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 the key events in the period 1970-91 that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Key Notes

• In the 1970s, the USA and the USSR followed a policy of Détente, which led to reduced tensions and greater cooperation.
• Détente had ended by the end of the 1970s; events like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to increased tensions.
• Reagan's confrontational approach led to a period of increased hostility known as the Second Cold War.
• Gorbachev's 'new thinking' encouraged a positive response from the USA and led to an improvement in US-Soviet relations.
• By the end of 1991, the USSR had collapsed due to economic problems and demands for independence from its republics.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Détente: the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile towards one another
• Cold War: a period between c. 1945 and c. 1991 of intense rivalry and tension between the USA and the USSR
• reform: a change introduced to improve something, often a system or law
• dissolution: when a country or organisation officially ends or breaks apart

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• US-Soviet relations only began to decline when Reagan became US President in January 1981.

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
• Reagan and the 'Second Cold War' 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 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