(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.”Thisshowshisemphasisonmutualreductionsinnuclearweaponsandtherenunciationofspace-basedweaponsasthepathtosecurity. 1©AndersonSerangoonJuniorCollege2024 8838/012024JC2PRELIMINARYEXAMINATION

InsightintoDifference:[Author’spurposeorconcerns]Thedifferenceinapproachesreflectsthedifferentconcernsofeachsuperpowerduringthe1980s.● InSourceA,Reagan'sadministrationwasfocusedonenhancingUSmilitarycapabilitiestoovercometheimbalancednuclearstockpilebetweentheUSandSovietUnion,particularlythroughtechnologicalsuperiority,asameanstosecurefavourablearmscontrolagreementsandprotectUSinterests.Byshiftingfrommutuallyassureddestructiontoastrategybasedondefence,itwouldmakenuclearweaponslessrelevantandreducethethreatfromSovietUnion.● Incontrast,Gorbachev'sleadershipinSourceBwasmoreconcernedwithreducingtheeconomicandmilitaryburdensontheSovietUnion,thushispurposewastoreducethenuclearthreattoalleviatingtheseeconomicburdensandredirectresourcestowarddomesticreform.Therefore,hestronglyadvocatedformutualdisarmamentandopposinginitiativeslikeSDI,whichhesawasdestabilisingandpotentiallyleadingtoanarmsraceinspace. 2©AndersonSerangoonJuniorCollege2024 8838/012024JC2PRELIMINARYEXAMINATION

HowfardoSourceA-Esupport theassertionthat theendofthearmsracewasaresultofReagan’sstrategicinitiatives? Sourceanalysis SourceA[Support] “Iknowthatallofyouwantpeace,andsodoI.Iknowtoothatmanyofyouseriouslybelievethatanuclearfreezewouldfurtherthecauseofpeace.Butafreezenowwouldmakeusless,notmore,secureandwouldraise,notreduce,theriskofwar.” ▪ Reaganbeganbyacknowledgingtheuniversal desireforpeace, aligninghimselfwiththepublic’saspirations. Healsorecognisedthatmanypeoplebelievethatanuclearfreezewouldachievepeace.Yet, hechallengedthatasafreezewouldbecounterproductive, whichsetthestageforhisargumentthatadifferentapproachwasneededtopreventanuclearwar. “WiththeSoviets’presentmarginofsuperiority,whyshouldtheyagreetoarmsreductionsknowingthatwewereprohibitedfromcatchingup?” ▪ HeemphasisedtheSovietUnion’sexistingadvantageinnuclearcapabilities, arguingthatafreezewouldlockinthisimbalanceandpreventtheUSfrombridgingthegap. HeimpliedthattheSovietswouldhavenoincentivetoagreetoarmsreductionsiftheUSwasunabletoimproveitsstrategicposition. “Weneedtonegotiatefromapositionofstrengththatcanbeensuredonlybymodernisingourstrategicforces. Toensurethat our security didn’t rely onthreat of US retaliationagainst aSovietattack, butontheabilitytointerceptanddestroyballisticmissilesbeforetheyreachedusorourallies.” ▪ HeadvocatedforthemodernisationofUSstrategicforcesasameanstoachievemorefavourabletermsinarmscontrol negotiations, becausestrengthandsecuritywouldleadtosuccessful diplomacy. “Tonight, I am directing a comprehensive and intensive effort to define a long-term research anddevelopment programthat could pave the way for arms control measures to eliminate the weaponsthemselves.” ▪ HeannouncedthelaunchofhisSDI programwiththetechnological advancementsindefencethatcouldleadtotheeventual eliminationofoffensivenuclearweapons. ThiswouldbeachievedbymakingSovietmissilesobsoletewiththedefenceshieldandpavethewayforreducingnucleararsenals. “Weseek neither military superiority nor political advantage. Our only purposeistosearchforwaystoreducethedangerofnuclearwar.” ▪ Heframedhisinitiativesaspurelydefensiveandpeace-orientedasameanstoreducetheriskofnuclearwar. Thisclaimiscentral totheargumentthatReagan’sactionsweremotivatedbyagenuinedesiretoendthearmsraceontermsthatwouldenhanceglobal security. Provenance: PresidentReagan’saddresstothenationondefenceandnational security, 23March1983. ▪ SDI wasacornerstoneofhisdefencepolicyduringtheColdWarandhisprimarypurposewastopersuadetheAmericanpublicandinternational observersofthenecessityandlegitimacyofhisSDIprogram. HewasrespondingtoconcernsabouttheescalatingarmsraceandattemptingtojustifytheUSmilitarybuildup, particularlytheNuclearFreezemovementsthatgainedprominenceinearly1980s, whichcouldleadtoanoveremphasisonthepositiveoutcomes. 3©AndersonSerangoonJuniorCollege2024 8838/012024JC2PRELIMINARYEXAMINATION

SourceB[Challenge] “Yousaidinyouraddressthatitwasyourdreamtofreemankindfromthethreatofnucleardestruction.Whytakethis extremelydangerous pathof spaceweapons,whichdoesnotpromisedisarmament?Insteadofspendingthenext10-15yearsdevelopingnewsophisticatedweaponsinspace,whichareallegedly intended to make nuclear weapons “obsolete” and “impotent”, wouldn’t it bebetter toeliminatethoseweapons?” ▪ GorbachevreferencedReagan’sstatedgoal ofeliminatingthethreatofnuclearwar. Thisservedasadiplomaticapproachtoestablishcommongroundbetweenthetwoleadersbeforepresentinghiscritique. HecharacterisedSDI asadangerouspaththatdidnotcontributetodisarmament. ThisimpliesthatReagan’sstrategicinitiativesmightbecounterproductivetothegoal ofreducingnuclearweapons. ▪ Hequestionedthelogicofcreatingspace-basedweaponssystemswhentheeffortswouldbebetterspentonthedirecteliminationofnuclearweapons. Thishighlightsafundamental differencebetweentheUSandSovietapproachestoarmscontrol: Reaganfocusedondefencethroughtechnologicalinnovation, Gorbachevadvocatedforimmediate, mutual disar