I was wondering if anyone could help me in creating an essay plan for these questions:
To what extent were Gorbachev's policies and attitudes responsible in the collapse of the USSR?"
AND
Account for the emerging differences responsible for the origins of the Cold War.
I really struggle with the Cold War (Im fine with Germany, WW1 & JEH) and can't find any example essays online. So any all help is appreciated!
Hey!! I'm actually with a student right now, and we're going through this exact dot point
So we're both going to help you out!
To what extent were Gorbachev's policies and attitudes responsible in the collapse of the USSRFor this type of essay, we would recommend you writing according to the factors/syllabus. That means a paragraph on;
PARAGRAPH 1 - Start with a paragraph on Gorbachev, as he is the stem of the question --> You can link Collapse of Communism and the Soviet Union within this paragraph as well, rather than a whole separate paragraph.
PARAGRAPH 2 - Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (so after the first paragraph, you can just go in order)
PARAGRAPH 3- Policies and attitudes under Reagan
PARAGRAPH 4 - Disarmament agreements
To get a higher range band 6, you'd need to link Gorbachev to all the other factors. This can be done by;
- Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan prompted both Reagan AND Gorbachev's policies and attitudes - Gorbachev wanted to improve the Soviet Union's image after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
- The way Gorbachev responded to the policies and attitudes under Reagan - with tolerance and a less hardline approach, allowed for the power imbalance to move over to Reagan, effectively aiding in the end of the Cold War, as it allowed for an improvement in relations.
- Disarmament agreements can be linked back to Gorbachev, due to the fact that it was his relaxation in communism and the aims of the Soviet Union (parity in nuclear weaponry) that these disarmament agreements were even possible, as they allowed Reagan (the more hardline of the two) to enter these negotiations in a position of power.
(when I get home I will help you out with the other one, but here is the first essay plan for now
)
Susie (and student who wishes to remain anonymous aha)