Activity 1 - Were Soviet reforms effective?

  1. Examine - Read pages 280-281 of Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War and make notes on the impact of Glasnost and Perestroika on the USSR itself. 
  2. Review - Now review this article on the impact of Glasnost and Perestroika. Add details of the impact of these reforms to your notes.
  3. Discuss - How did Gorbachev’s reforms undermine the rule of the Communist Party in the USSR?

Activity 2 - Why did the USSR disintegrate?

  1. Research - Complete this worksheet by researching how Soviet power disintegrated in each of the Soviet republics. For each republic, make notes on what happened between 1990-91, and then identify the main factor for how independence was achieved. Select between:
    1. The Baltic States
    2. Georgia
    3. Armenia and Azerbaijan
    4. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
    5. Moldavia
    6. Ukraine
    7. Belarus
    8. Russia
  2. Present - Share your findings with the class. What are the main similarities and differences between the way Soviet power disintegrated in the Soviet republics?
  3. Write - To what extent was nationalism the main factor in the disintegration of the USSR? Review you findings from the research task and write a paragraph outlining your thoughts on this question. Refer to specific details from the research.
  4. Reflect - Could the disintegration of Soviet power within the USSR have been avoided? What could have been done?

Activity 3 - Why did the August Coup fail?

  1. Identify - In November 1990, Gorbachev tried to prevent the disintegration of Soviet power by drafting a new Union Treaty for the USSR. Read this article and identify the changes this would have made to the USSR. 
  2. Discuss - Why do you think the Soviet republics were against this Treaty? Who else might have been against this treaty?
  3. Analyse - Read pages 286-287 of Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War. Outline, the causes, what happened, and the consequences of the August Coup of 1991. 
  4. Watch - Now watch this documentary about the August Coup. Make notes using the headings from Task 3. Why did the August Coup fail?
  5. Summarise - Complete your learning today by creating either a timeline or flowchart of events from 1989-91, showing the collapse of the USSR. 

Further Reading

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Mamaux, A. (2015). Oxford IBDP Programme - The Cold War, pp. 211-213
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Rogers, K., & Thomas, J. (2015). Pearson Baccalaureate: History the Cold War, pp. 222-223
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Williamson, D.G. (2015). Access to History - The Cold War, pp. 280-288
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