Collapse of the Soviet Union

Document Analysis

Directions

Use your knowledge of the Cold War and History to complete the CRQ document analysis. Write in complete sentences using facts, details and analysis.

Open Ended

1. Which country, the USSR or the US, had a stronger economy in 1989 according to the chart? Explain why. 

Open Ended

2. Infer: What is the main idea of the political cartoon?

Open Ended

3. Based on the information in document 1 and document 2, infer the cause and effect that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

The Soviet Union was at the height of its power by the early 1970s and its economy was its most robust. Internationally, communists were victorious in the Vietnam War and there was growing support for the ideology in South America. At the same time the economy in the United States slowed and trust in the government was at an all time low because of the Vietnam War. Up until the late 1970s, it appeared that the American policy of containment was no match for communist expansion.

1960-1970s

The Soviets gained nuclear capability in 1949.; setting off the Arms Race. This increased tensions b/w the two U.S. and USSR. Each country used the threat and fear associated with nukes to pressure each other and even other countries.  This policy of testing one another’s willingness to go to war became known as brinkmanship.

The Arms Race

Multiple Choice

 The capability to completely destroy one another through the use of nucelar weapons became known as:

• M.A.D.

  Mothers Against

  Drugs

• M.A.D.

  Mosquito's ARE DANGEROUS

• M.A.D.

  Must Acquire Dessert

• M.A.D

  . Mutually Assured Destruction

Multiple Choice

Which was true about the military spending by the USSR during the Cold War?

• They were spending a large part of their GDP on the military .

• They were very cautious about spending too much money on weapons.

• They could not keep up with the level of nuclear weapons of the US

• They had a lot more money to spend on weapons because the USSR was wealthier than the US

A U.S. spy plane finds missile sites in Cuba!

1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis leads to a period of DETENTE

Cuba is only 90 miles away from the U.S.!

JFK places a naval blockade...its the closest the world every came to nuclear war

The close call of the Cuban Missile Crisis had the two superpowers rethinking their need for such intense nuclear arsenals.

​

Let's Get a Lock For This Thing

• Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963)

• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968)

• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1972)

• Helsinki Accords (1975).

Détente led to the series of summits between the leaders of two superpowers and the signing of number of international treaties:

At the height of the Arms Race the USSR possessed 45,000 and the U.S. had 31,255.

- This made tensions b/w the two nations very tense

WHY?

The first round of talks began in 1969 under President Nixon. After a period of negotiations, the first treaty, known as SALT I, was signed on May 26, 1972.

When?

By signing SALT I, the US and the USSR agreed to a limited number of ballistic missiles, as well as a limited number of missile deployment sites.

What?

​S.A.L.T.= Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT the purpose of Detente

• To ease the tense relations between the US and USSR

• To reduce the amount of nuclear warheads in the war

• To build up as many nuclear warheads possible

• To avoid nuclear war between the US and USSR

Multiple Choice

Why was the Cuban Missile Crisis a turning point in the Cold War?

• It ended communism in Cuba

• It allowed the United States to invade the Soviet Union

• It led the two superpowers agree to reduce nuclear weapons

• It led to a nuclear war

Multiple Choice

Which statement BEST explains the result of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I)?

• A treaty that unified countries against the expansion of communism was established

• Dictatorial leaders from countries that violated human rights were removed from power.

• Economic stability in regions affected by communist rule was maintained.

• The possibility of a conflict that could be escalated to a nuclear war was reduced.

​​Increased Spending leads to a slow decline for the USSR:

Soviet-Afghan War 1979-1989

​By the 1980s, a large portion of the state's funds were spent on the military to support their involvement in Afghanistan and to fund the arms race with the United States.  The Soviet-Afghan War resulted in heavy casualties and high costs. This led to a loss of faith in the Soviet Union. 

• About 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed

• 35,000 were wounded

• 2 million Afghan civilians were killed.

STAGNATION

By the early 1980s, the Soviet economy began to slow down before finally reaching economic stagnation [state of not growing or progressing].

CAUSES:

• "Keeping up with the U.S"- Under Pres. Reagan the US developed military technology and the Soviets didn't have the $$ to compete.

• The USSR supported its satellite nations to maintain control. This was very costly.

• As the Soviet Union's economy was suffering, so were theirs.

• Poverty and low standards of living was on the rise.

Open Ended

In your own words, explain what was happening to the economy of the USSR by the mid 1980s