A-level HISTORY Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991

A-level HISTORY Component 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2R. • Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 80. • You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice • You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. 2 IB/M/Jun21/7042/2R Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From an address to the Atlantic Council, a Western forum for international issues, by Paul Nitze, 9 December 1985. Nitze was a special advisor on arms control to President Reagan. We stand today at the edge of what we hope can be a fresh start in the US-Soviet relationship, ushered in by the summit meeting between President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev. The Geneva Summit marked what we hope is the beginning of a genuine process of give and take in the nuclear and space arms talks. We were able to achieve Soviet commitment to progress early on in the negotiations, focusing particularly on the principle of 50% reductions in the nuclear arms of the US and USSR and the idea of an Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). One of the less encouraging aspects of the summit was Gorbachev’s unwavering opposition to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). There were, indeed, no signs of movement on the Soviet position on strategic defenses. Once again, the Reagan-Gorbachev summit has changed the tone, though not the substance, of the superpower relationship. After six years of brittle rivalry, it marks a shift in the tactics, though not the strategy, of Moscow and Washington.