“The arms race made the greatest contribution to the ending of the Cold War.” Discuss with reference to the period between 1980 and 1991.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that the arms race made the greatest contribution to ending the Cold War, with reference to the period between 1980 and 1991. Candidates may discuss the impact of Reagan reigniting the arms race during his first term as president and how this contributed to further economic pressure on a USSR already struggling to maintain nuclear parity. Economic problems that plagued the USSR and were deepened by the burden of the Soviet-Afghan War may be discussed, as these meant that the USSR could no longer afford to compete with US spending on arms. Candidates may also argue that the USSR lagged behind US advances in computer-controlled weaponry and this, along with apprehension about the Strategic Defense Initiative, made it open to arms limitation and a further reduction in Cold War tension. Candidates may challenge the statement by arguing that other factors were of greater importance in ending the Cold War. These may include Gorbachev’s glasnost and democratic reform policies that led to warmer relations with Europe and the US; the breaking away of the satellite states; the breaking up of the USSR. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required candidates to offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that the arms race made the greatest contribution to ending the Cold War, with reference to the period between 1980 and 1991. Very few responses were seen.