How did the Cold War end, and what was the conservative resurgence?
Describe the conservative resurgence of the late 20th century, Reagan's policies, and the events that ended the Cold War, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.13).
A SOL-level answer on the end of the Cold War for the VUS exam: the conservative resurgence and Reagan's policies, the pressure on the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that ended the Cold War and left the United States the sole superpower.
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What this topic is asking
Standard VUS.13 asks about the conservative resurgence of the late 20th century, Ronald Reagan's policies, and the events that ended the Cold War, above all the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991). The exam wants you to connect domestic conservatism and American pressure to the dramatic end of the superpower rivalry.
The conservative resurgence
This movement reversed some of the direction set by the New Deal and Great Society, reigniting the long American debate over the proper role of government that runs throughout the course.
Reagan's policies
Ronald Reagan (president in the 1980s) became the face of the conservative movement:
- Economic policy: cutting taxes and regulation to spur growth, and reducing some domestic programs ("supply-side" economics).
- Military buildup: a large increase in defense spending to pressure the Soviet Union.
- Traditional values: emphasis on patriotism, family, and a smaller federal role at home.
Pressure on the Soviet Union
Reagan combined a tough stance, branding the Soviet Union an "evil empire" and pursuing a military buildup, with later diplomacy, negotiating arms-reduction agreements with the reform-minded Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Meanwhile the Soviet system was buckling under economic weakness, the strain of the arms race, and Gorbachev's reforms (which relaxed control and inadvertently sped the collapse).
The Cold War ends
The fall of the Wall and the Soviet collapse are the test's markers for the end of the Cold War, mirroring the Iron Curtain and Berlin crises that marked its beginning.
Try this
Q1. State what the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) marked. [1]
- Cue. The end of the Cold War, leaving the United States as the sole superpower.
Q2. Describe one feature of the conservative movement associated with Reagan. [2]
- Cue. Lower taxes, reduced regulation, smaller domestic government, a larger military, or emphasis on traditional values.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
VA VUS SOL (released item style)1 marksThe fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked
(A) the start of the Cold War.
(B) the end of the Cold War.
(C) the beginning of World War II.
(D) the start of the Great Depression.
Show worked answer →
A single-select item on the end of the Cold War (VUS.13).
Correct answer: (B). The fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) ended the Cold War, leaving the United States as the world's sole superpower.
A reverses the timeline; C and D are unrelated. The test rewards these events as the end of the Cold War.
VA VUS SOL (released item style)2 marksThe late 20th century saw a conservative resurgence and the end of the Cold War.
(a) Describe one feature of the conservative movement associated with Ronald Reagan. (b) Explain how American policy contributed to ending the Cold War.
Show worked answer →
A two-part constructed response (VUS.13), 2 points (1 per part).
(a) 1 point: any valid feature, such as lower taxes, reduced regulation, smaller domestic government, increased military spending, or emphasis on traditional values.
(b) 1 point: the United States increased military and economic pressure on the Soviet Union (a defense buildup) while negotiating arms reductions; combined with Soviet economic weakness and reforms, this helped bring the Cold War to an end.
Markers reward one conservative policy and a sound link between American pressure and the Cold War's end.
Related dot points
- Explain the origins of the Cold War, the policy of containment, and key early events including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and the Berlin crises (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.11).
A SOL-level answer on the early Cold War for the VUS exam: the origins of the United States-Soviet rivalry, the policy of containment, and the key early responses including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and the Berlin Airlift.
- Describe the major Cold War conflicts and crises (the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War), the arms race and the space race, and the domestic Red Scare and McCarthyism (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.11).
A SOL-level answer on Cold War conflicts for the VUS exam: the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War as applications of containment, the nuclear arms race and the space race, and the domestic Red Scare and McCarthyism.
- Describe the United States since the end of the Cold War, including economic globalization and the technological revolution, the September 11 attacks and the war on terror, changing demographics, and the continuing relevance of founding constitutional principles (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.13, VUS.14).
A SOL-level answer on the modern era for the VUS exam: economic globalization and the technological revolution (the personal computer and the internet), the September 11 attacks and the war on terror, changing demographics and immigration, and how founding constitutional principles still shape contemporary debates.
- Describe the social and political changes of the postwar era, including the Great Society, the expansion of rights for women and other groups, the antiwar movement, and the changing role of government (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.12, VUS.13).
A SOL-level answer on postwar social change for the VUS exam: Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty, the women's movement and the push for equal rights, movements by other groups, the Vietnam-era antiwar protests and counterculture, and the debate over the role of government.
- Explain the goals, leaders, methods, and achievements of the civil rights movement, including Brown v. Board of Education, nonviolent protest, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Virginia's Massive Resistance (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.12).
A SOL-level answer on the civil rights movement for the VUS exam: Brown v. Board of Education, the nonviolent methods and leaders (Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks), the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Virginia's Massive Resistance to school desegregation.
Sources & how we know this
- Standards of Learning Documents for History and Social Science, Adopted 2015 — Virginia Department of Education (2015)
- SOL Practice Items (All Subjects) — Virginia Department of Education (2024)