Hello, my name is Mr. Williams and I'm going to be your history teacher for today.

This lesson is part of a series of lessons about the end of the Cold War, which focus on the years in 1970 to 1991.

I'm really looking forward to teaching you today, so let's get started.

By the end of today's lesson, you are able to explain the key events in the period 1970 to 1991 that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

There are four keywords essential to understanding our lesson today.

They are detente, the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile to one another.

Cold War, a period between 1945 and 1991 of intense rivalry and tension between the USA and the USSR.

Reform, a change introduced to improve something, often a system or law.

And dissolution, when a country or organisation officially ends or breaks apart.

Today's lesson will be split into three parts.

And in this first part, we're going to be learning about the period of detente between the USA and the USSR.

The timeline on the screen covers the key events that we'll be learning about in this first part of the lesson.

Take a look at it now, and you can come back to this timeline if you need to later on in the lesson.

Let's start by defining the term detente.

In French, the word detente means relaxation.

Historically, detente has been used to refer to the relaxation of tensions between states which were previously hostile to one another.

Beginning in the early 1970s, there was a period of detente during the Cold War, which lasted until the end of the decade.

Detente is not considered to have been an end to the Cold War and tensions between the superpowers had risen again by the end of the 1970s.

Before we focus in on the key events of the detente period, let's consider for a moment the reasons for detente.

Firstly, fear of nuclear conflict.

The two superpowers had amassed huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Leaders in the USA and USSR were concerned about the possibility of nuclear war.

Secondly, domestic pressures.

Relaxing tensions in the Cold War would allow more government attention and funding to be diverted to resolving domestic issues such as a lack of economic growth in the USSR and inequality in the USA.

Finally, international pressures.

In the case of the USA, they were desperate to end their involvement in the Vietnam War and hope that better US-Soviet relations would help them achieve peace with honour.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

The only reason that the USA and USSR committed to a policy of detente is because they were fearful of nuclear conflict.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was false, but let's see if you can justify that answer.

So pause the video now, have a think about why the statement is false and press play when you're ready to compare your ideas to a model response.

Okay, to justify why that statement was false, you could have said something like this.

The USA and USSR were also motivated by international and domestic pressures, for example, the desire to focus more government attention and spending on solving economic problems. Well done if you came up with something similar.

Let's look now at the first key agreement of the detente period, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty or SALT I.

In 1972, US President Richard Nixon visited Moscow and met the leader of the USSR, Leonid Brezhnev.

Nixon became the first US president to visit the Soviet capital and his visit was the first time since the end of World War II that a US president has visited the USSR.

Nixon shared his hope that the USA and USSR could begin to turn our countries away from a wasteful and dangerous arms race and towards more production for peace.

During Nixon's visit, the USA and the USSR signed SALT I after years of talks and negotiations.

Let's focus in now on the detail of SALT I.

It was made up of agreements in three key areas.

Number one, the Anti-Ballistic Missile or ABM Treaty restricted the development of ABMs. Number two, the Interim Treaty limited the number of long-range nuclear missiles each country could have.

Number three, the Basic Principles Agreement set out the aims of US-Soviet cooperation, rules for the conduct of nuclear war and steps to avoid conflict.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Which of the following was not agreed as part of SALT I? A, the destruction of all nuclear weapons.

B, restrictions on ABMs. C, restrictions on long-range missiles.

D, rules for the conduct of nuclear war.

Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you selected A, the destruction of all nuclear weapons was not agreed as part of SALT I.

SALT I was an extremely important treaty.

It had important strengths, but it was also criticised for its limitations.

Let's take a moment now to review the strengths and the weaknesses of SALT I.

In terms of strengths, the treaty acted as a symbol of the superpowers' commitment to detente.

The treaty included a promise to try and overcome differences peacefully.

And there were limits on ABMs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine launched ballistic missiles, which moderated the arms race.

In terms of the weaknesses of SALT I, some types of nuclear weapons were not included in the treaty.

For example, multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles or MIRVs.

The limits on ICBMs and SLBMs were only temporary.

And both the US and USSR still possessed large nuclear arsenals.

Let's check your understanding.

Which two of the following weapons were not restricted by SALT I? A, ABMs. B, strategic bombers.

C, MIRVs.

D, SLBMs. Pause the video now, select the two which you think are correct, and then press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay the correct answer is B, strategic bombers and C, MIRVs.

