guide
• The Berlin Crisis (1948) Study Guide
• The Cold War arms race Study Guide
• The collapse of the Soviet Union Study Guide
• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Study Guide
• The Cuban Revolution and the Bay of Pigs Invasion Study Guide
• The end of the Cold War, 1970-91 Study Guide
• The fall of the Berlin Wall Study Guide
• The Helsinki Accords and SALT II Study Guide
• The Hungarian Uprising (1956) Study Guide
• The impact of the atomic bomb on US-Soviet relations Study Guide
• The origins of the Cold War (1941-58) Study Guide
• The Prague Spring (1968) Study Guide
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan Study Guide
• The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968) Study Guide
• The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan Study Guide