The ending of Cold War tensions in Asia: Afghanistan; the Americas: Cuba,…

The idea

The late 1980s saw the global de-escalation of Cold War proxy conflicts. In Asia, Gorbachev withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan by 1989, ending a draining quagmire. In the Americas, Soviet subsidies to Cuba ceased, while peace accords were negotiated in Nicaragua and El Salvador, reducing US-Soviet friction. In Africa, superpower disengagement facilitated peace settlements in Angola and the fall of the Marxist regime in Ethiopia. The 1989 Malta Summit between Bush and Gorbachev symbolically ended the Cold War, paving the way for the rapid reunification of Germany in 1990. Ultimately, Gorbachev's domestic reforms failed to prevent nationalist uprisings, leading to the collapse of the USSR and his resignation in December 1991.

What earns the marks

• Explain the impact of Soviet economic decline on Gorbachev's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and cut subsidies to Cuba and Marxist regimes in Africa.
• Analyse how the cessation of superpower funding facilitated negotiated settlements in Central America, specifically Nicaragua and El Salvador.
• Evaluate the significance of the 1989 Malta Summit as a diplomatic milestone that formally acknowledged the end of the Cold War.
• Assess the rapid process of German reunification in 1990 and how Gorbachev's non-interventionist stance enabled it.
• Examine the internal political and economic pressures, including the August 1991 coup, that culminated in the dissolution of the USSR and Gorbachev's resignation.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming the Malta Summit caused the fall of the Berlin Wall.

  Put it right: The Berlin Wall fell weeks before the Malta Summit; the summit acknowledged the changing reality rather than causing the wall's collapse.

• Assuming the US militarily defeated the USSR in proxy wars like Angola and Ethiopia.

  Put it right: The conflicts ended primarily because the USSR could no longer afford to fund its allies, leading to mutual superpower disengagement.

• Confusing Gorbachev's resignation with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

  Put it right: The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, whereas Gorbachev resigned over two years later in December 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Exam tips

• Link regional de-escalation in Asia, Africa, and the Americas directly to Gorbachev's 'New Political Thinking' and the Soviet economic crisis.
• When discussing German reunification, highlight the diplomatic negotiations, such as the Two Plus Four Agreement, that secured Soviet agreement for a unified Germany to join NATO.
• Use the August 1991 coup attempt as a pivotal turning point that fatally undermined Gorbachev's authority and accelerated the collapse of the USSR.