Topic 5 - Collapse of Communism Essay Plans

Assess the importance of economic issues ending the Cold War (N06)

To what extent did economic problems in the communist bloc bring about the end of the Cold War? (M05)

Introduction –

• Stagnant economy led to arms reductions
• Two main schools; result of external pressure, or domestic problems (Bell)
• McCauley > combination of both

Economy –

• Military competition was increasingly expensive
• Needed a weapons deal to restructure economy
• Soviet economy wasn’t large enough militarily to compete with US, nor effective enough to support military budges (30% by mid-80s)
• Central command economy could move a backwards, agricultural nation to basic heavy industry, but not in complex manufacturing product (automobiles)
• Corruption and black market – citizens increasingly unhappy
• USSR needed an arms deal to shift economic resources to restructing the economy
• During 1980s 14-15% GDP on military spending, while 4-6% in US
• Thus Gorbachev’s offer to eliminate all nuclear weapons within 10 years at Reykjavik/ withdraw from Afghanistan 
• Global recognition of cost of nuclear war
• December 1985 Saudi Arabia change oil policy so oil prices collapsed – oil money was needed to pay for imports of grain to USSR
• Signs of stagnation from 60s – more open atmosphere since then

Ideology –

• Gobachev and others felt communist model was broken
• Affect on Afghanistan and didn’t invade Eastern blocs repudiating Brezhnev Doctrine
• Introduced perestroika and glasnost – greater democratization
• Law on Cooperatives (permitted private ownership), Enterprise Law (transferred decision making from central ministries to enterprises), Law on Joint Ventures (allowed foreign ownership of companies), censorship was abolished in 1988, political parties and organizations were allowed
• Crockatt: ‘direct result of Gorbachev’s policies’

Personalities –

• Gorbachev was willing to change USSR, more educated, younger, also had been in Czech after Prague Spring
• Reagan recognized G as genuine and negotiated deals with him encouraging better relations

Military

• US sophistication (computer technology) meant Soviets were falling behind, especially after SDI pr ‘Star Wars’ in 1983
• Sophisticated weapons supplied by US to Afghan rebels > Stinger Missiles
• Difficult to argue that Reagan’s military build-up caused sudden soviet collapse, as signs of stagnation since 1960s > Keenan “simply childish”

To what extent did (a) ideolical and (b) economic factors contribute to the ending of the Cold War (Nov11)

Introduction –

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Ideological Factors –

• Attempts made by Soviet leaders to reform a Communist system, without destroying its ideological base
• Challenge of adopting perestroika > led to political change, resurgence of nationalism
• President Reagan took an ideological stance against Communism
• Crockatt > direct result of Gorbachev’s policies
• Censorship abolished in 1988, political parties allowed
• Rejection of Brezhnev Doctrine led to spurt of nationalism
• 1990 leading role of communist party was dropped from the constitution

Economic Factors –

• Stagnation, cost of fighting Soviet-Afghan War, upheavals in satellite states
• Gorbachev felt pressured to match (unsuccessfully) increased US defense spending
• Military spending was 13-14% of GNP in mid 1980s, whereas 4-6% in US
• GNP growth was negative during the Gorbachev era
• Difficult to argue that Regan’s military buildup led to economic collapse as there were signs of stagnation since 1960s
• Collapse of oil prices in 1985, as Saudi Arabia made changes to oil policy
• Oil money was needed to pay for imports of grains to USSR
• Planned economy was rigid
• McCauley > “only market economies generates rising prosperity over decades.”
• Low morale and productivity
• Nomenklatura obstructed systematic reforms and new initiatives > in their interest to preserve system and oppose decentralization
• USSR didn’t understand importance of computer technology
• Stagnation was due to lack of economic competition, private incentives, entrepreneurship, and the role of the nomenklatura in obstructing reforms

To what extent was the collapse of communist regimes the result of domestic problems rather than external pressures? (N07)

Introduction –

• Domestic problems; material shortages, production problems, difficulty of maintaining consumer goods whilst maintaining expenditure on military/defense budgets, ossification of command economy and central planning systems
• External pressures; liked to economic pressures, religious institutions, altered ideology, domino effect
• Crockatt > direct result of Gorbachev’s policies
• McCauley > combination of both

Domestic Problems;

• Planned economy was rigid
• Low morale and productivity
• Nomeklatura obstructed reforms because it was in their interest to preserve system and oppose decentralization
•  Didn’t understand importance of computer technology
• McCauley > “only a market economy generates rising prosperity over decades”
• Stagnation was due to lack of economic competition, private incentives, entreprenurship, and role of nomenklatura
• Introduce Perestrokia
• Censorship was abolished in 1988 and political parites were allowed
• Rejection of Brezhnev Doctrine / glasnos led to nationalism
• 1990 the leading role of the communist party was dropped from constitution
• Crockatt > “result of Gorbachev’s policies
• Difficulty providing consumer goods and industrial

External Pressures;

• Arms race to close missile gap
• 1980s spent 14-15% GNP on military, wheras US spent 4-6%
• GNP grow was negative during Gorbachev era
• Signs of stagnation since 1960s, so Reagan was unlikely cause
• Americans provided Stinger missiles to Afghanistan guerilla fighters, effective at shooting Soviet helicopters, Crockatt > decisive factor
• 1988 abandoned Brezhnev Doctrine and allowed satellites to determine own internal affairs
• Russian population was attracted by Western habits and consumer goods, which contrasted with shortages and ques
• December 1985 collapse of oil prices after Saudi made changes to oil policy
• Needed oil money to pay for imported grain
• Development n Third World further eroded support for Soviet system – facing serious economic problems

To what extent did the events in Eastern Europe countries contribute to the end of the Cold War? (M11)

Introduction –

• In 1989 five Eastern European states saw collapse of pro-Soviet Communist regimes
• Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania (mostly peaceful)
• Unpopular, economically inefficient gov collapsed after Gorbachev wouldn’t maintain control using Brezhnev Doctrine
• Other factors; arms limitation

In what ways did Reagan influence the development of the Cold war? (M12)

Introduction –

• Increase in defense spending (SDI and Cruise missile deployment in Europe)
• Rejection of détente
• Involvement of civil war in Angola through sponsoring UNITA, provision of aid to anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan, support anti-communist regimes in Americas,
• Prssure (economic and military) upon USSR as being major contributing factor to the decline of Soviet power and demise of USSR

Analyze the factors which led to the ending of the Cold War (N05)

Introduction –

• Developing arms limitations and détente and growing cordiality; economic cost; Gorbachev reform leading to withdrawal from Afghanistan, end of support to Eastern European states increased standard of living in West and decreasing in East with increased communication making it more easily known; growth of opposition parties; nationalism

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Examine the ways in which the arms race (a) cause tension in the Cold War and (b) helped end the Cold War (Specimen 2012)

Introduction –

• Continuous competition between Western powers to establish technical and numerical supremecy in arms production
• Caused tension because both sides feared the other was stronger
• Cuban missile crisis reflected aim of USSR to place missiles that could reach USA who had weapons that could reach USSR in Turkey
• Tension was also created by cost, especially in Eastern bloc, where standard of living was low
• Fear
• Helped end the Cold War because realized that using the destructive weapons would wipe out both sides
• Thus both sides did seek and sign arms limitations treaties; a hotline was established
• Cost became too much for USSR
• Test Ban Treaties

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