These weapons were not restricted by SALT I.

Well done if you got that correct.

Let's move on now to the Helsinki Accords, which many people consider to be the high point of detente.

In 1973, Brezhnev and Nixon met with the leaders of other NATO and Warsaw Pact nations in Helsinki in an attempt to improve relations between the East and West during the Cold War.

On the 1st of August 1975, the Helsinki Accords were signed by the leaders of 35 nations, including the USA, Canada and 33 European countries, including the USSR.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

When they met in Helsinki in 1973, Nixon and Brezhnev were committed to a policy of detente.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that that was true, but let's see if you can justify that response.

So pause the video now, have a think about why that statement's true and how you would justify it, and then press play when you're ready to see a model response.

To justify why that statement was true, we could have said something like this.

Nixon and Brezhnev wanted to improve relations between the East and West during the Cold War and build on the progress they had made when they signed SALT I in 1972.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

Let's look now at what was agreed as part of the Helsinki Accords and then we'll move on to evaluate the successes and the limitations.

The agreements made as part of the 1975 Helsinki Accords were organised into three key areas or baskets.

Basket one focused on European borders.

Basket two was about international corporation.

And basket three focused on the issue of human rights.

In terms of successes of the Helsinki Accords, the Accords agreed the borders in Europe, which removed a source of conflict between the USA and the USSR.

It was the first time that boundaries between East and West Germany and the borders of Soviet-controlled countries had been formally accepted.

The Accords led to greater corporation, which can be seen in the Apollo-Soyuz joint US-Soviet space mission in 1975.

Let's look now at the limitations of the Helsinki Accords.

Some criticised President Ford who had replaced Nixon by 1975 for signing an agreement over European borders 'cause it meant recognising the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe that had taken place after World War II.

The Accords focused on Europe and did not address conflicts outside of the European region.

In addition, the Accords did not address underlying tensions, for example, different attitudes between the USA and the USSR towards human rights.

As part of the Helsinki Accords, the USSR had made a commitment to human rights, which they had no intention of honouring.

After Helsinki, the issue of human rights continued to be a major source of tension between the USA and the USSR.

Jimmy Carter became a US president in January 1977.

He was personally committed to promoting human rights.

And he also used the issue to put pressure on the Soviet Union.

Carter publicly criticised Soviets human rights abuses and made it clear that further advancements in arms control would be challenging if the USSR continued to violate human rights.

Despite this increased in tension, Carter and Brezhnev signed the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, SALT II, in June 1979.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

I want you to discuss this question with a partner.

Why did the issue of human rights lead to tension between the USA and the USSR after 1975? Pause the video now, talk your partner, and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope that conversation was useful.

You were asked to discuss with a partner why the issue of human rights led to tension between the USA and the USSR after 1975.

And you could have said something like this.

At Helsinki in 1975, the USSR had made a commitment to improve human rights that they had no intention of honouring.

This created tension with the USA, particularly after 1977 when Jimmy Carter became US president.

This is because Carter angered Brezhnev by publicly criticising the USSR over its poor human rights record.

Well done if you covered those points in your discussion.

Let's look now at what was agreed as part of SALT II.

So the terms of the treaty included.

A limit of 2,400 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles for each nation, which included ICBMs, SLBMs, and strategic bombers.

A limit of 1,320 MIRV systems for each site.

A ban on the construction of new land-based ICBM launchers.

And limits on the deployment of new types of strategic weapons.

However, the treaty was never ratified by the USA after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Let's do a check of your understanding.

SALT II included restrictions on weapons that had not been included in SALT I.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was true, but let's see if you can justify that response.

So pause the video now, think about why that statement is true and how you would justify it, and then press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, so you could have said something like this.

SALT II in 1979 included restrictions on the number of strategic bombers and MIRVs that had not been included in SALT I in 1972.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

You are now ready for the first practise task of today's lesson.

and I'd like you to write an account that analyses the key events of detente in the years 1970 to 1979.

You should aim to write about three key events and may wish to write about the following, SALT I and the Helsinki Accords.

But you must identify and write about a third key event as well.

And try to organise your answer in chronological order.

So pause the video now, have a go at writing your narrative, and then press play when you're ready to compare your answer to a model answer.

Okay, well done for your hard work.

