IB Diploma Programme (DP) - SL & HL · History

The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century): Practice Questions

2 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century).

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Question 1

1 mark

Which factor most contributed to the Sino-Soviet Split during the late 1950s and early 1960s?

Question 2

1 mark

How did the 1950 document NSC-68 significantly alter the United States' Cold War strategy?

Question 3

3 marks

During the Berlin Blockade (1948–1949), how did the Western Allies bypass the Soviet ground restrictions to support West Berlin?

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Question 4

5 marks

How did the 1972 Basic Treaty (Grundlagenvertrag) between East and West Germany reflect the changing dynamics of The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century)?

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Question 5

5 marks

In what way did the Brezhnev Doctrine (1968) limit the sovereignty of socialist states within the Soviet sphere of influence?

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Question 6

5 marks

The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century)

The 1970s marked a significant period known as détente. Analyze the factors that influenced the development and eventual collapse of this policy. Your response should address the following:

a) Explain the economic and strategic motivations of both the United States and the Soviet Union in pursuing détente during the late 1960s and early 1970s. (2 points)

b) Evaluate the significance of the Helsinki Accords (1975) as a high point of cooperation and a source of future tension. (2 points)

c) Discuss how the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Reagan Doctrine effectively ended the era of détente. (1 point)

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Question 7

7 marks

Analyze the ways in which the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) both escalated and de-escalated Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. What long-term lessons did the superpowers draw from this confrontation?

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