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 The Decline and Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe is the compulsory sourcework paper for IGCSE History, Summer 2010.
I will be teaching this unit in Feb-March 2010. During that time - and during the Summer term revision period - I anticipate I will be adding more sourcework exercises and interactivities, so keep an eye open!
There is no clear statement in the IGCSE syllabus regarding the date period covered by the topic. However, in my opinion the examination will cover a topic from the 1980s (e.g. Solidarity in Poland, the role of Gorbachev), especially since the main Paper 1 syllabus addresses the questions "What was the significance of 'Solidarity' in Poland for the decline of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe?" and "How far was Gorbachev personally responsible for the collapse of Soviet control over Eastern Europe?". The November 2009 Paper covered Solidarity, so the best bet for this Summer would be something on Gorbachev's role in the collapse, maybe focusing on a particular country such as Germany.
To what extent was the collapse of communism in the USSR the result of Gorbachev's policies?
- Overview: Eastern Europe in 1989
- Students are provided with essential terminology and produce their own account of the events of 1989-91 by comparing and making deductions from two maps of Europe during the period.
Factor 1. Internal Problems
a. Political Tensions within the USSR
b. Social-Economic Problems within the USSR
Factor 2. External Problems
- Eastern Europe: Long-Term - Rebellions 1956-68
- Students investigate the uprisings in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia to develop their understanding of the poor socio-economic conditions in the Eastern Bloc.
- Eastern Europe: Short-Term - Walesa and Pope John Paul II
- In this task students discuss the respective roles of the key individuals and then answer some source work questions about the Solidarity movement.
- Afghanistan
- In this card-sort activity students piece together the causes, course and consequence of the war with Afghanistan, which caused such havoc for the military and the economic position of the Soviet Union.
- USA: Long-Term - The Nuclear Arms Race
- Another pressure upon the Soviet Union was the massive cost of keeping up with the United States in terms of nuclear weapons. Students answer questions based around a timeline and as an extension activity conduct some research into the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- [Sourcework on the Nuclear Arms Race]
- USA: Short-Term - Reagan and "Star Wars"
- President Ronald Reagan contributed to the decline and fall of the Soviet Union by adopting an aggressive, uncompromising policy towards communism. Students investigate his policies and their impact upon the USSR through a timeline and some source work questions.
Factor 3. The Role of Gorbachev
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