Prompt: Please briefly describe those global transformations from the late 1970s through the 1980s that had a direct impact on the Cold War and explain in detail and depth how and why they contributed to its demise.
A clue: One major change took place in the Soviet Union and China, where both countries began to reform their economies, moving away from the planned model toward a market-oriented model. In the Soviet Union, Gorbachev even moved to democratize the government through political reform. You should also consider the U.S. factor. Still, you can discuss how the general global trend toward market capitalism and democracy influenced the Cold War.
A reminder: Things are often complex and cannot be understood in simple black-and-white terms. You should try to give a historically informed, ideologically unbiased, and logically coherent answer. The historical context cannot be overemphasized. It is easy to dwell on generalities out of context. It is also easy to see things from one’s own ideological perspective and rush to condemn alternative ideologies without trying to understand them. You can always disagree but should show respect. It is more important to help contribute to a greater understanding of different systems, which all had their historical, cultural, economic, and political rationales. Finally, it is easier to speak coherently, but a lot more difficult to write coherently. Make sure that you move logically from sentence to sentence and consistently from paragraph to paragraph. Do not deviate from your focus. Whatever you write should be directly relevant to the prompt. There is no need for long background introduction.
