Why did the Cold War end, and how did its end reshape the United States and the world?
Topic 9.3 The End of the Cold War: the renewed Cold War of the 1980s, the role of Gorbachev's reforms, the fall of communism in Europe, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
A focused answer to AP US History Topic 9.3, covering the end of the Cold War: the renewed superpower tensions of the early 1980s, the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the debate over why the Cold War ended.
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What this topic is asking
Topic 9.3 asks you to explain the end of the Cold War: the renewed tensions of the early 1980s, the role of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Berlin Wall, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The exam wants the causes of the Cold War's end, the events that marked it, and the debate over why it happened.
The renewed Cold War of the early 1980s
Gorbachev and Soviet reform
The collapse of communism
Gorbachev's loosening of control produced a cascade of collapse. In 1989, communist governments across Eastern Europe fell, mostly peacefully, as their peoples demanded freedom. The Berlin Wall, the great symbol of the divided continent, was opened in November 1989, leading to the reunification of Germany. (Reagan had demanded at the Wall in 1987, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.") Finally, in 1991, the Soviet Union itself dissolved into fifteen independent republics, ending the Cold War. The United States emerged as the world's sole superpower.
The debate over why it ended
Worked example: weighing the causes of the Cold War's end
Try this
Q1. Name the Soviet leader whose reforms of glasnost and perestroika helped end the Cold War. [Recall]
- Cue. Mikhail Gorbachev, who took power in 1985.
Q2. Explain why most historians emphasize internal Soviet weakness in explaining the end of the Cold War. [Short explanation]
- Cue. The Soviet centrally planned economy was stagnant and could not match the United States or satisfy its people, and Gorbachev's reforms, meant to save the system, instead loosened control and let long-suppressed demands for freedom burst out; because the collapse came from these internal failures, most historians see Soviet weakness, rather than American pressure alone, as the decisive cause.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of College Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AP USH (style)3 marksBriefly describe ONE development that contributed to the end of the Cold War. Briefly explain ONE event that marked its end. Briefly explain ONE consequence of its end for the United States.Show worked answer →
A Short Answer Question (SAQ), 3 points, one per bullet.
A. Describe: Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms of glasnost and perestroika, and the internal weakness of the Soviet economy, undermined the communist system.
B. Event: the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the Cold War.
C. Consequence: the United States emerged as the world's sole superpower, forcing it to redefine its role in the world.
Markers want a real contributing development, a concrete event, and a genuine consequence.
AP USH (style)6 marksEvaluate the relative importance of the causes of the end of the Cold War in the period 1980 to 1991.Show worked answer →
A Long Essay Question (LEQ), scored on the 6-point rubric.
Thesis (1): "The Cold War ended primarily because of internal Soviet weakness and Gorbachev's reforms, which loosened control and exposed the system's failures, though American pressure and the arms race contributed to the strain."
Contextualization (1): the decades-long superpower rivalry and the renewed tensions of the early 1980s.
Evidence (2): Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe; the American military buildup and pressure.
Analysis (2): explain HOW Soviet weakness and reform brought the system down, then add complexity by weighing the contested role of American pressure.
Related dot points
- Topic 9.2 Reagan and Conservatism: the rise of the New Right, the policies of the Reagan administration, and the conservative reshaping of American politics.
A focused answer to AP US History Topic 9.2, covering Reagan and conservatism: the roots of the conservative resurgence and the New Right, Reaganomics and supply-side economics, deregulation and the military buildup, the role of the religious right, and the limits and legacy of the conservative movement.
- Topic 9.1 Contextualizing Period 9: the conservative resurgence, the end of the Cold War, globalization, and the technological and demographic changes that have shaped the United States since 1980.
Sets the scene for AP US History Period 9, covering the rise of conservatism under Reagan, the end of the Cold War, globalization and a changing economy, the digital revolution, demographic change, and how to write contextualization for a DBQ or LEQ on the contemporary era.
- Topics 9.4 and 9.5 A Changing Economy, Migration, and Settlement: the forces of globalization, the digital revolution, and the new immigration that reshaped the United States since 1980.
A focused answer to AP US History Topics 9.4 and 9.5, covering a changing economy and globalization: the shift from manufacturing to services and technology, the digital revolution, free trade and globalization, growing inequality, and the new immigration from Latin America and Asia and its political debates.
- Topic 9.6 Challenges of the 21st Century: the post-Cold War world, the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the financial crisis, and growing political polarization.
A focused answer to AP US History Topic 9.6, covering the challenges of the new century: the post-Cold War world and the Persian Gulf War, the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 2008 financial crisis, the election of Barack Obama, and rising political polarization.
- Topic 9.7 Causation in Period 9: using the historical reasoning skill of causation to analyze the developments of the contemporary era.
A focused answer to AP US History Topic 9.7, teaching the historical reasoning skill of causation through Period 9: explaining the causes of the conservative resurgence, the end of the Cold War, and the transformations of globalization and technology, and how to frame a causation essay for the DBQ or LEQ.
Sources & how we know this
- AP United States History Course and Exam Description — College Board (2020)