Lesson 2

2 The end of détente and the ‘Second Cold War’ Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 2, The end of détente and the ‘Second Cold War’: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 12: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which country's invasion is named in the spec as ending détente?

    • Afghanistan
    • Hungary
    • Lebanon
    • Czechoslovakia

  2. Which US doctrine is named in the spec in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

    • The Carter Doctrine
    • The Monroe Doctrine
    • The Truman Doctrine
    • The Brezhnev Doctrine

  3. Which events are named in the spec as a sign of the 'Second Cold War'?

    • The Olympic boycotts
    • The Cuban Revolution
    • The Oslo Accords
    • The Berlin Blockade

  4. What was the common nickname for Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative?

    • Iron Dome
    • Sky Guard
    • Star Wars
    • Golden Shield

  5. Which president is named in the spec with the 'Second Cold War'?

    • Johnson
    • Kennedy
    • Reagan
    • Truman

  6. Which two leaders are named in the spec as reducing tensions later in this topic?

    • Reagan and Gorbachev
    • Carter and Brezhnev
    • Kennedy and Khrushchev
    • Truman and Stalin

  7. Which country did the Soviet Union invade in 1979, ending détente?

    • Afghanistan
    • Poland
    • Hungary
    • Czechoslovakia

  8. Which US President launched the Strategic Defence Initiative in the 1980s?

    • Ronald Reagan
    • Jimmy Carter
    • Gerald Ford
    • Richard Nixon

  9. What was the main purpose of Reagan's Strategic Defence Initiative?

    • Missile defence system
    • Tank production
    • Covert espionage
    • Naval blockade

  10. What term describes the renewed period of superpower hostility in the early 1980s?

    • Peaceful Coexistence
    • New Détente
    • Second Cold War
    • Iron Curtain

  11. Which sporting event was boycotted by Western nations after the invasion of Afghanistan?

    • Berlin Olympics
    • Tokyo Olympics
    • Moscow Olympics
    • Los Angeles Olympics

  12. Which pair of leaders is named in the spec for reducing tensions?

    • Stalin and Churchill
    • Nasser and Sadat
    • Brezhnev and Carter
    • Reagan and Gorbachev

  13. Which US foreign policy statement was issued in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

    • Monroe Doctrine
    • Carter Doctrine
    • Brezhnev Doctrine
    • Truman Doctrine

  14. Which event triggered the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games?

    • Afghanistan invasion
    • Berlin Wall fall
    • Korean War outbreak
    • Cuban Missile Crisis

  15. Which decade saw the breakdown of détente and the start of the Second Cold War?

    • Mid 1970s
    • Late 1960s
    • Late 1990s
    • Early 1980s

  16. Which US President launched the Strategic Defence Initiative during the Second Cold War?

    • Richard Nixon
    • Jimmy Carter
    • John F. Kennedy
    • Ronald Reagan

  17. Which 1979 Soviet military intervention severely damaged relations and ended détente?

    • Afghanistan invasion
    • Hungary invasion
    • Poland intervention
    • Czechoslovakia invasion

  18. How many major developments does the spec cite as causing the end of détente?

    • One single cause
    • Multiple developments
    • Only economic collapse
    • Solely trade embargoes

  19. What was the name of Reagan's proposed space-based missile defence system?

    • Star Wars Defence
    • Patriot System
    • Strategic Defence Initiative
    • Apollo Shield

  20. Which major sporting protest marked Western opposition to Soviet foreign policy in 1980?

    • Olympic boycotts
    • Commonwealth boycott
    • Athletics ban
    • World Cup walkout

All Pearson Edexcel History quizzes