In that first practise task, you were asked to write an account analysing the key events of detente in the years 1970 to 1979.

And your answer may include.

The first major achievement of the detente period was the signing of the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, SALT I, by Brezhnev and Nixon in 1972.

The treaty was signed after Nixon became the first US president to visit Moscow and the first to visit the Soviet Union since the end of the Second World War.

SALT I moderated the arms race by placing limits on certain types of weapons and committed the USA and the USSR to the basic principles, which was a commitment to try and resolve problems peacefully.

Following the signing of SALT I, Brezhnev and Nixon were determine to build on this achievement.

For your second paragraph, you could have written something like this.

Brezhnev and Nixon's determination to build on the achievements of SALT I led them to meet with the leaders of 33 other nations in Helsinki in 1973 in an attempt to improve relations between the East and West during the Cold War.

The Helsinki Accords, which was signed in 1975, are often viewed as the high point of detente.

The Accords involved agreements around three key areas, European borders, international cooperation, and human rights.

After Helsinki tensions increased between the USA and the Soviet Union as the USSR did not intend to honour their commitment to human rights.

And for your third and final paragraph, you might have written something like this.

After Helsinki, US-Soviet tensions increased, but the two superpowers began discussions over arms limitations in 1974.

These discussions would eventually lead to the signing of the Second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty or SALT II in June 1979.

SALT II was a complex treaty that included restrictions on the number of strategic bombers and MIRVs that had not been included in SALT I.

By the time the treaty was signed, Carter had replaced Nixon as US president, and the period of detente was coming to an end.

Furthermore, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 meant the treaty was never ratified.

You've worked really hard on that first practise task.

Well done for all of your efforts.

And well done if your answer looks similar to the one that we've just gone through.

We're now ready to move on to the second part of today's lesson in which we'll be learning about a period at the start of the 1980s where US-Soviet tensions increase so dramatically that the period has become known as the Second Cold War.

The timeline on the screen provides an overview of some of the key events that we'll be learning about in this second part of the lesson.

Take a look at it now, and you can come back to it later on in the lesson if you need to.

We're gonna begin this second part of the lesson by focusing on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

On the 27th of April 1978, a communist group called the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power in Afghanistan.

The PDPA's reforms turning Afghanistan into a communist state were unpopular and seen as an attack on the country's Islamic culture.

An Islamic guerrilla movement known as the mujahideen declared a holy war and fought to turn Afghanistan into an Islamic state.

The PDPA could only stay in power with Soviet support.

Brezhnev sent military advisors and large amounts of military equipment to prop up the communist government.

From September 1979, Afghanistan was ruled by Hafizullah Amin.

Amin did not want to rely on help from the USSR to stay in power, so he began talking to the USA about securing American support.

Brezhnev became concerned that the Soviet Union would lose its influence in Afghanistan.

From the 24th of December 1979, 50,000 Soviet troops crossed the border into Afghanistan.

Amin was killed and replaced by the pro-Soviet leader, Babrak Kamal.

Let's take a moment to check your understanding.

I want you to discuss with a partner.

By the end of 1979, why had Brezhnev decided that decisive action was needed to maintain Soviet influence in Afghanistan? Pause the video now, talk to your partner, and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope that was a useful conversation.

You were asked to discuss why Brezhnev decided decisive action was needed to maintain Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

And you could have said something like this.

Brezhnev decided he had to take decisive action to maintain Soviet's influence because he learned that Amin, the leader of Afghanistan, had been speaking to the USA about securing American support for his government.

Well done if you said something similar in your conversation with your partner.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan massively escalated tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union.

Let's look now at the American response.

The USA were concerned that a Soviet-controlled Afghanistan could threaten their oil supplies in the region.

Carter wanted to ensure there was a strong American response.

He declared that the USA would use military force to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf.

This was known as the Carter Doctrine.

President Carter's response had three main aspects.

Military, the creation of a Rapid Deployment Force, registration of 18 to 20-year-olds for military service an increase in CIA intelligence gathering activities, supplying the mujahideen with arms, an increase in military spending, and Carter refused to ratify SALT II.

The second key aspect was economic.

The USA introduced sanctions including a ban on American companies selling advanced technology to the Soviet Union.

And finally, the third aspect of Carter's response was cultural.

