Chapter 21 - Cold War

Question 1

What percent of Soviet economy going onto military spending?

Answer 1

25%

Question 2

What political problems did the Soviet Union face in the years 1964-1985?

Answer 2

Deteriorating relations with the USA and China left them isolated internationally. Command economy meant the state controlled everything
Spending 25 percent of their GDP on its military programme in order to catch up to the West

Question 3

What social/economic problems did the Soviet Union face in the years 1964-1985?

Answer 3

Suffered economically from the continuation of the arms race (25 percent of GDP being spent on it)
1972 and 1975 series of crop failures
Economy failed to sustain growth in the 1970s/1980s.
Serious lack of foreign investment

Question 4

What technological problems do we associate the Soviet Union with between the years 1964-1985?

Answer 4

Lacked behind the USA in technological advancements (during 1980s USA had 30 million PCs whilst the USSR had 50,000)

Question 5

What criticism and dissent did the USSR face during the years 1964-1985?

Answer 5

Prague spring 1968 Czechs wanted reform, high profile exiled Soviet people like Sakhrarov criticised the USSR from the West
Russian people realised it was not a Stalin regime so felt they were safe to criticise

Question 6

Why did the USSR fear they were lagging behind in the arms race?

Answer 6

Fear of American technological superiority

Question 7

What problems existed in the USSR?

Answer 7

Items in short supply, low standard of living, could not feed children and there was poverty

Question 8

What responsibility was Gorbachov given before he became leader?

Answer 8

To reform the soviet agriculture as the Soviet Farming was inefficient

Question 9

What was Thatchers first impression of Gorbachov?

Answer 9

Believed they could do business and was cautiously optimistic

Question 10

Why was Gorbachov seen as a different type of leader by Soviet citizens?

Answer 10

Greeted with enthusiasm and was seen to be educated and energetic

Question 11

What 3 problems did Gorbachov inherit?

Answer 11

Social breakdown, alcoholism, corruption in communist party

Question 12

What 2 roads did Gorbachov take for the belief the USSR had to survive?

Answer 12

Glasnot- openness and honesty
Perestroika- reconstruction

Question 13

What were Gorbachovs key priorities and aims?

Answer 13

Did not want to end communism but wanted to reform it.
Believed that glasnot or greater openness was necessary to change the atmosphere of the USSR

Question 14

What happened in April 1986?

Answer 14

Chernobyl disaster

Question 15

What problems did the Chernobyl disaster highlight?

Answer 15

Incompetence of the USSR as they cleaned radioactive material causing people to die.

Question 16

What impact did the Chernobyl disaster have on Gorbachev?

Answer 16

Knew about the damages of the nuclear weapons and that nuclear power could kill civilians

Question 17

What was Gorbachevs view to the economy?

Answer 17

Wanted to not dismantle it but rather amend the existing economic and production systems that were in place at the time.

Question 18

How did Gorbachev shift the focus of Soviet foreign policy from the traditional approach?

Answer 18

The change meant that to a far greater degree then in the past, the Soviet intuit would define its interests in much as the same way as other nations

Question 19

What impact did the reforms implanted by Gorbachov have on Soviet Citizens?

Answer 19

While the general public saw a decreased standard of living and was suffering hardships, a small group benefitted from the relaxations mostly entrepreneurs.

Question 20

Alcohol policies?

Answer 20

Cost the Soviet state 100 billion Robles in taxes lost due to a drop in consumption. Alcohol still remained on the black market

Question 21

Soviet budget reform?

Answer 21

Wanted to focus on eliminating the deficit but by 1988 that deficit was approx 13 percent of Soviet GNP

Question 22

Criticism and changes to the Communist Party?

Answer 22

Gorbachev needed to remove apparatchiks who benefited from the system.
Entail transformation of the government and system of elections that allowed the public some choice in their representation

Question 23

Agriculture policies?

Answer 23

Stopped collectivisation by beginning to yield increases in efficiency and production

Question 24

Foreign investment changes?

Answer 24

Made 61 joint-venture agreements with Western companies by 1988, bringing in much needed capital and technological developments

Question 25

What is gerontocracy?

Answer 25

Old leaders with relatively younger population