IB DP History FS3-The Russian Federation (1985–1999)– HL & SL Paper 1- New Syllabus
▶️ Answer/Explanation
1. According to Source A, what weaknesses existed beneath Soviet military strength by the 1980s? [3]
The Soviet economy was suffering from serious long-term stagnation despite the country’s impressive military power. Overall economic growth had slowed greatly and by the 1980s had largely stopped. Technological innovation was also failing to keep pace with developments elsewhere. The USSR could still direct enormous resources toward military production, but this strength concealed weaknesses in the wider civilian economy.
2. What does Source A suggest about why Soviet economic weakness was underestimated? [4]
The source suggests that Soviet economic weakness was partly hidden by strict controls over information. Reliable statistics and detailed information about everyday economic conditions were difficult for outsiders to obtain. Western governments also concentrated heavily on Soviet military power because of the strategic dangers of the Cold War. As a result, the USSR’s weapons and military-industrial capacity could create an impression of overall strength even while other parts of the economy were deteriorating.
3. Explain how Source A helps a historian understand the pressures facing Gorbachev in 1985. [4]
Source A shows that Gorbachev inherited an economy whose underlying problems had developed over many years. The state remained capable of enormous military production but lacked sufficient growth and technological dynamism in other sectors. This meant that continuing the existing system without reform risked further economic decline. Gorbachev therefore faced pressure to improve economic performance while still preserving the political and strategic strength of the Soviet Union.
4. According to Source B, what were the main objectives of perestroika and glasnost? [3]
Perestroika was intended to restructure and improve the Soviet economy. Glasnost introduced greater openness in public and political discussion. Together, the policies were supposed to make the Soviet system more flexible and effective. Gorbachev’s aim at this stage was reform of the existing system rather than its destruction.
5. What does Source B suggest about the difference between Gorbachev and Yeltsin? [4]
Gorbachev wanted to reform the Soviet political and economic system so that it could survive. He did not initially seek to abolish socialism or destroy the Soviet Union. Yeltsin later supported a much more complete break with the communist economic structure and pushed toward extensive privatization and a market economy. The source therefore presents Gorbachev as a reformer within the existing system and Yeltsin as a leader of a more fundamental transformation.
6. With reference to its origin and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source B for studying Gorbachev’s reforms. [6]
Source B is valuable because it is a later historical account that can place Gorbachev’s reforms within the broader development from Soviet stagnation to the post-Soviet transition. It clearly identifies perestroika and glasnost and explains the important distinction between Gorbachev’s attempt to reform communism and Yeltsin’s later effort to dismantle much of the communist economic order. The benefit of hindsight also allows the author to observe that reforms launched in 1985 eventually produced consequences far beyond Gorbachev’s original intentions. However, the source was written decades after the events and therefore interprets Gorbachev’s policies in light of the later Soviet collapse. It also gives only a broad summary and does not provide detailed contemporary evidence from Gorbachev, Communist Party debates or ordinary Soviet citizens. The source is therefore useful for understanding the broad direction and historical significance of reform, but it should be compared with contemporary speeches and government documents.
7. According to Source C, how had the Soviet information system limited understanding of internal conditions? [3]
The Soviet state controlled political discussion and restricted the circulation of information. Foreign visitors had access to only selected parts of Soviet life and could not easily investigate conditions independently. Official publications also presented limited and controlled perspectives. As a result, both Soviet citizens and foreign observers could have difficulty assessing the full extent of economic and political problems.
8. What does Source C suggest about the risks created by greater political openness? [4]
Glasnost allowed previously hidden problems to be discussed more openly. This could encourage useful criticism and help identify weaknesses that needed reform. At the same time, exposing corruption, economic failure and political problems could reduce public confidence in Communist Party institutions. Greater openness therefore weakened some of the controls that had previously protected the authority of the Soviet system.
9. Analyse how Sources A to C together explain why reform became necessary but politically dangerous after 1985. [6]
Source A shows why reform was necessary by revealing economic stagnation, weak technological development and an unsustainable contrast between military strength and civilian economic weakness. Source B explains Gorbachev’s response through perestroika and glasnost, policies intended to improve rather than destroy the Soviet system. Source C demonstrates why those reforms were politically dangerous, because greater openness exposed problems that had previously been hidden and weakened the state’s control over information. Economic reform also challenged established interests and practices within the Soviet system. Together, the sources suggest that doing nothing threatened continued stagnation, but reform itself undermined mechanisms that had helped maintain Communist authority. The Soviet leadership was therefore trapped between the risks of continued decline and the destabilizing effects of attempting to change the system.