The US led a boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympic games, which involved 60 countries.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Carter made it clear that the USA was prepared to use force to defend its interest in the region.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, very well done if you said that was true, but we need to be able to justify that response.

So pause the video now, have a think about how you would justify why that statement is true, and then press play when you're ready to compare your ideas to a model response.

So your justification could include.

Carter responded to the Soviet invasion with the Carter Doctrine.

As part of this, Carter took action to ensure that the US military was ready.

For example, he established the Rapid Deployment Force.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

US Soviet tensions were already high after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and they escalated even further when Ronald Reagan became president.

Reagan replaced Carter as US president in January 1981.

During his election campaign, he had criticised Carter for being soft on communism.

Reagan summed up his Cold War strategy as, we win, they lose.

Reagan's tougher approach to the Soviet Union led to a period of increased tension, often referred to as the Second Cold War.

Let's take a closer look at Reagan's policies.

When he became President, Reagan announced military spending of over $1 trillion between 1981 and 1987.

This included money for new weapons like stealth bombers and Trident nuclear submarines.

Reagan also introduced the Reagan Doctrine, which meant the US would use its military power to support anti-communist groups trying to overthrow communist governments, this led to the US invasion of Grenada in 1985.

Let's take a moment to check your understanding.

The Reagan Doctrine meant that the USA were prepared to help overthrow communist governments.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was true, but can you justify that response? So pause the video now, have a think about why that statement is true and how you would justify it, and then press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, so to justify that statement, you could have said something like this.

The Reagan Doctrine involved supporting anti-communist groups to overthrow communist governments.

This led the USA to invade Grenada in 1985.

Well done if you came out with something similar.

As President Reagan adopted an aggressive approach to arms limitation talks, his zero option proposal, which required the USSR to dismantle 600 of their new SS-20 missiles in Eastern Europe was rejected by Brezhnev for being too one-sided.

In March 1983, Reagan inflamed tensions further when he described the USSR as an evil empire and portrayed the Cold War as a struggle between good, the USA, and evil, the USSR.

On the 23rd of March 1983, Reagan announced the Strategic Defence Initiative or SDI.

SDI involved launching a series of satellites into space, which would be armed with lasers that could shoot down Soviet missiles.

What Reagan didn't tell everyone was that the USA did not yet have the technology to make SDI a reality.

Nonetheless, the Soviet Union accused Reagan of preparing for nuclear war.

Reagan hoped that the pressure to compete with the USA would cause the Soviet's economy to collapse.

Let's check your understanding.

The paragraph on the screen is incorrect.

I want you to identify and correct the mistakes in the paragraph.

So pause the video now, have a go at doing that, and press play when you're ready to see the corrected paragraph.

Okay, you were asked to identify and correct the mistakes in the paragraph.

And the corrected paragraph should read as follows.

Reagan was strongly anti-communist and described the Soviet Union as an evil empire.

In 1983, he announced a Strategic Defence Initiative or SDI.

This involves putting lasers in space to shoot down Soviet's missiles.

Reagan hoped that the pressure to compete with the USA would cause the Soviet economy to collapse.

Well done if you managed to correct that paragraph.

You are now ready for the second practise task of today's lesson.

I want you to read Lucas's opinion about US-Soviet relations and the end of detente.

Lucas has said, there was not a significant decline in US-Soviet relations until Reagan became US president in 1981.

Detente ended with Reagan.

Do you agree with Lucas? I want you to share your views with a partner.

So pause the video now, talk to your partner, and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope that was a useful discussion.

You are asked to discuss with a partner whether you agreed with Lucas who said.

There was not a significant decline in US-Soviet relations until Reagan became US president in 1981.

Detente ended with Reagan.

So your answer could have included.

Reagan's confrontational approach to US-Soviet relations is said to have increased US-Soviet tensions and led to a Second Cold War, but there had been a significant decline in superpower relations before Reagan became US president.

For example, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Carter's response, and conflict over human rights had also led to an increase in tensions.

Well done for your hard work on that second practise task and well done if in your conversation with your partner, you covered some of those points.

We're now ready to move on to the third and final part of today's lesson in which we'll be learning about the events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

The timeline on the screen provides an overview of some of the key events we'll be learning about in this final part of the lesson.

Take a look at the timeline now.

And if you need to come back to it later in the lesson, then you can do.

