(Suggested Answers) ASRJC 2024 JC2 H1 8838

AndersonSerangoonJuniorCollegeHistoryUnit Name:TheColdWarandtheModernWorld,1945-1991 Class:2024JC2PreliminaryExaminationReviewforSBQ Date: SectionA:Source-basedcasestudy:TheendofarmsraceCompare and contrast the evidence provided in Sources A andBonthesecurityprioritiesoftheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnioninthe1980s. Similarity:Bothsourcesemphasisetheimportanceofnucleardisarmamentandreducingthethreatofnuclearwarasaprimarysecuritypriority.● InSourceA,PresidentReaganproposedtheSDIby“modernising[US]strategicforces”that“couldpavethewayforarmscontrolmeasurestoeliminatetheweaponsthemselves”forthepurposeto“reducethedangerofnuclearwar.”ThisshowsthattheUS’ssecurityprioritywasframedaroundtheneedtomoderniseitsnucleartechnologyto“interceptanddestroyballisticmissilesbeforetheyreached[US]”thatcouldneutralisetheoffensivecapabilitiesoftheSovietUnion,thusprovidingadefensiveshieldthatcouldprotectagainstanuclearstrike.● SimilarlyinSourceB,Gorbachev'sletterconcurredwithReagan’sdesireto"freemankindfromthethreatofnucleardestruction"andproposedto“reducenuclearweapons”intheimmediateyears.ThisshowsthattheSovietUnion’ssecuritypriorityissimilarlycenteredontheneedtopreventescalationandreducenuclearthreats. Aweakerresponsewill indicatethatthesimilarityistheUS’sprioritytomoderniseitssecuritycapabilitiesbyturningtospacetechnology. Insightintosimilarity:[Similarcontext]Thesimilarityarises fromthesharedrecognitionbybothleadersoftheexistentialthreatposedbynuclearweaponsinthe1980s.Despitetheirideological differences,boththeUSandtheSovietUnionunderstood that the nuclear arms race was a dangerous path that could lead to catastrophicconsequences. Reaganwasdrivenbyamoral imperativetoreducetheriskofnuclearwar.Gorbachevpromotedtheconceptof"commonsecurity,"wherethesecurityofonenationcouldnotbeachievedattheexpenseofanother.Thissharedunderstandingoftheneedtomitigatethenuclearthreatdrovebothnationstopursuedisarmamenttalks,eveniftheirmethodsandstrategicgoalsdiffered. Difference:Thesourcesdifferintheirapproachtoachievingsecurityanddisarmament,withtheUSfocusingonmaintainingstrategic strengththroughinitiativesliketheStrategicDefenceInitiative(SDI),whiletheSovietUnionemphasizesmutualdisarmamentandrejectedspace-basedweapons.● InSourceA,ReaganarguedthatUSneeded“tonegotiatefromapositionofstrengththatcanbeensuredonlybymodernising[their]strategicforces”,giventhat“Soviets’presentmarginofsuperiority”wouldnotmakethem“agreetoarmsreductionsknowingthattheUSwereprohibitedfromcatchingup.”Therefore,theUSsecurityrequiredamoreaggressivedeterrencethatdemonstratedthetechnologicalsuperiorityoftheUStocompeltheSovietUnioninarmsreductiontalks.● OntheotherhandinSourceB,Gorbachevcriticisedthedevelopmentofspaceweaponsasdangerousandcounterproductivetodisarmamentwhenheasked,“whytakethisextremelydangerouspathofspaceweaponswhichdoesnotpromisedisarmament.”Instead,heproposedamoredirectapproachto“eliminatethoseweapons”ratherthandevelopingnewsophisticatedweaponsinspace.”Thisshowshisemphasisonmutualreductionsinnuclearweaponsandthere