Paper 1: Prescribed Subject - Communism in Crisis
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2.
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domestic and foreign problems of the Brezhnev era: economic and political stagnation; Afghanistan
Gorbachev and his aims/policies (glasnost and perestroika) and consequences for the Soviet state
consequences of Gorbachev’s policies for Eastern European reform movements: Poland—the role of
Solidarity; Czechoslovakia—the Velvet Revolution; fall of the Berlin Wall.
Preparation
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Aim
domestic and foreign
problems of the
Brezhnev era:
economic and political
stagnation;
Afghanistan
Gorbachev and his
aims/policies
(glasnost and
perestroika) and
consequences for
the Soviet state
consequences of
Gorbachev’s
policies for Eastern
European reform
movements:
Poland—the role of
Solidarity;
Czechoslovakia—th
e Velvet Revolution;
fall of the Berlin
Wall.
Activities
­PPT: Overview of the
Brezhnev Era
­Group Activity:
Students use reading
and OSC Outline Topic
1 to complete chart of
policies
(Problems/Policy/
Successes/Failures)
­Groups reflect on
topic essential
questions. Go over as
a class
­Pairs/Groups review
Paper 1 example on
the topic: Brezhnev’s
Problems
­PPT: Major
international
agreements
­Groups review
objectives and
complete using
OSC Outline Topic
2
­Groups reflect on
topic essential
questions. Go over
as a class.
­Begin reading
Topic 3
Gorbachev’s
Reforms. Finish for
homework.
­PPT: Arc of
Gorbachev's
reforms.
­Groups review
objectives and
complete using
OSC Outline Topic
3.
­Groups reflect on
topic essential
questions. Go over
as a class.
­In groups, students
create jigsaw notes
for Eastern
European States.
Share( Collapse of
Eastern
Europe/OSC
Outline)
­Paper 1 Sample
­Paper 1 Sample
Homework
Read: Problems of the
Brezhnev Era and
review section reading
objectives
Read: Foreign Policy
1976­89 and review
section reading
objectives
Read Gorbachev’s
Reforms and review
section reading
objectives
Section Objectives
Wrap up, review,
prepare
Section I: Domestic and Foreign problems of the Brezhnev era: economic and political
stagnation; Afghanistan (p166­174)
Essential Questions
● To what extent could the Soviet Union be described as stagnant under Brezhev?
● In what ways did Soviet style communism limit economic growth?
Objectives:
1. Outline the major developments of the Soviet economy from 1917­1980
2. Describe the factors that made Brezhnev an appealing leader
3. Explain how Brezhnev was able to rise to power in the USSR
4. Describe the effectiveness of Soviet economic policy [industrial] (1965­1981)
5. Identify and explain the various factors that caused slow economic growth
6. Describe the effectiveness of the Soviet agricultural policy (1965­1981)
7. Describe the role that private land cultivation played in Soviet agricultural policy
8. Identify and explain the various factors that caused slow agricultural growth
9. Explain Soviet policy toward consumer goods production
10. Explain the changes that the 1977 constitution made to the Soviet political system
Key Terms: Leonid Brezhnev, Presidium, detente, developed socialism
Section II: Brezhnev’s foreign policy after 1976
Essential Questions
● How did changes in Soviet foreign policy affect its relationship to the US?
● In what ways did Afghanistan undermine the Soviet regime?
● What best characterized America’s role in Afghanistan?
Objectives:
1. Identify the agreements that helped to bring about a sense of detente (1960s­1976)
2. Describe the limitations of the arms agreements reached by the Soviet Union and the US
3. Describe the Soviet Union’s foreign policy in the 1970s
4. Explain how the Soviet Union became involved in regional disputes and the effect of
these interventions.
5. Assess Carter’s response to the Soviet challenges in Africa
6. Create a timeline that outlines and describes how the Soviet Union became involved in
Afghanistan (Support of PDPA, Herat Uprising, Murder of Taraki, Amin’s Rise)
7. List and describe the reasons for Soviet intervention in Afghanistan
8. Describe the international response (UN/US) to the Soviet Invasion
9. Analyze the similarities of the Vietnam War and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
10. Explain Reagan’s policy toward the USSR and Afghanistan
11. Describe the role the US (CIA) played in the Afghanistan War
12. Analyze the Soviet military strategy in Afghanistan
13. Describe the ways that the Gorbachev shifted Soviet policy in Afghanistan
14. List and analyze the terms of the Geneva Accords
15. Explain how the Soviet war in Afghanistan ended
Key Terms: SALT I, MIRV, Brezhnev Doctrine, Carter Doctrine, Ronald Reagan, mujahedeen,
Mikhail Gorbachev, Najibullah
Section III: Gorbachev and his aims/policies (glasnost and perestroika) and
consequences for the Soviet State
Essential Questions
● Did Gorbachev’s policies accelerate the disintegration of the Soviet Union or
were they doomed to fail?
● What role did foreign policy play in the demise of the USSR?
Objectives:
1. Create a timeline of the transition of Soviet power from 1982 to 1985
2. Describe the policies of Yuri Andropov
3. Describe the policies of Gorbachev
4. Explain how Chernobyl became a “turning point” for Gorbachev
5. Chart: List and describe the various problems affecting the Soviet economy in the 1980s
6. Chart: List the reforms that Gorbachev attempted in Perestroika I & II
7. Describe how the role of the state in the economy changed under Gorbachev
8. Evaluate the effectiveness of Gorbachev’s reforms on the Soviet state
9. Explain how the Soviet state disintegrated from 1989­91
10. Outline and describe the reasons Gorbachev failed to reform the Soviet state
11. Explain the problems facing US­Soviet relations in the 1980s
12. Describe the relationship between Gorbachev and western leaders
13. List and describe the accomplishments of Gorbachev’s foreign policy (INF, SDI, IRBMs)
14. Evaluate the role of Reagan and Gorbachev in ending the Cold War
Key Terms: Andropov, Chernenko, perestroika, glasnost, uskorenie, Law on State Enterprise,
Boris Yeltsin
Section IV: Consequences of Gorbachev’s policies for Eastern European reform
movements: Poland ­ the role of Solidarity; Czechoslovakia ­ the Velvet Revolution; the
fall of the Berlin Wall
Essential Questions
● What was the source of instability in the Soviet satellite states?
● In what ways did reform in Eastern Europe undermine the USSR?
● What best accounts for the diversity of movements in Eastern Europe?
Objectives:
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Describe the factors motivating Polish nationalism in the 1970s and 1980s
Describe the economic problems in Eastern Europe in the 1970s (e.g. Debt, Shortages,
Strikes)
Analyze the role of Solidarity in the Polish independence movement
Describe the evolution of Poland into a multi­party state (1983­89)
Explain the relationship between Poland and the USSR
List and describe various groups that attempted to challenge the Communist government
Analyze how economic problems created problems in Czechoslovakia
Compare and contrast the reform groups in Poland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia
Identify and describe the Velvet Revolution
Analyze why movements in Poland and Czechoslovakia undermined Communist rule
throughout the Eastern Bloc
Explain how East Germany collapsed (Berlin Wall, The Wall)
Key Terms: Karol Josef Wojtila, Solidarity, Lech Walesa, Jaruzelski, “Prague Spring,” Helsinki
Final Act 1975, Charter 77, Vaclav Havel, VONS, The Plastic People of the Universe, Socialist
Unity Party of Germany (SED), Stasi,