We're gonna start this section of the lesson by looking at some of the problems that the Soviet Union faced in the 1980s.

By the time Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in March 1985, the country was experiencing a range of problems. There was limited economic growth.

This was caused by efforts to keep pace with US military spending, which meant that there was a lack of investment in other areas of the Soviet economy.

There was unrest in Soviet satellite states.

This was fueled by unhappiness due to low living standards and a lack of freedom.

And finally, there was weak leadership.

After Brezhnev died in 1982, the USSR saw a succession of elderly leaders in poor health.

Let's check your understanding.

The sentences on the screen are incorrect.

I want you to correct each sentence by changing one word.

So pause the video now, have a go at doing that, and press play when you're ready to see the corrected sentences.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done For your hard work on that task.

You are asked to correct the sentences by changing just one word.

Let's go through the sentences now.

So the first one should read, there was weak economic growth in the USSR by 1985.

The second sentence should read, standards of living in the USSR and Eastern Europe were low.

And finally, the third sentence should read, after Brezhnev died, the USSR was ruled by succession of elderly leaders in poor health.

Well done if you got those correct.

When he became Soviet's leader, Gorbachev recognised the need for new thinking to solve the problems facing the Soviet Union.

From 1985, he introduced policies to reform the USSR and improve its relations with other countries.

His two key ideas were perestroika or reconstruction.

This focused on reorganising and restructuring the Soviet's economy and political system.

And his second idea was glasnost or openness.

This aimed to promote greater transparency and freedom of expression in Soviet society.

Gorbachev's new thinking led to an improvement in US-Soviet relations.

Reagan recognised that Gorbachev wanted to reform the USSR and work with the USA to reduce Cold War tensions.

Between 1985 and 1989, a series of summits took place between the USA and the Soviet Union to discuss disarmament and to try and bring about further limitations on nuclear weapons.

In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which stated that both countries would abolish all land-based missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres.

Let's check your understanding.

There was no change to Reagan's approach to US-Soviet relations after Gorbachev became Soviet leader.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now, press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was false, but can you justify why it's false? Pause the video now, have a go, and press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, so to justify why that statement's false, you could have said.

Reagan recognised that Gorbachev wanted to reform the Soviet Union and work with the USA to reduce Cold War tensions.

He therefore signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Gorbachev in 1987.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

We're now going to look at how the Soviet Union lost control in Eastern Europe.

In 1988, Gorbachev's rejection of the Brezhnev Doctrine meant that countries in Eastern Europe could choose their own governments without fearing Soviet invasion.

Gorbachev wanted to strengthen communism by reforming it, but his announcement led to demands for reform that he couldn't contain.

In the years 1989 to 90, all former Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe rejected communism in favour of democracy.

Let's take a moment to check your understanding.

Gorbachev rejected the Brezhnev Doctrine 'cause he wanted to end communist rule in Eastern Europe.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that that was false, but can you justify why? Pause the video now, have a go at explaining why that statement's false, and then press play when you're ready to see a model response.

Okay, so to justify why that statement was false, you could have said.

Gorbachev wanted to strengthen communism by reforming it.

He did not want to end communist rule, but once demands for democratic reform spread, he was not able to contain them.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

One of the most important events in this period was the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In East Germany, the authorities had unsuccessfully tried to resist reform by maintaining strict control over their citizens and suppressing protests.

However, in November 1989, mounting pressure led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the East German government.

Then on the 3rd of October 1990, East and West Germany were formally reunified into a single democratic country.

Let's check for understanding.

When did the Berlin Wolf fall? Was it A, 1988, B, 1989, C, 1990, or D, 1991.

Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

The correct answer is B, 1989.

Well done if you got that right.

The end of the Warsaw Pact was another crucial event in this period.

The Warsaw Pact had been established in 1955 to unite communist Eastern Europe under Soviet's leadership.

By the end of 1989, it became obvious that the pact could not survive.

As former Soviet satellite states rejected communism in favour of democracy, the alliance no longer served any purpose.

And in July 1991, the alliance was ended.

While he was celebrated in the West, Gorbachev became increasingly unpopular in the USSR.

His reforms had caused economic problems like shortages and higher prices and his critics accused him of weakening communism.

On the 19th of August 1991, a group of senior communist government officials known as the Gang of Eight, led a coup which removed Gorbachev from power.

The coup only lasted for three days because it lacked popular support, however, although Gorbachev returned to power, his authority was seriously weakened.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Which statement most accurately describes Gorbachev's popularity in Western countries and the Soviet Union? A, he was popular in Western countries and popular in the Soviet Union.

B, he was unpopular in Western countries, but popular in the Soviet Union.

C, he was popular in Western countries, but unpopular in the Soviet Union.

Or D, he was unpopular in Western countries and unpopular in the Soviet Union.

Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, the correct answer is C, Gorbachev was popular in Western countries, but unpopular in the Soviet Union.

Well done if you got that correct.

By 1990, there were increasing demands for independence from the republics that made up the Soviets Union.

Gorbachev attempted to stop the USSR from disintegrating by introducing a new constitution that would give the Soviet republics much greater independence, but they demanded full independence.

The Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia declared independence between 1990 and 1991.

On the 8th of December 1991, the remaining republics, with the exception of Georgia, declared independence and the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

On the 25th of December 1991, Gorbachev announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Gorbachev refused to consider greater independence for the Soviet republics.

Is this true or false? Pause the video now and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that was false, but we need to be able to justify that response.

So pause the video now, have a go at explaining why that statement is false, and then press play when you're ready to see a model answer.

Okay, to justify why that statement's false, you could have written.

Gorbachev introduced a new constitution that offered the Soviet republics greater independence but they rejected this and demanded full independence.

Well done if you came up with something similar.

You are now ready to attempt the third and final practise task of today's lesson.

I want you to write an account that analyses the key events in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from 1989 to 1991.

You should aim to write about three key events and may wish to write about the following, the fall of the Berlin War and the coup against Gorbachev.

But you must identify and write about a third key event.

And you should try to organise your answer in chronological order.

Pause the video now, have a good writing your answer, and press play when you're ready to compare your answer to a model response.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that third and final practise task.

You were asked to write an account analysing the key events in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from 1989 to 1991.

So your answer could have included.

From 1989 after Gorbachev had abandoned the Brezhnev Doctrine, the former Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe started to reject communism in favour of democracy.

The East German authorities tried to resist reform by maintaining strict control over their citizens and suppressing protests, but they were not successful.

In November 1989, mounting pressure led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the East German government.

In October 1990, Germany was reunified as a democratic country.

The loss of Soviet control led many in the Soviet Union to become angry with Gorbachev who was accused of weakening communism.

For your second paragraph you could have written.

Although Gorbachev was very popular in the West, he quickly became very unpopular in the Soviet Union.

His reforms had led to economic problems, and he was accused of undermining communism abroad.

By 1990, the Soviet Union had lost control of Eastern Europe and in July 1991, the Warsaw Pact was formally ended.

Mounting anger led some leading members of the communist government known as the Gang of Eight to launch a coup against Gorbachev in August 1991.

This coup only lasted for three days, but it weakened Gorbachev and made it hard for him to resist demands that threatened the USSR.

And then finally, you could have finished your narrative by writing.

By 1990, there were increasing demands for independence from the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union.

Gorbachev attempted to appease these concerns by offering them a new constitution that gave the republics more independence, but this was rejected, the republics wanted full independence.

The Baltic republics declared independence between 1990 and 1991, and then the remaining republics with the exception of Georgia took advantage of Gorbachev's weakness following the coup to declare independence and establish the Commonwealth of Independent States.

As a consequence, Gorbachev announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union on the 25th of December 1991.

Well done for all of your hard work on that third and final practise task.

And well done if you've written an answer that looks similar to the model answer that we've just gone through.

We're at the end of our lesson now, so it's a good opportunity for us to just review our key learning points.

So during the 1970s, the USA and the USSR followed a policy of detente, which reduced tensions and led to greater cooperation.

Detente ended by the end of the 1970s with events like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan significantly increasing Cold War tensions.

Reagan's confrontational approach to US-Soviet relations led to a period of increased tension and hostility known as the Second Cold War.

Gorbachev became Soviet president in 1985, and his new thinking was met with a positive response from the USA, which reduced tensions.

By 1991, the USSR was on the brink of collapse due to economic problems and demands for independence from its republics.

On the 25th of December 1991, Gorbachev announced the dissolution of the USSR.

Well done for all of your efforts and hard work in today's lesson.

It's been a real pleasure to teach you and I hope to teach you again soon.